A comparative evaluation of analytical methods to allocate individual marks from a team mark

This study presents a comparative evaluation of analytical methods to allocate individual marks from a team mark. Only the methods that use or can be converted into some form of mathematical equations are analysed. Some of these methods focus primarily on the assessment of the quality of teamwork product (product assessment) while the others put greater emphasis on the assessment of teamwork performance (process assessment). The remaining methods try to strike a balance between product assessment and process assessment. To discuss the characteristics of these methods, graphical plots generated by the mathematical equations that collectively cover all possible team learning scenarios are discussed. Finally, a typical teamwork example is used to simplify the discussions. Although each of the methods discussed has its own merits for a particular application scenario, recent methods are relatively better in terms of a number of evaluation criteria.     

大学生科技创新团队创造力关系分析——基于变革型领导、团队沟通、个体创造力

根据团队创造力相关理论,基于变革型领导、团队沟通和个体创造力的作用,构建大学生科技创新团队创造力的结构和关系模型,提出它们之间的假设关系。本研究通过采集90个大学生科技创新团队的样本数据,采用探索性因素分析、验证性因素分析、结构方程等方法对假设进行检验。结果表明,变革型领导对团队沟通、个体创造力及团队创造力皆具有正向影响作用;团队沟通和个体创造力对团队创造力也具有正向影响作用;个体创造力在变革型领导与团队创造力之间起部分中介作用;团队沟通没有起中介作用。建议高校要重视大学生科技创新团队的团队领导培养,提高大学生团队沟通能力和个体创造力,进而提升团队创造力。     

Problem solving and engineering design,introducing bachelor students to engineering practice at K. U. Leuven

A present-day engineer has a large scientific knowledge; he is a team-player, eloquent communicator and life-long learner. At the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, the course ‘Problem Solving and Engineering Design’ introduces engineering students from the first semester onwards into real engineering practice and teamwork. Working in small groups, the students integrate basic principles of all regular scientific courses to solve real-life engineering problems. This makes the coursework more interesting and helps the students to master the abstract theories presented in lectures. Through the increasing complexity of the assignments, the students are gradually confronted with technical and social competencies such as a systematic approach to problem solving and engineering design, teamwork, project management and communication skills. ‘Problem Solving and Engineering Design’ has been implemented in the bachelor of engineering since September 2003. The current paper describes the course objectives, the way the course is implemented to support project-based learning and the feedback obtained from the didactic team and the students.     

The architecture of peer assessment: do academically successful students make good teammates in design assignments?

This paper considers the relationship between architecture and construction management students’ overall academic abilities (as measured by Weighted Average Marks [WAMs]), their peer ratings for contributions to team design assignments (as measured by an online Self-and-Peer-Assessment [SAPA] tool), and their specific abilities as building designers (as measured by grades in individual design assignments). The research was conducted to determine whether a student’s prior academic achievements might indicate how well they will work in teams. The research demonstrates a statistically significant relationship between WAMs and SAPA ratings indicating that academically successful students more often than not make good teammates. However, the study also highlights that when peers are assessing contributions to teamwork they are assessing skills and qualities in their teammates other than overall academic ability or the ability to design well. Whilst this study is largely located within the field of design, the findings are relevant to any group work where teachers aim to design assessment that unravels group and individual contribution.     

A robust approach for mapping group marks to individual marks using peer assessment

Group work can form a substantial component of degree programme assessments. To satisfy institutional and student expectations, students must often be assigned individual marks for their contributions to the group project, typically by mapping a single holistic group mark to individual marks using peer assessment scores. Since the early 1990s, various mapping methods that use self- and peer ratings have been developed. They are based on (normalised) individual weighting factors, partial scaling of the group mark, inter-rater agreement corrections or parabolic functions. We show that no single existing method can be successfully applied to most practical peer assessment scenarios such as different marking scale interpretations, intra-group ranking errors, biased free-riders and marks exceeding 100%. We present a combined analytical mapping method that incorporates the benefits of existing mechanisms, but alleviates their weaknesses with minimum computational effort and tutor input. The robustness of the method is illustrated through problematic assessment examples and empirically evaluated in multiple group work environments involving a total of 243 students and five different disciplines.     

