Case Study – Online Engagement and Teamwork Tools
Katherine is an instructor at community college and teaches a course in a program of study that prepares students to work in human service programs supporting at-risk children and families. Her course focuses on interprofessional practice and preparing graduates to work with teams and in leadership roles. One of the course learning outcomes is for students to apply knowledge and skills to function effectively within interprofessional teams.
Because the course is delivered online, Katherine wants to create opportunities for students to learn about and develop interpersonal communication skills by engaging with each other using web-based technology. As well, one of the assignments includes a significant amount of teamwork to create a video that the group will show at a student showcase on interprofessional practice. Based on experience, she recognizes that teams tend to be more successful when there is strong group cohesion.
In prior program courses, Katherine’s cohort of students have had challenges with group work, so she knows the video assignment could be daunting. Faculty share that students have had difficulty engaging with each other online for a variety of reasons related to availability: many are single parents, a majority are employed part-time, and a few are working full-time while they take a lighter course load. In addition to these constraints, many students are not aware of web tools and strategies for effective time management and communication.
Katherine wants students to be engaged with each other online to experience a sense of connectedness and accountability to their teams (as will be expected in their roles after graduation). She believes students can be more efficient and productive regarding their group assignment tasks by using web-based technology for collaboration and effective time management (e.g., scheduling of meetings). This will be essential so they can focus on the assignment activities and have a successful experience working with a group while strengthening their interpersonal knowledge and skills.
In your discussion group, please answer in the forum Module 3 – Online Engagement and Teamwork Tools:
Katherine has come to you for guidance because you work in the college department that supports instructors in the development of curriculum, instructional materials, and use of technology.
- What strategies would you suggest to facilitate group cohesiveness and online student engagement with each other?
- What web-based tools might students find beneficial to support online collaboration and effective time management for scheduling of team meetings and other tasks?
Be sure to cite relevant literature to support your guidance to Katherine.
Case study note – future ETEC 565A students need not be teaching similar content as Katherine, but may want to facilitate effective peer-to-peer communication and group work for students in an online learning environment.