Drs. Lisa Bergson and Thomasena Shaw from Bridgewater State University in MA presented “Tools, Tips, and Technology to Foster Teamwork in Masked, In-Person Classes” at Lilly Conference online. Their goals were to share tips and tools they learned while implementing teamwork in masked, in-person classes during the pandemic. The strategies they shared that are promoted by the literature are:
- Teach students about the benefits of self-regulation
- Provide frequent feedback and communication
- Use more meaningful and inclusive participation strategies
- Prioritize empathy and wellbeing
The presenters described the advantages of using Google Shared Docs to promote collaboration while social distancing is maintained. They also discussed the opportunity for students to work synchronously, include remote participants, and provide some level of anonymity. The next tool they described was Padlet and they shared a tool I had not considered: a way of sharing AHA moments! Poll Everywhere was shared as a tool for team challenges: a series of questions with some gamefication and competition! I used the use a similar tool in TopHat. The presenters are from a campus that uses Microsoft Teams, and I didn’t realize they could use chat, calls, and share files. They spoke about how these tools are being used by more companies. Time management came up and they suggested introducing student teams to Bookings or Doodle for scheduling meetings. Bookings is part of Microsoft Office 365, and now I want to learn more about it. The breakout rooms and recording features of Zoom were discussed as ways of sharing presentations and working in teams remotely. Quizbreaker is a tool that was described as a way to build team connections and community. MBTI Assessments from Human Metrics were shared as a way to consider the different personalities and perspectives of team members. Co-created ground rules and meeting times, approach to work, and communication were stressed as an important first step for teams. This twenty-minute session shared new uses and suggestions for both frequently used tools as well as some new ones.
