Evaluating the Impact and Determinants of Student Team Performance: Using LMS and CATME Data

1. INTRODUCTION The use of teams in the classroom has risen in recent years both in industry and in education. Industrial organizations have found that, if used properly, teamwork can increase productivity and decrease costs. Assessing student team performance remains a challenge. This paper shares the implementation experience and lessons learned from incorporating subjective and objective data into a course to evaluate individual student performance within a group. We found that objective data can be a significant contributor to team assessment. Industry teams promote creativity and enhance performance in producing products and services. (Adams, Bianey, & Ulloa, 2004) As a result of these trends, potential employers are expecting college graduates to possess a basic understanding of teamwork skills. (Ruiz, Bianey, & Adams, 2004, p. 146) Many accreditation agencies are also requiring colleges and universities to assure them that students are proficient in team skills. For instance, our accreditation agency, AACSB, expects students enrolled in a bachelor, master, or doctoral-level program to learn how to work effectively in a team environment. (AACSB International, 2013) Teamwork, if implemented properly, can create a pleasant and collaborative learning environment that enhances student knowledge. Collaborative learning occurs when students work in a small group to accomplish shared learning goals and to maximize their individual and team understanding of the material. (Figl, 2010, p. 326) Cooperative learning can improve individual achievement and promote positive peer relationships. (Adams & Laksumanage, 2003) Typically, a team would consist of five to seven students so that a sufficient knowledge base is achieved. (LeJeune, 2003, p. 277) Effective teams are characterized by "mature communication, clear roles, and productive conflict resolution." (Figl, 2010, p. 326) There must also be equitable distribution and quality of work when completing tasks. Course processes should be in place to identify "Social Loafers" or students who are not fully engaged in participating in team activities. (Buckenmyer, 2000, p. 98) Social loafing can undermine other students' commitment to working in a team. Student accountability within a team can minimize or reduce the risk of social loafing when the teacher can measure the individual's contribution made to the end product. (Adams, Bianey, & Ulloa, 2004, p. 4) It is also important to identify low achievers; they tend to be passive in a group setting and, therefore, may not benefit as much from a group experience as a high-achieving student. Ensuring fairness in grading is essential to developing effective team environments. Developing good team-evaluation strategies minimizes the possibility that poor performance is rewarded with an inappropriately high grade. Several strategies for fair grading of individual performance include individual effort analysis, peer- and self-evaluation, cross validation of student knowledge through presentations and/or tests, and student ranking of individual efforts. (Figl, 2010, p. 329) In addition, instructors can assess team skills and the timely completion of assignments. (Smith III, Smarkusky, & Corrigall, 2008, p. 105) When employing peer- and self-evaluations, student teams should have the opportunity to evaluate each other throughout the semester with initial evaluations being informational only. (Smith III, Smarkusky, & Corrigall, 2008, p. 105) Although prior work has provided a wealth of knowledge on team formation, team preparation, and peer- and self-evaluations, these models do not provide the teacher with objective data regarding student activity within a group. This paper will discuss our investigations into (1) student usage data provided by our Learning Management Systems (LMS) that allowed us to identify students who may not have been fully engaged in participating in team activities; and, (2) peer-evaluation data and our discovery that conflict scores correlated with our students' project grades. …