Does Team Formation Impact Student Performance, Effort and Attitudes in a College Course Employing Collaborative Learning?

Abstract

The literature on team-based learning emphasizes the importance of team composition and team design, and it is recommended that instructors organize teams to ensure diversity of team members and optimal team performance. But does the method of team formation actually impact student performance? The goal of the present study was to examine whether different team formation methods would affect individual and team performance outcomes and student attitudes in an undergraduate general education course. Across three different sections of the same course, teams were either designed by the instructor, by the students, or randomly by a computer program. We found that teams designed by the course instructor were more diverse, but that students in these teams performed no better than their peers in self-selected or randomly assigned teams. Because student performance was similar regardless of team formation method, these findings suggest that student formed teams can be a reasonable option for instructors to consider when planning a team-based course.

Impact of Team Formation Method on Student Team Performance Across Multiple Courses Incorporating Team-based Learning

“…Prior published work on team formation methods in TBL have focused on students working together in teams for short periods of time during a single course or experience. 5,6 Therefore, one innovative feature of this study was that team performance was followed across an entire academic year among students who were enrolled in multiple courses that included content that addressed all four domains of the center for the advancement of pharmacy education 2013 educational outcomes (eg, foundational knowledge, essentials for practice and care, approach to practice and care, and personal and professional development). 15 Thus, we believe that the team members' interaction was of sufficient duration for the students to progress through Tuckman's stages of team formation.…”

“…The effect of team member heterogeneity varies based on the type of team (eg, production, project, Current literature focused on team formation methods for courses taught using TBL are limited. 5,6 Pociask and colleagues used personality traits and demographics to form diverse teams. 5 However, these teams performed as well as student-selected teams and randomly formed teams.…”

“…5,6 Pociask and colleagues used personality traits and demographics to form diverse teams. 5 However, these teams performed as well as student-selected teams and randomly formed teams. Camiel and colleagues used prior academic performance to form homogeneous and heterogeneous teams.…”

“…However, the level of performance observed in this study was consistent with that in prior reports. 5,6 The team developmental stage, which had the potential to influence team performance, was also not assessed in this study. We can surmise that teams in the storming stage of team development may not perform as well as teams in the norming or performing stage.…”

“…4 Pociask and colleagues compared three methods of team formation in different sections of an undergraduate general education science course taught using TBL. 5 Teams were formed by the instructor, student self-selection, or random assignment. Using personality, class year, and gender as the diversity criteria, the teams formed by the instructor were more diverse.…”