Abstract

Objective: To present a "Teamwork Design Model" that will help participants identify and manage the key design decisions they make, explicitly or implicitly, when using team projects in their IS courses. Rationale: IS practice requires not only technical skills, but also the ability to work with others. The importance of developing students' teamwork skills leads many IS faculty to incorporate team projects in their courses. Unfortunately, placing people in groups does not guarantee that they are going to be able to work as a productive team. Not surprisingly, team projects frequently generate a lot of anxiety and frustration for all involved (including the instructor!), resulting in more entropy than synergy. The "Teamwork Design Model" draws from group dynamics and teamwork literature to identify the nature and impacts of the various decisions that IS instructors make when structuring team projects. These decisions can have profound effects on both the process and the outcomes of a team project. They are often made, however, with little or no awareness or reflection about their consequences. In many cases, instructors may not even be aware that certain features of team projects reflect design choices, rather than imperatives. This workshop will help participants to become aware of the decisions they make, consciously or unconsciously, when structuring team projects in IS courses. It will also help participants to anticipate and evaluate the possible consequences of these decisions. Format: The presentation will be highly interactive, and supported by a laptop PC, running Windows, connected to a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) panel. The model will be displayed in successive images, where the level of detail and complexity will gradually increase).

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