Efficient Online Course Teams While

¶ … Efficient Online Course Teams

While many students dread team work, working in collaborative teams helps students prepare for the real world, where most work scenarios will involve some degree of team work. Effective team work allows students to hone their leadership abilities, develop communication skills, work on problem-solving skills, and learn openness to new ideas and new approaches to goal setting and goal achievement. Even in online learning environments, team work can be a critical teaching skill. In fact, as more companies become more dependent upon virtual work environments, having the ability to work in a virtual group environment is quickly becoming a necessary work skill.

While many people discuss the benefits of teamwork, they may do so without specifying that people only benefit from certain types of teamwork. Dysfunctional teams can hinder a student's progress, rather than help the student learn and grow. An effective team has a common well-defined goal that can excite team members and motivate them to make sacrifices for the good of the team (Text, p.9). An effective team also has a results-driven structure that clearly defines who reports to whom and who does what, leaving no questions as to individual responsibilities and duties (Text, p.9). An effective team is also composed of competent group members; it is not enough for team members to know what their jobs are, they must also have the skills and competencies to complete those jobs (Text, p.9). The team must also feel committed to the task and unified with the rest of the team (Text, p.9). Furthermore, a team should have high goals, but those goals should be realistic and attainable (Text, p.9). Unattainable goals are likely to result in frustration and can be counterproductive to the team's goals; therefore the entire team should be responsible for goal-setting (Text, p.9). Good teams need good leaders; leadership responsibilities can and probably should be spread across the team, but those in leadership positions should display strong principles (Text, p.9).

There are six basic characteristics that are linked to being an effective team member: experience, problem-solving ability, openness, supportiveness, action-oriented, and having a positive personal style (Text, p.11). The most effective team members have experience dealing with the issues that will confront them as members of the team (Text, p.11). They can focus on the issues at hand, solving problems presented without getting derailed (Text, p.11). However, effective team members are not rigid; they are open to suggestions from other group members (Text, p.11). A good team member is also supportive. Rather than focusing on how jobs are broken-down in the group, a team member is willing to pitch in when help is needed and accepted help when it is needed and offered (Text, p.11). Effective team members are action-oriented; they are looking for results and willing to do work when work is required (Text, p.11). Finally, positive team members work better in groups than people with negative attitudes (Text, p.11).