TEAM LEARNING ROLES: A COOPERATIVE LEARNING TECHNIQUE Developments In Business Simulation & Experiential Exercises, Volume 22,1995 236 TEAM LEARNING ROLES: A COOPERATIVE LEARNING TECHNIQUE Douglas N. Ross, Towson State University ABSTRACT The Team Learning Roles (TLR) model builds upon two cooperative learning techniques --“jigsaw” and role play-- to create a “learning organization” in the classroom. It involves structuring the class into teams of four, five or six persons, each of whom plays a different specialist role. Teams are then responsible for analyzing a case and leading class discussion. The six-step TLR model has proved effective methodology in senior undergraduate business policy courses. TEAM LEARNING ROLES In most work situations with which I am familiar, work teams are built upon a specialty. A marketing person works with a production engineer and so on, because each brings clear expertise to the team. Usually also, a project manager and supervisor are identified to run the meetings and integrate the process. In the business school classroom, however, the work situation parallel often breaks down. There may be no project manager/ integrator; work may get assigned by default, or the supervisory aspect may get relegated to after- the-fact peer reviews. The Team Learning Roles (TLR) model attempts to overcome the breakdowns that can occur in classroom teams. The model integrates the logic of the scientific method with the dynamism of interactive learning: the steps of the scientific method are reformulated into learning roles and both the “jigsaw” (Aronson et al, 1 978) and role play cooperative learning techniques (Gentry, 1 990; Slavin, 1990) are used. Thus, the TLR model encourages intellectual thoroughness by its structure and cooperation by its method to create a “learning organization” (Miller, 1 991) in the classroom. Steps in the TLR Model Step 1) Establishing Team Purpose. The TLR model aims to foster abilities to: participate as a member of a team; teach new skills to others; and exercise leadership (SCANS 1991, 1992). Step 2) Learning Specialist Roles. The class counts off one through six, with one’s assuming a specific specialist’s role (such as “conceptualizer”), two’s a different specialist’s role (such as “definer”) and so on and I distribute a copy of Table 1 which sets out the duties involved in each specialist role. The specialists then group together to discuss how they will accomplish their specialty skill when they subsequently join their team. Step 3) Forming Teams of Specialists. Specialties are then assembled into a project team which is faced with selecting for itself, from its own experts, what it needs to do to deal with case and chapter assignments. (Some specialties may be combined to achieve four or five member teams.) I then explain the remaining steps, respond to concerns and, in a prepared overhead, share student “advice” and comments from prior semesters. Step 4) Establishing a Team Learning Process. Specialists at this time begin teaching their team members. Each team may be given responsibility for a case and a different unit of material. This means that each team is responsible for data gathering, case preparation and then leading a class presentation for about forty-five minutes of a 75 minute session. Every role must be performed to create a complete mental picture of the situation. Without all the pieces the “intellectual jigsaw” puzzle would be incomplete. Just how team members choose to interact and build such an understanding is for them to work out. All they know is that they will both evaluate each other’s efforts and be evaluated on their effectiveness as a team when they lead class learning (and they know in advance the various criteria used.) Some guidance usually helps in the early stages. First, a team will meet a number of times prior to its session and sometimes will include the professor to clear up any problems. As a rule I meet with first two teams to assure that a high standard is set for the semester and may even suggest various presentation techniques. In general, I emphasize that they should involve the class in the material and maintain their roles, primarily because each role is essential to an overall understanding. Step 5) Leading Class’ Learning. Each team has Developments In Business Simulation & Experiential Exercises, Volume 22,1995 237 responsibility for: learning content material, connecting it to other areas, and planning creative ways to actively involve the class in understanding concepts and issues. Any number of formats have been tried --court room dramatizations, role- plays, panels, game shows. The professor is the seventh member of each team whose role is to provide audiovisual aids, and generally supervise as needed. In most instances, it works best to let the webber/ connector from the presenting group actually write on the board, drawing on the group while doing so. (To assist with connections, a mindmap or web, is required.) Step 6) Evaluating Process and Product. Both formative and summative evaluations are used which have led to syllabus redesign, and changes in group structuring and managing of learning. An example of a question asked: What advice would you give to next semester’s class? has elicited student suggestions that I use on an overhead: “Start early and really research your topic; run through the game plan to better coordinate ideas and try and have fun; •….and, if you truly want to be part of the learning then this class is for you.” ROLE OF PROFESSOR The professor clarifies confusing issues, corrects misinformation, controls overly loquacious students, deals with poor student preparation (although very few students want to appear out of it in front of their peers and I do use a peer review form) and praises genuine accomplishment. Learners actually take responsibility for their own learning and this has necessitated that I, as teacher, move from an authoritarian role to more of a coach. And this has meant that motivating, encouraging and in a sense nurturing has taken on a greater importance in my teaching. REFERENCES Aronson, E., Blaney, N, Stephen, C., Sikes, & Snapp, M., (1978). The jigsaw classroom. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications Gentry, J. (Ed.)