Mitigating Conflict in Online Student Teams.

Today's post comes from eLearn Magazine and was written by By Richard Dool, D.Mgt., Assistant Professor, Seton Hall University. "My cell phone rings at 10:37 p.m. I reluctantly answer, anticipating the reason for the call. Team assignments are due tonight, and a call this late is seldom made to tell me everything is wonderful. Sure enough, there is trouble in "team-land" and panic is setting in: A teammate has gone AWOL and his part is not done. Professors using team assignments in online courses often get calls or e-mails like this.

I have had the privilege—and at times, the agony—of overseeing more than 200 graded online team assignments, and I have learned how to mitigate much of the inevitable conflict that arises. What follows below are basic guidelines for handling these conflicts. These guidelines can help ensure that learning objectives are met and that students have a positive experience.

I conducted an informal poll of students at the four universities where I have taught online courses, and results indicate that more than 60 percent "dislike" team assignments. The primary reasons students offer are difficulty in getting everyone on the "same page," unclear instructions and expectations, and the fact that their grade depends on others.

Given the potential conflicts in team assignments and the general disdain by students, why do professors persist in using team assignments? In discussions with many of my peers, the answers range from a belief in the value of learning how to be a positive team member to reducing the grading load. Bu there is little question about the value of learning to perform on teams." To read the rest of this article click here.