Part IV Conducting the Project
This section of the handbook presents advice to students and faculty on carrying the project to a successful conclusion after the initial proposal and literature review stages are completed. Chapter 7, the first in this section, discusses the problems that are involved in building and maintaining successful project teams whose members cooperate effectively. Chapter 8 discusses student and advisor meetings, the preparation and submission of drafts, grading procedures, and the structure of the final report. It also contains a glossary of grammatical errors and a typical schedule for a one term project.
Chapter 7: Team Dynamics - A Manual for Team Building
James Groccia, John T. O'Connor, and Susan Vernon Gerstenfeld
The development of a team follows a series of predictable stages. How well the team negotiates those stages will affect the outcome of the project. Projects in which students learn to work together effectively by recognizing different -styles and abilities, and maximizing their interactions, are likely to be much better learning experiences than projects where partners fail to address problems with team interactions.
This chapter attempts to provide useful advice to students and faculty concerning common issues that arise in trying to solve problems together, and how those issues can be addressed. In doing a WPI Qualifying Project (IQP or MQP), what the students learn about working together may well be as valuable as what they learn about the topic. Since most professional work is done not by isolated individuals but by teams bringing together people with different skills, areas of expertise, and working styles. Such professionals know that cooperation is crucial, and that problems which interfere with successful dynamics MUST BE ADDRESSED BECAUSE THEY CAN BE FATAL TO THE PROJECT. They also know that abundant opportunities exist for dysfunctional teams to get help, and that the first step is identifying the problem.
This chapter is intended to help students and advisors begin that process of honest problem identification, from which solutions can be developed.
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