Working in teams

Working with classmates on group assignments can offer several benefits to your learning, including refining your communication skills, deepening your understanding of course material and engaging points of view that are different from your own.

However, collaborating on teams can sometimes be challenging due to new dynamics. Keep in mind that:

• You and your group members will have different working and communication styles. It’s useful to learn and ask about these early on.
• In addition to aligning your calendars and assigning individual tasks, we also encourage open and reflective conversations about how you want to work together.
• You all might discuss how you will give and receive constructive feedback and how you plan to address potential disagreements that come up during the project.

Here are some starting points for your group to explore together:

1. Discuss your communication styles and preferences.
2. Agree on collaboration practices that work for everyone in the group.
3. Develop a community agreement together to set goals and reduce future conflicts.

Resources for working in teams

Here are some resources to help you and your team develop strategies to communicate effectively, address potential conflicts early on, and make your time together both productive and enjoyable.

1. Check out the Strategies for Working in Teams (PDF), which revisits the three strategies above in greater detail.
2. Community agreements – also called “group contracts” – are a great way to formalize your team’s expectations, roles and responsibilities. When you begin your collaborations, you can create one together and return to it regularly to keep all team members on track. Check out templates of group contracts.
3. You can also book an individual or group appointment with a learning strategist to discuss additional strategies.
4. If your team would benefit from an accountability practice, consider attending a Study Hub to get work done together.