Developing team skills through a collaborative writing assignment

Employers want students who are able to work effectively as members of a team, and expect universities to develop this ability in their graduates. This paper proposes a framework for a collaborative writing assignment that specifically develops students’ ability to work in teams. The framework has been tested using two iterations of an action research project, with this paper focusing on the second iteration. The paper provides detailed information on how the framework was implemented, and then reports on the students’ perceptions of their learning about teamwork.     

Education for children with a chronic health condition: an evidence‐informed approach to policy and practice decision making

Children managing chronic health conditions face many obstacles which can impede their learning during periods of hospitalisation. In one particular hospital, a team of educators deemed it necessary to take a personalised learning approach in order to maintain students’ educational progress, namely making use of individual learning plans (ILPs). This team adopted an evidence‐informed practice (EIP) approach to the issue in order to persuade administrators of the need for change. The successful implementation of the EIP approach led to the inclusion of the ILP form in patients’ medical records, which is thought to be a first for Australia. Although EIP is regarded highly by practitioners and policy makers, there can be difficulties when implementing this approach. This study aims to identify the enabling features that permit EIP to be successfully implemented and to examine the ways in which EIP can lead to improved practice.     

Student perceptions of teamwork within assessment tasks in undergraduate science degrees

Teamwork assessment creates a more comprehensive educational experience by broadening the diversity of skills that students develop. Developing teamwork skills is particularly important due to a recognised skills gap among science graduates. This study investigated student perceptions of developing teamwork skills during their undergraduate science degrees. A mixed methods approach was used, which included the analysis of both quantitative and qualitative online survey data. The key findings showed that, although students understood the importance of developing teamwork skills for their future, a substantial proportion did not feel sufficiently prepared with these skills by their science degree. To develop teamwork skills, more students valued working in teams during laboratory sessions, team sports and informal study groups than non-laboratory based formal teamwork assessment. In support of previous teamwork studies across disciplines, the most cited factors contributing to poor teamwork experiences were difficulties scheduling meetings and unequal contribution among team members. This study indicates pedagogical improvements that may enhance the teamwork experience of students during assessments.     

Using peer assessment to evaluate teamwork from a multidisciplinary perspective

This article analyses the use of peer evaluation as a tool for evaluating teamwork and students’ perceptions of this type of evaluation. A study was conducted of six subjects included on five degree courses at the University of Girona. In all of these subjects, students carried out a team activity, evaluated the performance of the team and the involvement of its different members, and responded to a survey on their perceptions of this evaluation system. We found the main factors influencing the evaluation and perception of teamwork to be teachers’ and students’ prior experience in this type of evaluation activity, the field where it is applied, the academic year students are enrolled on and the weight of the activity in the final mark. The results show that, in general, students’ views regarding such evaluation procedures are positive.     

Peer Assessment of a Group Project in a Primary Mathematics Education Course

This paper discusses the problem of discriminating between individual contributions in the assessment of group projects. It is argued that peer assessment is a necessary element of any proposed structure but that the use of any ‘weighting‐factor’ system is contrary to the philosophy underpinning collaborative groupwork. A structure that separates the process and product elements of the assessment is described and a set of generic criteria for the process peer assessment identified. This structure was implemented with a group of students at Hong Kong University and evaluated using questionnaires and in‐depth interviews. The paper discusses the results of this evaluation and in particular identifies the need for ‘benchmarking’ when using the criteria and also the problematic nature of the ‘insider‐outsider’ syndrome as an important cultural factor.     

Teamwork: education for entrants to the environment professions

Numerous reports over recent years emphasise the importance of teamwork training in undergraduate programs in environment education at tertiary level. This paper describes a project undertaken by a team of final year undergraduate environment students from four faculties at RMIT University in Australia working on a multi‐disciplinary environment project in Vietnam. The students clearly gained confidence in teamwork and working as professionals. Importantly, they identified some of the key issues associated with teamwork, and with professional activities. While they had not yet entered professional work, the students demonstrated that they had learnt skills that would be of direct importance to them in the professional conduct of a multi‐disciplinary project. The project also demonstrated that multi‐disciplinary teamwork fits well into environmental projects, and importantly that the experiences are recognised by students as being valuable preparation for their environmental professions.     

