Reflective Activity

Description

Learning journals

Students keep a learning journal to track development of team skills.  For example, after each task or key stage of a project, they reflect in the journal on the things their team is doing well or not so well and consider what to improve.  Learning journals can help professors monitor team activities and relative contributions of members.

Checklists

Checklists help students reflect on team preparations and performance of tasks.  Examples address team contributions, performance in team meetings, performance in a team presentation, or the process of compiling a group written report.

Peer review

Encouraging students to give each other regular feedback in team meetings is very helpful.  In peer review, students reflect on their own and others’ performance of team tasks. See examples in Assessment.  Reviewing performance of peers (strengths, weaknesses, areas for improvement) builds students’ understanding of the principles of effective teamwork.

Class

Discussions

Students are asked, once they have reflected on their team’s performance, to share their reflections with the rest of the class, including aspects they found rewarding or challenging and how they can improve as a team next time.

Articulation

Articulation of skill development not only deepens learning but also prepares students for employment interviews.  Students may be asked by interviewers what is meant by effective team or group skills and should be able to articulate their experiences and strengths.

Responding

to feedback

You can ask students to indicate action they have taken in response to feedback given by you or their peers to improve their performance in the team.

Reflective

paper

Students can submit reports on team processes.  You can ask students to write their report as individuals or as a team (or perhaps a combination of the two). Encourage them to draw on specific incidents and examples and take an analytical approach (rather than an overly descriptive one). Rather than focusing on content, students should consider the team’s methods and processes and assess their effectiveness. They should concentrate on how the team worked as a whole rather than on individual members’ actions

Student

portfolio

Portfolios can help students keep track of development team and other skills and provide another reflective tool.