Since University of Phoenix was founded nearly a quarter-century ago, learning teams have been an essential element of its Teaching/Learning Model. The University’s Founder, Dr. John Sperling, recognized the value of teams in both academia and the workplace long before these benefits became widely known and accepted. Dr. Sperling believed—and subsequent research has confirmed—that learning teams fill several essential functions that are especially beneficial to working adult learners. Learning teams can:
There is another equally important function that should be served by learning team participation. More than ever, organizations require their employees to work effectively as members of teams. The University’s institutional research, supported by virtually every national education study of the past decade, confirms that employers expect colleges and universities to help develop this competency. Research into the attitudes of University of Phoenix students tells us that they expect the University to help them develop these skills too.
Based on these findings, the faculty of University of Phoenix has mandated the use of learning teams as “laboratories” for developing team effectiveness skills. Further, it requires that learning teams be used across the curriculum throughout every student’s program of study.
Some might suggest that there are students whose preferred learning styles lean away from learning in groups and that other formats should be available. To that argument, we give two responses. First, learning styles should not be allowed to become straightjackets—to become effective lifelong learners; we will each need continuously to expand our learning repertoires. Second, creating an educational experience that prepares learners to contribute to the effectiveness of their organizations is central to the mission of University of Phoenix. Developing team competence is critical enough to our students, their organizations, and society as to justify our insistent emphasis.
Just as a skilled carpenter gathers the right tools for the job at hand, a skilled leader and manager also fills his or her toolbox with critical knowledge, skills, and attitudes that fit the job to be done. When that job involves building effective teams, the manager’s toolbox must contain knowledge about what teams are, when and why they should be used, and how they can be organized to maximize their effectiveness. It should also contain tools that will help develop the interpersonal and organizational skills, and professional attitudes, that are prerequisites for team success.
In creating this Learning Team Toolkit, our goal was to create a toolbox filled with just what you need most to become an effective team member or leader—a team “builder”—in your organization. Content of the site will continue to expand as we add works from various business and organizational sources, both scholarly and practical, as well as from the University’s digital library. Each section deals with a different critical aspect of teaming. Often, we’ve included more than one source in the discussion of a particular topic. Just as different craftsmen and artisans approach the same job from a slightly different perspective, so do those who study and write about management. We think the varied perspectives you’ll experience will broaden and deepen your knowledge and skills.
