Using Team Learning in Business and Organization Communication Classes

The past decade has produced a growing body of evidence suggesting small group-based instructional methods can promote the achievement of a variety of desirable higher educational outcomes. Therefore, within college and university settings, group-oriented instruction has increased. Team Learning goes beyond using temporary groups or assigning occasional group activities. With this approach, students spend approximately 80 percent of their in-class time working in permanent and heterogeneous teams. The system, when used properly, appears to overcome many of the potential problems with using small groups. The methodology empowers both instructor and students. The instructor becomes a facilitator and manager of learning rather than the spoon feeder of information. The students become active and responsible participants in the learning process rather than passive recipients. The process facilitates effective teamwork in settings where teams gain first-hand experience with the kind of team dynamics they will encounter in high performing teams at work