Formatively assessing teamwork in technology-enabled twenty-first century classrooms: exploratory findings of a teamwork awareness programme in Singapore

Teamwork, one of the core competencies for the twenty-first century learner, is a critical skill for work and learning. However, assessing teamwork is complex, in particular, developing a measure of teamwork that is domain-generic and applicable across a wide range of learners. This paper documents one such study that leverages technology to help provide a formative assessment of teamwork. It focuses on the self and peer ratings of a teamwork measure and a pedagogical method, which was trialled as a teamwork awareness programme in a mainstream Secondary School in Singapore. This teamwork awareness programme was incorporated into the school’s Interdisciplinary Project Work curriculum. Findings of students’ experiences of the programme are described. The teamwork competency dimension of “team emotional support” was rated highest amongst students. Also, students’ report gains in teamwork awareness, mixed engagement in reflective practices, and on the real-world relevancy of the programme. Discussions and implications of the findings follow.     

Peer assessment in group projects accounting for assessor reliability by an iterative method

This study proposes an advanced method to factor in the contributions of individual group members engaged in an integrated group project using peer assessment procedures. Conway et al. proposed the Individual Weight Factor (IWF) method for peer assessment which has been extensively developed over the years. However, most methods associated with IWF use a simple average algorithm which still has limitations in effectively reflecting abnormal situations. Therefore, this study proposes an iterative method for measuring a fair IWF by considering each assessor's reliability. The proposed algorithm considers each assessor's reliability which is evaluated by an analysis of variance of the scores given by the assessor. This relative reliability factor is used to improve the fairness of the IWF and reduce the effect of unfair or unreliable assessors' scores. A comparison with previous methods demonstrates that the proposed method resulted in substantially more fair grades being given to individual students for group projects.     

Effects of Collective Efficacy,Teamwork Attitudes,and Experience on Group Project Performance: Comparisons Between 2 Food Science Courses

The relationship between past teamwork and task‐related experiences, attitude toward teamwork, collective efficacy, and task performance among undergraduates (N = 298) assigned to group projects (N = 48) in 2 different Food Science courses was examined. The results of survey data collected at the beginning and end of the projects showed that past teamwork and task‐related experience predicted individual student efficacy at the end of the project, and that starting efficacy, but not attitudes toward teamwork, mediated that relationship. Convergence over time among team members’ efficacy, and diversity of past task‐related experiences was positively related to project grade, whereas diversity in past teamwork experiences was negatively related to project grade. The relationship between past experiences, attitude toward teamwork, efficacy, and grades did not differ between the 2 courses. Implications for practices of implementing group class projects are discussed.     

A phenomenological study of teamwork in online and face-to-face student teams

Team-based projects are widely used in both traditional face-to-face and online programs in higher education. To date, the teamwork experiences of students in each modality have been documented primarily through evaluative research conducted over short spans of time and limited by a priori frameworks. The literature also reflects a lack of agreement about what constitutes the phenomenon of teamwork in each modality. In order to address these limitations, we conducted a phenomenological study examining the lived experiences of teamwork among students in both face-to-face and online MBA programs in Iran. Our analysis revealed striking commonalities in the experiences of both groups, including a shared desire for effective leadership to alleviate the problem of free riders, as well as substantial time and effort invested in retaining reliable teammates from one team project to another. In other respects, face-to-face and online students’ experience differed strongly. For example, while face-to-face participants pursued teammates with similar beliefs about how teamwork should be accomplished, online participants found themselves pre-occupied with staying connected with their teammates and struggled to establish common communication channels with each and every team member. Overall, our findings suggest that while training and support for student teamwork can partly build on the shared needs among students in both modalities, the nature of the experience in each modality may be so different in vital respects that engaging in one mode of teamwork does not necessarily prepare students to participate well in the other mode. Other implications and limitations of the research are discussed.     

