Learning Technology Consulting

There are multiple issues to consider when forming teams; who choses the teams, how many members, what roles & responsibilities are necessary. But I think the most valuable consideration for forming teams is defining a common purpose/goal.

While working at an internet community site I was exposed to a model for creating successful online communities, "The 12 principles of Civilization: Guidelines for Designing Interactive Internet Services" created by Cynthia Typaldos. The first principle of this model is Purpose. This section reads...

"Because people come together for a reason, members in a community need to have something in common. But the common thread that links them can’t be just anything: they must be similar in ways that matter. It’s not enough to share something with a group of members. The shared element has to mean something; it has to provide enough of a hook to bring people together."

Another important aspect is the member selection. In Decisions in Forming Teams from the Foundation Coalition, the first decision is responsibility for assigment: who should select the teams.

"The first issue that arises in forming teams is who should have the responsibility for composing the teams. There are three alternatives.

1. Self-selection: Students decide on the composition of the teams.
2. Instructor selection: The instructor assigns each student to a team. An instructor might assign teams randomly, for example, students count off to form teams. This is quick and efficient, and ensures some heterogeneity in the teams. Stratified random may also be used to distribute prior skills or experiences. Or, as described below, the instructor might elect to consider several factors more systematically.
3. Joint selection: The instructor and students together decide on the composition of the teams. In one model of joint selection, the instructor might set criteria that team composition must meet, while the students form teams that meet these criteria. "

My most valuable experiences on teams in a learning exercise has been when the goal was defined by the students (validated by the instructor/facilitator) and then individuals were allowed to self-select their membership. This process creates relevant learning experiences combined with engaged participants.