The art of teamwork is going global with a new University of Queensland Massive Online Open Course (MOOC), an updated version of its popular online course now released via the edX platform.
TEAMS101x Working in Teams: A Practical Guide will be led by Director of First Year Engineering Associate Professor Lydia Kavanagh and Senior Lecturer in Geography and Environmental Science Dr David Neil.
Associate Professor Kavanagh said the course offered practical tools and advice to help learners build and manage effective teams, be a great team player and deal with team conflict.
“We often ask our students to work in teams on tricky problems without any real training,” she said.
“We compiled this MOOC to help students through the various stages of teamwork by giving them both information and useful tools.
“As well as expected content we also cover oft hidden issues such as recognising and capitalising on diversity, and managing social loafers.”
The duo have worked together for more than 10 years to improve the way teams function.
They established the Proactively Ensuring Team Success (PETS) process, a successful multifaceted approach to team-based student projects for educators that includes monitoring and mentoring.
They were also instrumental in creating the original Working in Teams online training module, which has been used by over 5000 UQ students since its release in 2009.
Dr Neil said the updated TEAMS101x, offered free to a global audience on the edX platform, uses current research and new activities to assist students.
“The MOOC can be used by UQ students and by a much wider global audience – anyone working in the modern professional workplace needs to be able to work effectively in teams, to understand the attributes of effective teams, and have available to them a suite of tools for things like resolving team conflict.”
Media: Associate Professor Lydia Kavanagh, l.kavanagh@uq.edu.au, (07) 3365 4264.
