Teaching Tip: Set your student teams up for success with a simple team charter
Want to reduce team conflict and freeloading?
Student teams often falter due to vague expectations and unclear roles. As Amanda Di Ienno from the Faculty of Engineering and Design has learnt, a team charter, created early, sets the ground rules—boosting accountability, collaboration, and self-regulated learning through planning, monitoring, and reflection.
Try this!
In week one of group projects, have teams complete a short team charter. Use a simple template or prompt them with guided questions about goals, roles, communication, and conflict resolution. Ask teams to submit or present their charter to make commitments clear and support ownership of individual and group behaviour—crucial for both teamwork and self-regulated learning.
Addresses these teaching challenges:
- Team conflict and dysfunction
- Unequal contribution and freeloading
- Role and expectation confusion
- Delayed group dynamic issues
- Gaps in teamwork-related self-regulation
Implementation
- Prepare a team charter template with prompts such as:
- What are our shared goals?
- What roles will each member take?
- How will we communicate and meet?
- How will we handle disagreements?
- Dedicate 20–30 minutes in class or online for teams to complete their charters.
- Collect and review charters to identify potential issues early.
- Encourage teams to revisit the charter mid-project or before peer evaluations.
Pro tips
- Use simple, clear language suitable for your student cohort.
- Link the charter to peer evaluation criteria later in the course.
- Share examples of effective team charters.
- Frame the activity as empowering students to shape their own team culture and to plan, monitor, and reflect on their teamwork.
Benefits
- Improves team cohesion and trust
- Reduces conflict and surprises mid-project
- Encourages fair workload sharing
- Provides a reference point for peer feedback and staff support
- Supports students in developing self-regulated learning skills in teamwork settings
Teacher’s voice
“Introducing a team charter early helped my students set clear expectations and reduced tension during group work. It gave them a framework to resolve issues and share responsibility.” – Amanda Di Ienno
Try this variation
Combine the team charter with a mid-project check-in or short team debrief to reflect on how well the group is following their agreements.
Accessibility considerations
- Offer the charter template in editable formats for all students.
- Allow teams to submit charters via multiple channels (online, paper, audio).
- Consider language support for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students.
Faculty: Engineering and Design
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Amanda Di Ienno
Faculty of Engineering and Design