Using Student Teams in the Classroom: A Faculty Guide

Teamwork builds cooperation, problem solving, active learning, and responsibility, all of which are increasingly important in both the classroom and in the workplace. Using Student Teams in the Classroom is a helpful guide for all faculty who want to actively engage students with both the material and one another by using teamwork.

Beginning with the theory behind teamwork, the book suggests basic ways to incorporate collaboration and discussion into the college classroom, encourage effective communication, and help resolve conflict. It then moves into practical guidelines, examples, and activities and teaching tips for using student teams. The examples span twenty disciplines: architecture, behavioral ecology, ceramics, child and family studies, distance learning, education, engineering, English, fine arts, health and exercise science, higher education, human resource management, supply chain management, mathematics, nursing, nutrition, hospitality and food service management, public affairs, sociology, and writing. Finally, the authors have compiled several articles and a case study on performance in small groups and cooperative learning, along with a list of list of additional resources.

Instructors of any subject, of any class size, will be able to learn from and implement the important lessons in this book, thus offering their own students the cognitive, social, and collaborative skills that will aid them in their intellectual and professional endeavors.

RUTH FEDERMAN STEIN interviewed Sandra Hurd for her dissertation, Conditions that Facilitate the Implementation of Innovative Freshman Experience Courses. At that time Sandy, as part of her course load, taught and advised a recitation section in Syracuse University’s School of Management introductory management course. Later she became the course director and worked with Ruth on the course manual and a handbook of teamwork in college that evolved into this book.
Ruth currently works at the Center for Support of Teaching and Learning at Syracuse University. Some of her activities include organizing Focus on teaching sessions for faculty, helping to coordinate the university’s Vision Fund Project, and working with faculty to improve teaching and learning on the campus.

SANDRA HURD is department chair and professor of law and public policy in the School of management at Syracuse University and serves as faculty coordinator of the university’s learning communities program. She continues to direct the freshman management course and developed a learning community program for firs-year students in management.