2002 asee/ieee fie conference1 teaching teamwork skills in software engineering based on an...
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2002 ASEE/IEEE FIE Conference
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Teaching Teamwork Skills in Software Engineering Based
on an Understanding of Factors Affecting Group
Performance
Robert Lingard and Elizabeth Berry
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Overview
The importance of teaching teamwork skills
Objectives of current effort A brief look at previous results Results from the current study Strategies for teaching teamwork Summary and conclusions
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The Importance of Teaching Teamwork
Employers are increasingly seeking computer science graduates with communication and teamwork skills
Accrediting bodies, like ABET, now stress the importance of teaching communication and teamwork skills
Teamwork activities have a positive effect on learning
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Objectives of Current Effort
Study the effects of team composition on team performance
Examine other factors that affect team success
Develop team teaching strategies to take advantage of, or compensate for, the nature of our student teams
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Ways of Forming Student Teams
Self selection Random assignment A process that takes into
account various factors that may affect team performance, such as synergy, subject knowledge, etc.
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Results from Previous Study
Data from 23 teams in 4 software engineering classes over 2 semesters were studied.
Project success correlated significantly with a team’s self rating of effectiveness.
Project success correlated significantly with the average test scores of team members.
There was some evidence that project success correlated with team synergy as measured by the Kolbe A™ index.
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Team Synergy as Defined by Kolbe
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Results from Current Study
Data from 39 teams in 6 classes over 4 semesters were analyzed.
The results indicate even more significant correlations between project scores and self ratings of effectiveness and average test scores than before.
A significant correlation between project scores and group synergy (using the Kolbe measure of viability) was noted.
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Additional Factors Analyzed in Current
Study Average age of the group members Gender of group members Cultural diversity among members Percentage of native English
speakers Level of participation by members Group size
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Average Age of Group Members
The average age ranged from 21.3 to 38.0 years.
There was no significant difference in project scores based on average group age.
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Gender of Group Members
The percentage of women on teams ranged from 0% to 60%.
There was no significant difference in project scores based on the number of women on a team.
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Cultural Diversity among Group
Members Diversity was calculated by counting
the number of different native languages on the team and dividing by the number of members.
In a typical class of 30 there were as many as 17 different native languages.
No significant difference in project scores was noted among the teams.
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Percentage of Native English Team
Members The percentage of native
English speakers on a team ranged from 0% to 80%.
There was no significant difference in project scores based on the number of native English speakers.
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Team Size
Most teams consisted of 5 members.
There some teams of size 3, 4 and 6.
There was a significant negative correlation between project scores and team size.
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Degree of Participation by Team
Members Team members rated the
participation of each member as a percentage of the whole.
The variance among average participation scores was calculated.
There was a significant negative correlation between this variance and project scores.
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Teamwork Teaching Strategies
Sharing commonalities Team retreat Team meeting reports “Mine/ours” exercises Hypothetical situations Role playing
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Team Meeting Reports
A written report is required for each team meeting
Member attendance is noted
One member serves as moderator and another as recorder at each meeting
Encourages participation by all members
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“Mine/Ours” Exercises
Each member of the team produces an independent solution to a problem
The team meets and the individual solutions are compared and discussed
The team produces a consensus version of the solution
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Role Playing Each team member is given
a specific role to play Team conducts a simulated
meeting in front of the rest of the class to discuss a specific problem
Requires participation of all team members
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Summary and Conclusions
Since team synergy correlates with project success, attempts should be made to form synergistic teams.
Since project success is correlated with test scores, teams should be cognitively balanced for fairness and to reduce the likelihood of forming ineffective teams.
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Summary and Conclusions (Continued)
Since project success correlates with greater member participation, exercises should be devised that encourage such participation.
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Contact Information
Robert Lingard - [email protected]
Elizabeth Berry - [email protected]