Supporting Teamwork: Post-Secondary School Learners

For post-secondary school learners, the ways in which you support teamwork skills starts to grow in complexity. Read on to learn more about how you can incorporate teamwork-related activities with your learners.

Thinking About Teamwork (‘I’)

Obvious to You. Amazing to Others.

Invite learners to think about their experiences working with a team in a variety of different contexts including the unique qualities and skills that they bring to a team environment. Begin the activity by playing the video Obvious to You, Amazing to Others by Derek Sivers.

Next, have them work in pairs or small groups to discuss the video and see if they can recall a time when they shared their “ordinary thoughts” that seemed “amazing” to someone else. Invite learners to record and share their thoughts in a format most suitable to them. Remind learners that the discussion is a celebration of the strengths that they bring to a team environment.

Podcasting

Podcasting can be a valuable resource inside and outside the classroom as a form useful for both consuming and producing information, while also building teamwork skills. In this activity, invite learners to listen to a podcast that focuses on teamwork like the examples below:

*Podcast Transcript: Elements of a Great Team Culture [New Tab]

*Podcast Transcript: RELOAD: Who’s on Your Team with Adam Grant [New Tab]

*Podcast Transcript: Building Psychological Safety And Trust On Teams With Amy Edmondson [New Tab]

Using the above (or any other preferred) example, have learners plan, draft, and develop a 10-minute podcast from start to finish. Working in groups of 3 to 5, invite learners to develop their teamwork skills by:

1. 1. Brainstorming themes or topics relevant to your course content for a podcast episode.
   2. Setting team goals.
   3. Researching their topic.
   4. Developing a script.
   5. Recording and editing their podcast.

Learners should also describe how they divided up work, whether team goals were met, and a short reflection on their contribution to the group project. Plan a day where podcasts will be listened to as a whole class or community event.

Feeling Teamwork (‘We’)

Team vs. Teaming

Amy Edmondson, Professor of Leadership and Management at Harvard Business School, provides useful insights about teamwork that can help learners grow their own skills and understanding. Play Amy Edmondson’s TED Talk How to Turn a Group of Strangers Into a Team to get things started.

Following the video, engage in a discussion about the difference between teams and teaming.  You might choose to record responses on a shared electronic document or whiteboard.

Push their thinking deeper by inviting them to consider what Amy identifies as the three key characteristics to make sure teaming goes well including:

• Humble in the face of challenges ahead
• Curious about what others bring
• Willing to take risks to learn quickly

Invite learners to reflect on what each characteristic might look, sound, and feel like, taking note of essential conditions necessary for success. Learners can record their thinking in a way most suitable to their needs.

Group Presentations

Group presentations can offer another opportunity for learners to develop their teamwork skills. For example, you might consider assigning group presentations on complex topics or current issues relevant to your learning context. Each team can research, prepare, and present their findings or arguments in varying and creative ways. This activity promotes collaboration, public speaking skills, and critical thinking while encouraging respectful dialogue and the exploration of diverse viewpoints.

Practicing Teamwork (‘Us’)

Community Panels

Community panels can be a great learning opportunity for learners to work together toward a common goal, while also developing specific teamwork skills. Learners can work in groups, small or large would work well, to invite a panel of diverse community members with various educational and career backgrounds to share their experiences. Click on the hotspots below for some examples of community panels in different degree programs.

Inclusive Celebrations 

Find ways for learners to inclusively celebrate the diverse cultures, groups, and people within their community. For example, encourage them to advocate for the inclusion of diverse cultures, traditions, and customs at school events such as first-year orientation. Click on the labels below to learn more about inclusive events taking place at Canadian post-secondary institutions.