Virtual Teams: Concepts and Competencies in e-Learning

Course #: VC.050606

Instructor: Matt Carbone

November 17th 2005

Virtual Course Simulation:Y75.1060 -Classroom Management and Expectation Setting in the Virtual Classroom @ NYU

2

Welcome – Pre-Session Info

Please use the following to

communicate when using

Centra:

• Step out button – if you need

to leave the session

• Hand button – to raise your

hand to be called on to talk

• Check button – Agree and say

yes

• X button – disagree - say

“no”

• Laugh and clap as applicable

3

Agenda – Virtual Teams

1. Basics About Virtual Teams

2. Group Breakout Activity

3. Personality types & Management Concepts

4. Review of Assignment 1

5. Overview of Assignment 2

4

Basics About Virtual Teams:Purpose & Benefits - Examples

• Organization-wide projects

• Team members can be in different locations

or time zones

• Cost savings on travel

• A need to reduce time-to-market

(Modified: Source: David Gould, Ed.D. 2004)

5

Basics About Virtual Teams:Types of Teams or Groups - Examples

Project or Task groups

• School/University or Business

Command groups

• Sales or SWAT Team

Friendship groups

• Online Chat

Interest groups

• Stocks, Music, TV, Movies, Sports

(Modified: Source: David Gould, Ed.D. 2004)

This course will focus on Project and Task based virtual teams

6

Basics About Virtual Teams:Concepts and Competencies - Examples

Organization • Hold an initial F2F session with the team• Managing the size of the team and team member selection

Communicating• Hold periodic F2F meetings to maintain team cohesiveness

• Establish code of conduct and protocols ASAP

Collaborating• Use collaboration tools that allow for visualization - screen sharing

Group Dynamics• Building trust, integrity, commitments, roles and responsibility

• Individual differences and time zones

7

Group Activity: Breakout

Groups* (Randomly selected for this activity):

Group A Group B Group C Group D

Williams Sumner Long Minneford

Mehta Greenberg Judge Metter

Rainford Ciano Flores-Overton Griffin

Boots-Ebenfeld

* Random groups will be assigned by the Centra system so you may not be in the group above.

8

Group Activity:Instructions

Group Dynamics : With your assigned group (A, B, C or D) – Breakout.

Part A: Decide on a team or nickname for your group, for example, The Tuscan Beanies, The Blue Angels or keep your existing group name – let the group decide.

Part B: Briefly, describe why you selected the nickname. Did the group agree unanimously on the nickname or by majority? How did you choose the spokesperson or note taker for this activity?

5+ Minutes! – please elected a spokesperson within your group to announce the nickname for your group when we resume the class.

9

Personality types and Management Concepts

Personality types:Carl Jung and Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)• Extroversion (E) versus Introversion (I)

• Sensing (S) versus iNtuition (N)

• Thinking (T) versus Feeling (F)

• Judging (J) versus Perceptive (P)

Information on each of the personality types:http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/learning/styles.html

Virtual Group Management:Based on a specific project balancing a team member’s skills, knowledge and attitude helps to manage roles and responsibilities for the overall project.

10

Virtual Teams: Questions

11

Review of Assignment 1

Insights from Article 1: Collaborating in Cyberspace: The Dynamics of Virtual

Groups

• Ideal group size = 5 to 7 members

• Roles: leaders, participants

• Social Stages: Inception, Problem Solving, Conflict

resolution, and execution

• Frustration and Trust factors

12

Review of Assignment 1

Insights from Article 2:Learning Technologists - Virtual Community Practitioners

• Group Identities: Trainers, Consultants, Support

Specialist, Project Managers

• Types of communities: Virtual Teams, Learning

communities or Community Practice

• The good, bad and the ugly – netiquette and setting the

tone

13

Overview of Assignment 2

Got Milk? Got Personality?Learn about your personality type. We will be looking at the first dimension - Extroversion (E) & Introversion (I) in a future class to explore how types may assist in the balance and performance of group activities.

FREE: Personality type test:HUMANMETRICS Jung Typology Test – Click on the "Do it“ button and then the “Score it” button. http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes1.htm

14

Assignment 2 – Instructions

Got Milk? Got Personality?

1. Take the test - Are you ? • Extroversion (E) versus Introversion (I)

• Sensing (S) versus iNtuition (N)

• Thinking (T) versus Feeling (F)

• Judging (J) versus Perceptive (P)

2. 2-3 sentences - about your type

3. 2-3 sentences - if you agree or disagree with the

findings

E-mail me the above: 1*, 2 & 3 by the due date

* You are only required to send me your first indicator - Extrovert (E) or an Introvert (I). As an option you can send me your full personality type indicator.

15

Thank you!

Questions?

If you have any questions,

please send me an e-mail.

Reminder: Check the Virtual College for updates