Reading Team Building

A With the globalisation of information technology (IT) and worldwide access to
the Internet, people from all areas of learning are finding themselves using some
form of information technology in the workplace. The corporate world has seen a
boom in the use of IT tools, but conversely, not enough people with IT skills that can
enter the workplace and be productive with minimal on-the-job training.
B A recent issue of the New York Times reports that many companies are
looking for smart students who may have a budding interest in IT. Some companies,
trying to encourage students to attend interviews, provide good salary packages and
challenging work environments. For example, one American IT consulting company
offers high salaries, annual bonuses, and immediate stock options to potential
recruits. It also brings in 25 to 40 prospective applicants at a time for a two-day visit
to the company. This time includes interviews, team exercises and social events.
The idea behind the team exercises is that the applicants get to see that they will be
working with other smart people doing really interesting things, rather than sitting
alone writing code.
C In the past 10 years, employers have seen marked benefits from collaborative
projects in product development. Apart from the work environment, there is also a
similar body of research indicating that small team-based instruction can lead to
different kinds of desirable educational results. In order to prepare IT graduates to
meet these workplace requirements, colleges and universities are also beginning to
include team-based educational models.
D One of the leaders in promoting team-based education is the American
Intercontinental University (AIU), which has campuses worldwide. AIU offers
programs in IT with a major portion of the curriculum based on team projects. AIU
has a large body of international students and students from different educational
backgrounds. This team-based learning gives the students a sense of social and
technical support within the group and allows students firsthand experience of both
potential successes and of inherent problems encountered when working with
others.
E Team-oriented instruction has not been the common mode of delivery in
traditional college settings. However, since most college graduates who choose to go
into an IT work environment will encounter some form of teamwork at work, it is to
their advantage that they are educated using collaborative learning and that they are
taught the tools needed to work with different people in achieving common goals or
objectives.
In team-based learning, students spend a large part of their in-class time working in
permanent and heterogeneous teams. Most teams are made up of individuals with
different socio-cultural backgrounds and varying skill levels. Team activities
concentrate on using rather than just learning concepts, whilst student grades are a
combination of overall team performance and peer evaluation of individual team
members.
G In a team-based environment, the teacher takes on the role of a facilitator and
manager of learning, instead of just providing information to passive students. The
facilitator/teacher also guides the team in identifying their goals and establishing
standards of team performance. Team exercises then help the students to improve
their problem-solving skills by applying theory to simulated real-world situations.
Working as a team allows students to adopt new roles and empowers them to
control their own learning. Students in teams are taught to use each other as
resources and accept the responsibility of managing tasks.
H Team members must also study assigned material individually to ensure their
preparation for classes. There are individual assessment tests to measure if students
have not only read the assigned material, but also understand the concepts of the
module, and can apply them to given problems. Additional team assessment tests
present a problem for discussion and require consensus, helping students learn
critical communication skills. This also enables them to deal with conflicts between
members before they escalate to crises. Team presentations (written or verbal) allow
the team to focus and build cohesion, with team members sharing the responsibility
for presenting and persuading the audience to accept their viewpoints. Feedback on
how the team is functioning with task management, team dynamics and overall work
is given by the facilitator. Team exercises that are application-oriented help students
experience the practical application of concepts and learn from other students’
perspectives.
I Team-based classrooms are especially beneficial in colleges with international
students. Since this type of learning encourages people to listen and communicate
with others, share problems, resolve personal conflicts, and manage their time and
resources, it is a great environment for students who are in a new social situation.
Since social interaction plays an important role during teamwork, team learning has
an added advantage for students who are not comfortable in traditional classroom
settings. It allows students from different cultures to understand their differences and
use them productively. This type of learning environment also allows students to
express themselves freely in a team context, rather than feeling singled out as when
answering questions in a traditional classroom.
J This learning model was designed to better prepare students for today’s global
workplace. Students are encouraged to explore ideas together, build communication
skills and achieve superior results. It is likely that employers will increasingly seek
out students with these skills as we move into the future.
Do the following statements reflect the views of the writer of the passage?
Write:
YES if the statement agrees with the views of the writer
NO if the statement contradicts the views of the writer
NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this
33 The American Intercontinental University includes team-based learning in all its

courses on all its campuses.
34The composition of teams is changed regularly.
35Theoretical problems are the most important team activity.
36The team members participate in assessment of other team members.
37International students prefer traditional classroom learning to team-based learning.

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A With the globalisation of information technology (IT) and worldwide access to

YES if the statement agrees with the views of the writer

NO if the statement contradicts the views of the writer

33 The American Intercontinental University includes team-based learning in all its

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