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Student Success Toolbox
Forming Teams
Because cooperative learning and functioning within teams is a key component of many courses, it is
important to become familiar with both the consideration of various roles when designing teams as well as the
performance criteria of the respective roles.
The typical workplace has become much more team-oriented over the past two decades, underlining the
importance of students learning to work well in teams. Students who participate in team environments are
much better prepared to succeed both in further education, as well as on the job, than are those without
teaming experience. Although it is not yet common for business or industry to employ formal process-oriented
roles for team members, graduates who have used roles frequently in undergraduate courses realize that the
use of roles would dramatically improve team performance.
Why Roles are Important
• Using roles helps team members to become interdependent and to be individually accountable for
team success
• It helps students increase their learning skills, and speed up the four stages of team development:
forming (goal setting), storming (conflict resolution), norming (problem-solving), and performing
• Roles should be rotated frequently so that each student has the opportunity to practice each role and
to realize that effective learning requires that teams use a variety of roles simultaneously. Rotating
roles discourages dominance by one person and gives all students opportunities to practice social,
communication, and leadership skills.
Recorder
1. Record group roles
and instructions at the
beginning of a task or
activity.
2. During an activity, record
and collect important
information and data, integrating and
synthesizing different points of view.
3. Document group decisions and discoveries
legibly and accurately.
4. Accept accountability for the overall quality of
the Recorder’s Report.
5. Control information flow and articulate
concepts in alternative forms if necessary.
6. Contribute to the group as an active learner.
1. Facilitate the team
process, keeping
it enjoyable and
rewarding for all team
members.
2. Make sure each
member has a role and is performing within
that role.
3. Ensure that all team members can articulate
and apply what has been learned.
4. Manage time, stress, and conflict.
5. Accept accountability for the overall
performance of the team.
6. Contribute to the group as an active learner.
Captain