The Office of Institutional Effectiveness & Evaluation (OIEE) created the following to aid instructors in designing assignments to facilitate Teamwork.
Courses in the following Foundational Component Areas are responsible for teaching and assessing Teamwork: Communication; Creative Arts; and Life & Physical Sciences. To adequately assess Teamwork, the Core Curriculum Council has determined that a group or team should include three or more students.
¹ 19 Tex. Admin. Code §4.28 (2021).
Definition
The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board states that the Texas Core Curriculum objective of Teamwork is “to include the ability to consider different points of view and to work effectively with others to support a shared purpose or goal.”¹Courses in the following Foundational Component Areas are responsible for teaching and assessing Teamwork: Communication; Creative Arts; and Life & Physical Sciences. To adequately assess Teamwork, the Core Curriculum Council has determined that a group or team should include three or more students.
¹ 19 Tex. Admin. Code §4.28 (2021).
Teamwork Questionnaire & Assignment Checklist
The Teamwork Questionnaire is centrally administered by OIEE. Instructors will receive information about the administration but will not be responsible for collecting the data themselves. Students will be notified of the questionnaire via HelioCampus, the platform used to administer the questionnaire.The Importance of Teamwork
- Develops critical thinking, leadership, and communication skills.
- Encourages and improves open dialogue and personal responsibility.
- Exposes students to varying perspectives, helping them develop empathy, critical thinking skills, and the ability to integrate multiple viewpoints when working towards a common goal.
- Promotes peer interaction, increasing student achievement and positive interdependence.¹
- Mirrors workplace collaboration, fostering essential career skills. Four fifths of employers rated the ability to work in teams as very important for strong applicants.²
¹ Johnson et al. (2006). Active learning: Cooperation in the college classroom (3rd edition). Interaction.
² American Association of Colleges & Universities. (2023). The Career-ready graduate: What employers say about the difference college makes.https://dgmg81phhvh63.cloudfront.net/content/user-photos/Research/PDFs/AACU-2023-Employer-Report.pdf
Best Practices for Assessing
- Design team-building exercises to solidify groups and create a supportive environment early in the project/semester.
- Form groups of 3-6 students to ensure productivity, active participation, diverse perspectives, and cohesion.¹
- Set clear expectations for what students should learn and accomplish.
- Carefully outline roles and responsibilities for each member of the team.
- Establish ground rules for participation and contributions.²
- Set up methods to facilitate and monitor group work.³
- Incorporate both self- and peer-assessment for group members.
- Provide time or structure for team development.
- Assign a project of sufficient scope or complexity that it necessitates teamwork.
- Incorporate individual accountability in grading.
Recommended Assignment Types
- Case study analyses
- Written or presented proposals
- Product designs or builds
- Lab experiments and reports
- Field data collection and analyses
- Multimedia productions (e.g., skits, documentaries, informative videos, or public service announcements)
- Performances (e.g., interarts projects, virtual exhibits, music compositions, or dances)
¹ Gross Davis, B. (1993). Tools for teaching. Jossey-Bass.
² Cornell University. (n.d). Establishing community agreements and classroom norms. https://teaching.cornell.edu/resource/establishing-community-agreements-and-classroom-norms
³ University of New South Wales. (n.d). Facilitating and monitoring group work. https://www.teaching.unsw.edu.au/facilitating-and-monitoring-group-work
Teamwork Assignment Prompt Template
The following template offers guidance for designing an assignment that demonstrates the core objective of Teamwork. Instructors are encouraged to adapt it to their discipline.Purpose: Set a purpose or goal for the assignment (creating a product, delivering a presentation, performing an experiment, etc.).
Team Size: Minimum of three students per group per Core Curriculum Council guidelines.
Mode of Collaboration: Clarify if students are expected to work in class, online, or through a specific platform (e.g., Google Docs).
Organization: Assign or instruct the group to define roles for each group member (e.g., editor, project manager, or team lead).
Ground Rules: Establish expectations for communication, participation, conflict resolution, and more. Alternatively, have students develop these expectations themselves. Ideally, groups should document the rules and individually agree to uphold them.
Deliverable: Determine what students should deliver at the end of the group assignment. Examples include but are not limited to lab reports, presentations, videos, live performances, individual reflection essays, etc.
Teamwork Questionnaire Administration
The Teamwork Questionnaire is administered through HelioCampus, the same platform as Student Course Evaluations (SCEs).Students will be notified via email when the questionnaire opens and receive periodic reminders. The questionnaire will be opened on the same day as SCEs and will remain open until the artifact collection due date.
- Fall 2025 Teamwork Questionnaire Window: November 20-December 22
- Spring 2026 Teamwork Questionnaire Window: April 15-May 11
Tips for Encouraging Participation
To encourage students to complete the Teamwork Questionnaire:- Allocate class time: Allow students to complete the questionnaire during class (consider pairing this with SCE completion).
- Explain the impact: Share how you will use their feedback to improve the course.
- Monitor participation: Track response rates and update students. Setting a response rate goal can motivate participation.
- Send reminders: Instructor reminders are more effective than those from OIEE. You are encouraged to adapt the invitation template below for you course to send via email or Canvas announcements.
Teamwork Questionnaire Invitation Template
Subject: Complete Your Teamwork Questionnaire for [Course Name]
Dear student,
This is a friendly request to complete the Teamwork Questionnaire about your experience in [Course Name] by [due date]. Your feedback is anonymous. To complete the questionnaire, log in to HelioCampus, locate the Teamwork Questionnaire in the Action Items list, and select the blue pencil.
The Texas Core Curriculum is designed to equip you with essential knowledge and skills for success in college, your future career, and life in general. By participating, you help Texas A&M University better understand how effectively students are developing their teamwork skills. Your feedback allows us to continuously improve the learning experience for you and your fellow students within the Core Curriculum.
Thank you for your time and valuable feedback!
Sincerely,
[Your name]
