Influence of Team Formation on Team Member Perception of Satisfaction and Participation
Abstract
Background: Purdue Polytechnic’s Tech12000, Design Thinking in Technology, course incorporates many instances of team work. Over the last 8 years, there have been varied methods of how to create the teams for the projects.Purpose: This study compares two methods of team formation, software generated and instructor/student-selected, to determine which, if any, method generates increased perception of team member satisfaction and increased team member contribution.Methodology: The subjects for this study were students enrolled in a design course at a Purdue Polytechnic, divided into a comparison group with instructor/student-selected teams, and a treatment group with software-generated teams. These students were predominately first year students enrolled in their first semester of college.Findings/conclusions: The researcher discovered that the computer software-generated teams produced teams that had slightly larger mean scores on satisfaction and contribution versus the instructor/student-selected teams, although not at a statistically significant level.Implications: The findings of this study provide another tool for educators, with possible implications for industry, to generate teams in the classroom.
Degree
M.Sc.
Advisors
Mentzer, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Higher education|Educational leadership|Educational technology|Computer science|Design|Education|Industrial engineering|Language arts
Off-Campus Purdue Users:
To access this dissertation, please log in to our
proxy server.