(1990) Guide to experiential learning. New York: Nichols/GP. Miller, J. (1991) Experiencing management: A comprehensive hands-on model for the introductory undergraduate management course. Journal of Management Education,(15)2.151-169. Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (1990) What work requires of schools. Washington D.C.: U.S. Department of Labor. Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (1991) Learning a living. Washington D.C.: U.S. Department of Labor Slavin, R. (1990) Cooperative learning Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon Table of Contents Volume 22, 1995 Simulation Performance, Learning and Struggle Are Good Simulation Performers Consistently Good? Cognitive and Behavioral Consistency in a Computer-Based Marketing-Simulation-Game Environment: An Empirical Investigation of the Decision-Making Process Chalk & Cheese: Executive Short-Course vs. Academic Simulations Revisiting Personality Bias in Total Enterprise Simulations Are Good Strategies Consistently Good? Investigating the Use of a Computer Simulation as an Effective Pedagogical Tool for the Application of a Strategic Model The Problem of determining an Individualized Simulation's Validity as an Assessment Tool A Simulation Based Analysis of the Value of Information in the Hrebiniak Joyce Typology of Adaptation Relative to Porter's Generic Strategies The Impact of Sales and Income Growth on Profitability and Market Measures in Actual and Simulated Industries A Comparison of a Stand Alone Version of a Simulation with the Traditional Competitive Version Computer-Assisted Gaming of International Business Analyzing Simulations with Computer-Based Programs and Applying the Experience to a Real-World Business A Preliminary Investigation of the Use of a Bankruptcy Indicator in a Simulation Environment Graduates' Views on the Use of Computer Simulation Games Versus Cases as Pedagogical Tools An Analytical Advertising Model Approach to the Determination of Market Demand Dealing with the Complexity Paradox in Business Simulation Games A Prototyping Approach for Incorporating Large Data Bases into Media Planning Simulations: An Example Using Magazine Media Through the Looking Glass, Inc: Superior-Subordinate Personality Type and the Leniency effect Evaluating the Effectiveness of Role Playing Simulation and Other Methods in Teaching Managerial Skills Student and Teacher Perceptions of a Management Simulation Course Performance Evaluation: The Effect on the Propensity to Create Budgetary Slack Management Team Formation for Large Scale Simulations Comparative Static Analysis with the Complete PPA Package: A Strategic Market Planning Tool Consistency in Intent: Learning Objectives at the 1994 Intercollegiate Business Policy Competition A New Twist on an Old Game: The Business Strategy Game: A Global Industry Simulation 3ed Evaluation of Performance in Management Simulation: A Management Coefficients Model Building SimuWorlds: Strategic Management Games of the Future Bulls and Bears: A Stock Market Simulation A Systems Thinking Paradigm and Think Computer Simulation Model of Broadcast and Cable Television Industry Competition Jacket Factory The Sales Management Simulation The Marketing Management Simulation A Demonstration of Promodel Demonstrating A New, Cross-Functional Business Simulation: Vision+ A Cost Chain For The Business Strategy Game Simulation Special Session On Experiential Teaching Compensation Dilemmas: An Exercise In Ethical Decision-Making Organizational Storytelling: Telling Tales In The Business Classroom Evaluating Experiential Training: Case Study And Recommendations The Internship Portfolio: An Innovative Tool For Experiential Learning, Critical Thinking, And Communication An Ethnographic Analysis Of The Pedagogical Impact Of Cooperative Communicating Consumer Behavior: A Long-Term Integrated Exercise Using Personal Consumption Journals And Consumer Analysis Papers An Experiential Paradigm For Teaching Business Problem Solving Developing Leadership Skills The Spss® Student Assistant: The Integration of A Statistical Analysis Program Into A Marketing Research Textbook Negotiating With Your Students Using TQM Principles To Transform Accounting Systems Into An Experiential Exercise Enhancing The Effectiveness Of Outdoor-Based Experiential Training Using Virtual Reality Concepts Case Writing In A Developing Country: An Indonesian Example Experiential Learning Using Focus Groups How Real Should Experiential Pedagogy Be? A Viewpoint From Our Students Reengineering The Internship: A New Approach To Experiential Learning Utilizing The Cosmopolitan/Local And Marginal Man Constructs To Measure Students' Propensity For Creativity Developing Experiential Processes For Teaching Quantitative Techniques For Business Team Learning Roles: A Cooperative Learning Technique Creating the Ultimate Small Business Student Experience: Melding Score/Ace with SBI The Development of Trust in Work Teams: The Impact of Touch Some Outcomes of Experiential Learning: How the Cultural Dynamics of Different Countries are reflected in Workplace Norms & Values Incorporation of Job Analysis Results in Various Forms of Selection Interviews Chudesno, Inc.: An Evaluation of an Experiential Training and Development Simulation An Exercise for Exploring the Relationship between Jungian Psychological Types and Organizational Dynamics Partnership: A Radical Approach to Experiential Learning Partnership: A Nice Idea, But How Do I Get Started? Recognizing Discrimination at Work Using Critical Incident Skills Questions to Help Students Become More Successful at Job Interviewing The Video Project Introduction to Psychological Type Theory Come On Down Understanding Facilitation for Development and Continuous Learning: A Micro-Workshop Leadership and Empowerment: An Experiential Exercise in Decision Making Experiential Exercises and Pedagogy Track Workshop: Selecting a Manager for Maquiladora, Inc. Experiential Training In Multi-Cultural Corporate Settings The Role of Facilitation as an Aid to Complete Learning An Experiential Exercise to Illustrate Difference in Information Processing Behaviors and Styles How to Deliver Accessible Survey Results Age Diversity in the Workplace- Family Feud Style Nafta Standoff: A Cross-Cultural negotiating Role-Play Three Strikes and You're Out!: A Downsizing Experiential Exercise