Comparative efficacy of group and individual feedback in gross anatomy for promoting medical student professionalism

Professionalism is a core competency of medical training that requires students to develop the skills of providing and receiving feedback. Our study evaluated the effectiveness of delivering feedback in a group setting compared with an individual setting. The first‐year class of Mayo medical students (n = 49) enrolled in gross anatomy (in dissection teams), completed weekly anonymous evaluations of themselves and their teammates regarding seven aspects of professionalism (altruism, compassion, respect, honesty/integrity, responsibility, commitment to excellence, and self‐reflection). Professionalism scores from these surveys were calculated using a six‐point Likert scale. Students were also asked to comment on strengths and possible areas for improvement on each peer. At the midpoint of the course, peer comments and professionalism scores were shared with students in debriefing sessions either individually or with their team. Analysis of preintervention and postintervention professionalism scores indicated that the students receiving feedback in a one‐on‐one setting (student and instructor) were more likely to demonstrate higher scores on subsequent evaluations as compared with those students receiving feedback in a group setting (all team members and one instructor). Our findings suggest that providing feedback to first‐year medical students on an individual basis is the best way to improve professional attitudes and behaviors. Anat Sci Educ 3: 64–72, 2010. © 2010 American Association of Anatomists.     

Group in‐course assessment promotes cooperative learning and increases performance

The authors describe and evaluate a method to motivate medical students to maximize the effectiveness of dissection opportunities by using In‐Course‐Assessments (ICAs) to encourage teamwork. A student's final mark was derived by combining the group dissection mark, group mark for questions, and their individual question mark. An analysis of the impact of the ICA was performed by comparing end of module practical summative marks in student cohorts who had, or had not, participated in the ICAs. Summative marks were compared by two‐way ANOVA followed by Dunnets test, or by repeated measures ANOVA, as appropriate. A cohort of medical students was selected that had experienced both practical classes without (year one) and with the new ICA structure (year two). Comparison of summative year one and year two marks illustrated an increased improvement in year two performance in this cohort. A significant increase was also noted when comparing this cohort with five preceding year two cohorts who had not experienced the ICAs (P <0.0001). To ensure that variation in the practical summative examination was not impacting on the data, a comparison was made between three cohorts who had performed the same summative examination. Results show that students who had undertook weekly ICAs showed significantly improved summative marks, compared with those who did not (P <0.0001). This approach to ICA promotes engagement with learning resources in an active, team‐based, cooperative learning environment. Anat Sci Educ 7: 224–233. © 2013 American Association of Anatomists.     

Students’ Perceptions of Learning in an Online Multiround Business Simulation Game: What Can We Learn from Them?

Multiround business simulation games have been gaining popularity in higher education. However, certain aspects of experiential learning of individual students in the game remain unaddressed in research literature. Team assessments, such as team papers, appear a common, “natural” choice given the team‐based nature of the games but may potentially mask individual learning outcomes. In this study we use a qualitative method to glean from individual students’ papers a deeper understanding of the process of learning of individual students in a team‐based, multiround business simulation game. Our findings indicate that individual and timely assessments are necessary to identify cases of not meeting the expected individual learning outcomes for the instructor's corrective intervention. This study contributes to the understanding of the process and outcomes of student learning in a multiround business simulation game, methods of teaching a supply chain and operations class with a simulation, and methods for better aligning course goals and assessments.     

Constructivism in Mathematics Classrooms: Listening to Ghanaian Teachers’ and Students’ Views

One of the challenges of implementing a new curriculum is how to bridge the gap between the underlining principles of the curriculum and the cultural and social orientations of the society which includes teachers and students. This article reports on a study that explored how the cultural and social orientations of teachers and students can influence the implementation of a constructivist curriculum in mathematics classrooms. The data for the study came from 250 students and 41 mathematics teachers, using questionnaires, observations, and interviews. The results showed that inasmuch as mathematics teachers and their students acknowledge the importance of student’s active participation and teamwork, these practices have not been fully conceptualised into the Ghanaian mathematics classroom due to some cultural factors. Two main cultural factors were discovered from the analyses of the results. Firstly, the culture of acknowledging only correct answers in class has a negative impact on individual students’ confidence and participation during mathematics lessons. Also, the culture of teamwork is not fully accepted within Ghanaian classrooms as most students find it difficult working in groups and accepting and appreciating each other’s view. It was evident in all lessons that students were ridiculed by their peers when they provide a wrong answer to a question and this affected individual students’ participation in the classroom. Therefore, we suggested that teachers should be pro-active in promoting a classroom environment which is free from fear and intimidation to motivate students to be actively involved in the classroom discourse.