Robert Lingard and Elizabeth Berry

1. Teaching Teamwork Skills in Software Engineering Based on an Understanding of Factors Affecting Group Performance Robert Lingard and Elizabeth Berry 2002 ASEE/IEEE FIE Conference

2. Overview • The importance of teaching teamwork skills • Objectives of current effort • A brief look at previous results • Results from the current study • Strategies for teaching teamwork • Summary and conclusions 2002 ASEE/IEEE FIE Conference

3. The Importance of Teaching Teamwork • Employers are increasingly seeking computer science graduates with communication and teamwork skills • Accrediting bodies, like ABET, now stress the importance of teaching communication and teamwork skills • Teamwork activities have a positive effect on learning 2002 ASEE/IEEE FIE Conference

4. Objectives of Current Effort • Study the effects of team composition on team performance • Examine other factors that affect team success • Develop team teaching strategies to take advantage of, or compensate for, the nature of our student teams 2002 ASEE/IEEE FIE Conference

5. Ways of Forming Student Teams • Self selection • Random assignment • A process that takes into account various factors that may affect team performance, such as synergy, subject knowledge, etc. 2002 ASEE/IEEE FIE Conference

6. Results from Previous Study • Data from 23 teams in 4 software engineering classes over 2 semesters were studied. • Project success correlated significantly with a team’s self rating of effectiveness. • Project success correlated significantly with the average test scores of team members. • There was some evidence that project success correlated with team synergy as measured by the Kolbe A™ index. 2002 ASEE/IEEE FIE Conference

7. Team Synergy as Defined by Kolbe 2002 ASEE/IEEE FIE Conference

8. Results from Current Study • Data from 39 teams in 6 classes over 4 semesters were analyzed. • The results indicate even more significant correlations between project scores and self ratings of effectiveness and average test scores than before. • A significant correlation between project scores and group synergy (using the Kolbe measure of viability) was noted. 2002 ASEE/IEEE FIE Conference

9. Additional Factors Analyzed in Current Study • Average age of the group members • Gender of group members • Cultural diversity among members • Percentage of native English speakers • Level of participation by members • Group size 2002 ASEE/IEEE FIE Conference

10. Average Age of Group Members • The average age ranged from 21.3 to 38.0 years. • There was no significant difference in project scores based on average group age. 2002 ASEE/IEEE FIE Conference

11. Gender of Group Members • The percentage of women on teams ranged from 0% to 60%. • There was no significant difference in project scores based on the number of women on a team. 2002 ASEE/IEEE FIE Conference

12. Cultural Diversity among Group Members • Diversity was calculated by counting the number of different native languages on the team and dividing by the number of members. • In a typical class of 30 there were as many as 17 different native languages. • No significant difference in project scores was noted among the teams. 2002 ASEE/IEEE FIE Conference

13. Percentage of Native English Team Members • The percentage of native English speakers on a team ranged from 0% to 80%. • There was no significant difference in project scores based on the number of native English speakers. 2002 ASEE/IEEE FIE Conference

14. Team Size • Most teams consisted of 5 members. • There some teams of size 3, 4 and 6. • There was a significant negative correlation between project scores and team size. 2002 ASEE/IEEE FIE Conference

15. Degree of Participation by Team Members • Team members rated the participation of each member as a percentage of the whole. • The variance among average participation scores was calculated. • There was a significant negative correlation between this variance and project scores. 2002 ASEE/IEEE FIE Conference

16. Teamwork Teaching Strategies • Sharing commonalities • Team retreat • Team meeting reports • “Mine/ours” exercises • Hypothetical situations • Role playing 2002 ASEE/IEEE FIE Conference

17. Team Meeting Reports • A written report is required for each team meeting • Member attendance is noted • One member serves as moderator and another as recorder at each meeting • Encourages participation by all members 2002 ASEE/IEEE FIE Conference

18. “Mine/Ours” Exercises • Each member of the team produces an independent solution to a problem • The team meets and the individual solutions are compared and discussed • The team produces a consensus version of the solution 2002 ASEE/IEEE FIE Conference

19. Role Playing • Each team member is given a specific role to play • Team conducts a simulated meeting in front of the rest of the class to discuss a specific problem • Requires participation of all team members 2002 ASEE/IEEE FIE Conference

20. Summary and Conclusions • Since team synergy correlates with project success, attempts should be made to form synergistic teams. • Since project success is correlated with test scores, teams should be cognitively balanced for fairness and to reduce the likelihood of forming ineffective teams. 2002 ASEE/IEEE FIE Conference

21. Summary and Conclusions (Continued) • Since project success correlates with greater member participation, exercises should be devised that encourage such participation. 2002 ASEE/IEEE FIE Conference

22. Contact Information • Robert Lingard - rlingard@ecs.csun.edu • Elizabeth Berry - elizabeth.berry@csun.edu 2002 ASEE/IEEE FIE Conference