College Students experience with team based collaboration

Conoley, J., & Conoley, C. (2010) discuss the promise and characteristics of collaboration for adult relationships for energetic and creative team work. The viewpoints are based on Fredrickson’s (2002) “Broaden-And-Build” theory on fueling positive emotions.

Fredrickson’s theory include the following essential characteristics of collaboration.

Focus on strengths to pursue goals.

Eliminate perceptions that deter progress and interfere with support.

Commit to promote positive or at least neutral frameworks with adaptive explanations.

Leaders commit to promote creative, cohesive teams, and enable continuous growth for win win/ bidirectional success.

In stressful situations, provide individuals with necessary resources and emotional support.

Ask for help when needed, be grateful for the help received.

Notice the needs of others.

College students experience of collaboration is based on the culture promoted in their college by the administration, faculty and students themselves. Students value collaboration as a vehicle for a smooth journey of college experience and higher education challenges. Students like to feel “at home” and “settled” as early as possible to get to the actual goals of education. At this stage, they would use the collaborative learning model to meet with their fellow classmates and faculty to understand the needs to perform well.

 

Students work on team projects which span for a few weeks of the course, sometimes spanning the whole course duration. The ties they form during team work varies. There are teams that would prefer to get together based on time zones as well as skills that complement and help succeed. Once, they are assigned to teams/ or form their own teams, they share their skill set, knowledge required for the course project, as well as the use of technologies to get to learn from each other.

Students also share their life and work experiences to form bonds that go beyond the classroom. Students understand their accountability to their teams to meet the demands of team work. They are aware of interdependencies both for skills as well as meeting their life demands and social connections.

References:

Conoley, J., & Conoley, C. (2010). Why Does Collaboration Work? Linking Positive Psychology and Collaboration. Journal Of Educational & Psychological Consultation, 20(1), 75-82.