Description project
Until recently, teaching in higher education has mainly been an autonomous and individual task. However, due to shifts towards more interdisciplinary project- and problem-based education, teachers nowadays have to collaborate in teams to design and teach new forms of education. In order to succesfully execute team tasks, we know that engaging in team learning is necessary. Team learning consists of interactional processes by means of which teams build a shared mental model of their tasks and how to execute them. In this project, we investigate how intra-team learning (processes within the team) and inter-team learning (processes between the team and external parties) help teachers at the University of Twente in designing a coherent 15 ECTS course. More specifically, our research questions are directed at unraveling the nature of the intra-team learning processes knowledge sharing, co-construction, and constructive conflict, and the inter-team learning processes information seeking and feedback asking. We examine the degree to which it is beneficial to engage in both intra- and inter-team learning, how input retrieved by means of inter-team learning is used in intra-team discussions, and whether this leads to actual decisions. The project consists of both a large-scale quantitative survey study among over 100 teacher teams, and an intensive mixed methods study in which we followed 10 teacher teams during their (re)design process. We work with a variety of techniques for data analysis, such as structural equation modelling and machine learning by means of text mining.
Expected outcomes
This project aims to provide a deeper insight in the nature of team learning, e.g. by revealing interaction patterns beneath different team learning processes. With this information, specific processes can be recognized and stimulated during team conversations, in order to help teams reach quality decisions. By investigating how within-team conversation leads to actual decisions, and how communicating with external parties can help in this respect, we will provide guidelines for effective team learning. As university teacher teams are an upcoming phenomenom, it is an interesting context for validating existing knowledge of team learning, and to provide universities with tools for supporting their teachers to collaborate effectively in teaching.
partners
Rike Bron
Maaike Endedijk - contact person
Bernard Veldkamp - OMD department
Duration of the project
March 2013 - December 2019
Funding and partners
This project is funded by the 4TU center for engineering education (4TU.CEE).
project website
Not applicable
Publications related to this project
- Bron, R., Endedijk, M. D., & Van Veelen, R. (2016). Towards a fine-grained approach to team learning: The effect of intra- and inter-team learning on team effectiveness. Paper presented at the EARLI SIG 14 Conference, Regensburg, Germany.
- Bron, R., & Endedijk, M. D. (2016). The dynamic and emergent nature of team learning: Using machine learning techniques to automatically discern team learning processes from team conversations Paper presented at the EARLI SIG 14 Conference, Regensburg, Germany.
- Bron, R., Endedijk, M. D., & Veldkamp, B. P. (2016). Behind the scenes in higher education: How university teachers collaboratively design a project-based and student-centred course. Paper presented at the Higher Education Conference, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- Bron, R., Endedijk, M. D., & Van Veelen, R. (2016). Een multidimensionale benadering van teamleren: Het differentiële effect van intra- en inter-teamleren op teameffectiviteit. Paper presented at the Onderwijs Research Dagen, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
- Bron, R., Endedijk, M. D., & Sleegers, P. J. C. (2015). Team learning for innovation in higher education: A mixed methods study. Paper presented at the EARLI conference, Limassol, Cyprus.
- Bron, R., Endedijk, M. D., & Sleegers, P. J. C. (2014). Educational innovation configurations resulting from team learning in higher education. Paper presented at the EARLI SIG 4 and 17 meeting, Leuven, Belgium.
- Bron, R., Endedijk, M. D., McKenney, S. E., & Sleegers, P. J. C. (2014). Teamleren van docenten in het hoger onderwijs. Poster presented at the Onderwijs Research Dagen, Groningen, The Netherlands.