Teamwork First-Aid Kit supports students in project-based courses
鈥淚 realized that, especially in the context of project-based courses, teamwork learning from each other is an integral part of the learning process and experience of the students. For that need, I put together the Teamwork First-Aid Kit website, that gathers tools that have proven useful in supporting the teamwork of student teams at different phases of the project courses,鈥 tells Satu Rekonen.
In her research, Satu has studied engineering teams working in projects with ill-defined and complex problems. The work in these types of projects is inherently uncertain and ambiguous and provide many challenges to the teams, which may impede engaging in approaching the problem and utilizing one's knowledge and experience for the good of the team鈥檚 work and collaborative learning.
I like, I wish team feedback method wins an award
Satu started to actively engage in teaching at the early stages of her PhD studies while working at Aalto Design Factory. It was during that time when she also created the , for which she received the 鈥淭eaching act of the year鈥 award by Aalto University School of Engineering in 2015. The method has since been adopted as a standard practice in several courses at different schools in Aalto University as well as at other universities in the Design Factory network, such as ESADE Business School, Swinburne University of Technology and CERN Idea Square. The multidisciplinary learning by doing approach has guided Satu鈥檚 way ever since.
What inspires you in your work?
Satu sees teaching as an important way to influence society through educating experts that can solve complex challenges in a collaborative manner, drive continuous change, and lead people and teams in a sustainable way. Teamwork and collaboration skills are at the core of work life skills and even more so in the ever more complex world. "We need to educate people who can collaborate with people coming from diverse educational, professional, and cultural backgrounds", Satu says.
"I first became intrigued by how diverse teams cope with the uncertainty and ambiguity inherent to the early stages of innovation while taking the Stanford University Design Innovation course as part of my master鈥檚 studies. My experience in that course has influenced my teaching. In the new product development course, I struggled to find my role due to my business school background in an engineering-driven environment. This led me to recognize the need for structures promoting reflection on team roles, especially in multidisciplinary teams. Feedback from peers on individual roles can empower students and foster participation鈥, explains Satu.
Teamwork First-Aid Kit
The Teamwork First-Aid Kit website offers alternative methods to support teamwork in the beginning, middle, and end stages of a project. These methods can also be used as standalone exercises, for example, to support the integration of a new team or to reflect one鈥檚 role in a team and project. The English version of the Teamwork First-Aid Kit was published in 2019 and has now been translated into Finnish upon request from the site's users. Additionally, instructional videos have been added to the Finnish site, and English versions of the videos will be released in May.
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