Team work and Zoom. Can it really work?

Dr Angelina Fong
Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences

Teamwork is a major employability and transferrable skill sought by future employers, even more, important in the socially distanced and isolated online environment. This presentation describes a classic survival scenario activity deployed in F2F groups and in Zoom breakout rooms to 2nd and 3rd yr Undergraduate Physiology subjects requiring students to work independently, and then as part of a team. On completion, students were surveyed on their perception of the activity.

In both F2F and online classes respondents found the activity helpful in improving their team communication and identifying team dynamics, although this effect was stronger F2F . Despite the challenges of online teamwork, this data suggests well-designed team building activities can alleviate some of the stressors and fear associated with teamwork and provide students with a better learning experience.

This Zoom presentation was part of the Melbourne CSHE Teaching and Learning Conference 2021 held on Tuesday 1 June 2021.