Collaborative Team Learning in Information Systems:A Pedagogy for Developing Team Skills

摘要

Networks of teams rather than hierarchies ofrnindividuals are increasingly viewed as the appropriaternorganizational structure for coping with the turbulentrnenvironment facing most organizations today.rnConsequently, it is important that the educational systemrndeliver individuals who are capable team players. This isrndoubly important in the field of information systems,rnwhere IT personnel are frequently cited as lacking inrninterpersonal and teams skills, and where IT work isrnincreasingly structured around team based projects. Inrnthis exploratory study, a team learning pedagogy wasrnutilized in the delivery of a database management systemsrncourse. This collaborative teaching methodology requiredrnstudents to bear sole responsibility for learning in teams,rnwith the Professor acting as a “guide on the side”rn(Michaelsen, et al., 1993). Results indicate that thisrnteaching methodology is effective in developingrnimportant team skills that students can transport to thernwork environment.