Helping develop students’ abilities to collaborate in teams comprised of people with different backgrounds and skills.
In this compulsory course, students from all nine BIOSCI pathways (approximately 140 students in Semester One, 2023) have the opportunity to work with others with a focus on the development of collaboration skills. This helps prepare them for their future careers by developing their skills in working as part of a team with people who have diverse knowledge bases and a variety of skill sets – a key skill for success in all areas of life.
Building towards collaboration
Collaborative article
The collaborative article explores a topic from key thematic innovations in biological sciences from different perspectives (social, ethical, political, financial/industrial, uniquely Aotearoa and mātauranga Māori including Tiriti perspectives). Students work as a group on the introduction and conclusion of the article, but each student works on their individual section looking at the issue from a particular perspective. The article must be brought together as a seamless piece of writing which is aimed at an educated but lay audience. The topics are broad and designed to extend the students by applying their scientific skills to topics that they may not have expertise or experience in; these include extraterrestrial life, biology in built up spaces, artificial intelligence and wellness.
Group presentation
Once students have submitted their group article, they must produce a group presentation that communicates the ideas in their article in an engaging way, with each student taking an equal speaking/performative role. The freedom of choice of presentation in this assignment has resulted in some amazingly creative and effective presentations including parodies, puppet shows and musical performances (song/rap).
Low stakes assessments
The low stakes tasks are structured so they build upon one another to help students develop their skills in working together and independently.
During workshops, students complete assignment tasks that connect to their larger group assignments and give students the chance to get to know their fellow group members and develop a working relationship before they complete and submit their larger group projects. The activities are designed to engage with the different perspectives of their topics.
Students are also given frequent low stakes assignments that prompt them to reflect independently on their learning during the course.
Leading up to the collaborative written article, students submit a perspective outline for their individual contribution to the article. This formative assignment is an opportunity for staff to provide feedback that helps students improve their final submission.
Support
Students are also given some teamwork resources to support them in their group assignments. This includes information on:
- Why teamwork is important.
- Considerations for working effectively as a team.
- A teamwork contract template.
- Suggestions on how to communicate effectively in a group.
- Suggestions on how to get started with working on the large project as a team.
Examples of the type of writing students are required to produce for their group article assignment are given in their reading list, e.g., Scientific American articles.
Student feedback
Student feedback via SET (Summative Assessment Tool) evaluations and reflection exercises indicate students enjoy the seminars as an insight into biology in the “real world”. These seminars also offered many insights into how their science degree could lead them into many different careers. Students observed that the workshop structure developed familiarity with their peers and prepared them well for team collaboration in the final assessment. Finally, many students valued the opportunity for a team work project and see the importance of this development for their future professions.
A brief summary of instructions for the two final assessments in 2022
Group project (article)
Overview: The article you write is meant for an educated but lay audience. Use the article as an opportunity to inform your readers about why your particular topic or theme is important now and will be important in the future. Explain how your topic/theme relates to the different perspectives you have been asked to write about.
As a group, you will work together on the beginning and the end of your article, and you will work individually on your perspectives. In your introduction, you should talk about the science of your theme or topic. As you move through each perspective, remember to link these sections, so that they flow smoothly and logically. Remember, also, that you are collectively responsible for the content of your article. In other words, you should choose a topic or particular aspect from your theme that will give each member of your group an equal opportunity to write about their particular “perspective”. You should work together to help each other with ideas for your respective sections, where appropriate and necessary.
Although your article is about science, it is also meant to engage the reader. Think about how you might use story-telling strategies and narrative devices to do this. Don’t forget to check out the articles in Scientific American, and other science magazines (e.g., New Scientist, Discover, New Zealand Geographic, etc) for examples of such articles. You will need to include references in your article using APA 7th style. You can see how to reference in this style on the Quick©ite guide.
Presentation
In this assignment you will present your team project in a presentation – this is your opportunity to showcase your presentation and be as creative as you wish.
In this presentation, there is an individual grade and a team grade associated with the task, so each team member is required to speak for (approximately) the same length of time as the other students. The group presentations should be no longer than 8 minutes (so each person speaks for approximately 1.5 minutes).
Teamwork contract template
Download this template and adapt it for your context (MS Word docx, 20KB).
| GOALS: What are our team goals for this project? What do we want to accomplish? What skills do we want to develop or refine? What level of work of we expect from our team? |
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| EXPECTATIONS: What do we expect of one another regarding frequency of communication within the group, meeting attendance, participation, communication during meetings, format of meetings, the quality of work, etc.? |
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| POLICIES & PROCEDURES: What rules can we agree on to help us meet our goals and expectations? List out your specific action point here. |
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| CONSEQUENCES: How will we address non-performance or unmet expectations in regard to these goals, expectations, policies and procedures? How will we address any conflicts that arise? |
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We share these goals and expectations, and agree to these policies, procedures, and consequences.
Team member name and signature
Team member name and signature
Team member name and signature
Team member name and signature
To be completed at the end of semester: We agree that our group has met the goals and expectations outlined in this policy through the course of this project.
Team member name and signature
Team member name and signature
Team member name and signature
Team member name and signature