1 INTRODUCTION
Teamwork is an essential employability skill expected of our graduates
across a range of disciplines (García et al., 2016; Wilson et al.,
2018). In addition to the requirement of team skills for the workplace,
much research has demonstrated that students can learn more when working
in effective teams (Wilson et al., 2018). Critical thinking, engagement,
cohesion, respect for diversity, mental health and interpersonal skills
have all been shown to improve via team learning experiences (Chu et
al., 2019; García et al., 2016; Gillespie, 2012; Gleadow et al., 2015;
Mercer-Mapstone & Kuchel, 2015; Wilson et al., 2018). The highest
learning gains can be obtained when groups contain diversity, students
are held accountable, assignments are designed to encourage working
together, and teams receive frequent feedback (Allan, 2016; Gillespie,
2012; Rasmussen et al., 2011). While students also cite the benefit of
learning team skills they often feel insufficiently trained in these
skills by their degree (Wilson et al., 2018). It is therefore important
for educators to consider appropriate support to facilitate the learning
of these essential employability skills (García et al., 2016; Kuchel et
al., 2014; Wilson et al., 2018).
The face of teamwork is also changing with technological advances. Not
only do our graduates need to learn to work within teams bridging
spatially separated locations and time-zones (Ayoko et al., 2012;
Jimenez et al., 2017; Panteli et al., 2019), they also need to be
adaptable to new technological interfaces. Recently collaboration spaces
like Microsoft Teams, Google drive and Slack have integrated file
sharing, co-editing, text chats and video/audio call options enabling
the work environment to be almost entirely online (Jimenez et al.,
2017). These virtual collaboration spaces are also widely applied within
research environments. The authors regularly use Microsoft Teams (mostly
for within-institution collaborations and teaching) and Google drive and
Slack for inter-institution research collaborations bridging
international boundaries. Despite this widespread application and
importance including for the research environment, we rarely teach our
undergraduate students to effectively implement these technologies
(García et al., 2016).
Virtual work environments are incredibly flexible and resilient to
changed circumstances (Jimenez et al., 2017; Panteli et al., 2019). For
example they allow users to work synchronously on a document (such as
via Microsoft 365 or Google drive programs) or through video calls and
screen sharing regardless of where the users are located (Panteli et
al., 2019). Similarly, they allow for easy asynchronous collaboration
with updates from other users easily visible and host folder sharing
within the platform. This flexibility in work ‘location’ using online
collaboration spaces allows for more flexible work arrangements to
accommodate those with caring responsibilities or health challenges
(Jimenez et al., 2017; Panteli et al., 2019).
While allowing flexibility, virtual teams have been associated with
reduced cohesiveness caused by differences in culture, language, and
technological fluency (Panteli et al., 2019). The result of an entirely
online work environment is that team members may never get to know each
other which can create trust and anxiety issues (Panteli et al., 2019).
These challenges emphasise the need to provide training opportunities
within these environments for both interpersonal and technological
skills development in our students to maximise their potential for
future success in these virtual team environments.
The flexibility features mentioned above also make online collaboration
spaces an effective way for students to interact with learning material
when not in class. Students have increasing pressures on their time from
part time work to caring duties and are increasingly choosing online
lectures where possible for the increased flexibility that it affords
(Gleadow et al., 2015). Learning environments with both face-to-face
(synchronous) and online (synchronous or asynchronous) opportunities has
been demonstrated to improve student engagement (Chen & Chiou, 2014;
McFarlin, 2008; Singh, 2017). By incorporating both synchronous and
asynchronous features students are able to access the material
(including voice and video captures) at times that suit them and can ask
questions using online forums. At Nottingham we have been using Moodle
(virtual learning environment) and Echo360 lecture capture for
asynchronous online learning. Lecture slides, reading materials and task
instructions can be uploaded and the forum feature allows for students
to ask questions where everyone can see the instructor’s response. More
recently we have access to Microsoft Teams (Microsoft 365 software)
collaboration space and here we show how this software can be used to
provide a flexible, resilient learning environment, while also teaching
the students important employability skills.
As mentioned above, students often feel insufficiently trained in team
skills and often dislike teamwork. Problems tend to include arranging
meetings outside class, unequal contributions “social loafing” and
unfair grading (Rasmussen et al., 2011; Wilson et al., 2018). However
appropriate scaffolding to support students and ensure accountability
can improve the student perspectives of teamwork (Rasmussen et al.,
2011). We previously developed a set of team training sessions to
explicitly teach students what’s expected of them when working with
others. These are based on, and programmed around the four stages of
team function – forming, storming, norming and performing (Ayoko et
al., 2012). This team training package was originally designed for first
year undergraduate biology students (BIOl1030) at the University of
Queensland (Kuchel et al., 2014; Rasmussen et al., 2011). Their team
assignment was also semester-long with the end point a 5 minute
documentary video on environmental issues in South East Queensland
(Kuchel et al., 2014; Rasmussen et al., 2011). Within this context the
team training sessions benefited the students with at least one third of
the 600 students finding each session useful (Rasmussen et al., 2011).
The success of these four team training sessions demonstrates the value
of providing structured support for these transferable, non-science
skills. With this in mind, we adapted these sessions to fit a new
semester-long team assessment (also a documentary video) within a
3rd year undergraduate course at the University of
Nottingham, UK. Additionally the students were provided a training
session on using Microsoft Teams for collaboration and sections were
created within their Class Notebook (within Microsoft Teams) to guide
them through the different tasks required to complete the assessment
(including templates for team meetings, and spaces with other resources
such as GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) rules and risk
assessment forms). This multifaceted scaffolding was to enable students
to access the information when it was most needed – both synchronously
(either in class with the lecturer or their team-mates) and
asynchronously.
Unexpectedly the spring 2020 semester suffered a major interruption to
in-person teaching as a result of lockdown to slow the spread of
COVID-19. This meant the flexibility of the students, teacher and
software was tested to extremes. Here we investigate the student
perspective of teamwork within the context of a hybrid course (module)
integrating synchronous and asynchronous, in-person and online
collaborations across the COVID-19 lockdown.
Throughout this article, we will refer to courses as an individual
subject unit (also called modules) and programmes as the 3‐ or 4‐year
degree programme (called courses in some places) in which students
enrol. Similarly, we will refer to Microsoft Teams in full and the
student teams as groups to avoid confusion between teams and Microsoft
Teams.