Student Improvement of Teamwork Skills Based on Peer Feedback

Abstract

In order to evaluate how students learn important teamwork skills in a first-year engineering design course at UW-Madison, a novel theoretical framework, the Interpersonal Behavior Classification (IBC) model, was developed to categorize behaviors involved in teamwork as either individual or collaborative. Through this lens, different teamwork skills and behaviors were incorporated into self evaluation and peer feedback assignments for students to assess their teammates. The results of these feedback assignments, along with written reflections and anonymous surveys, were analyzed. It was found that individual behaviors, including time management, focusing on the task at hand, and contributing to group activities, scored the lowest in both self and peer evaluations at the mid-semester point compared to collaborative behaviors like inclusion. Student reflections further corroborated these findings that individual behaviors needed the most improvement. Comparisons between mid-semester and end-semester assignments revealed that students make significant improvements to these behaviors after receiving detailed peer feedback. Suggestions were made for future teamwork interventions in the classroom.