Learning team charter analysis

Learning Team Charter Analysis A learning team charter is one component that is necessary to manage a successful team. The charter contains information on all members of the team and their goals, a system for group communications, a system for settling disputes or conflict management, and the technologies that will be used to promote good communications among all team members. Creating a team charter allows all members of a team to list their individual skills and characteristics that can be collaboratively combined and analyzed as a group. This paper examines the results of Team A’s Charter. Group Communications Communication can be described as the means by which individuals disperse and transmit meaning in an effort to generate mutual comprehension. This procedure necessitates an immense collection of proficiency in “ intrapersonal” and “ interpersonal” practicing, paying attention, scrutinizing, vocalizations, inquiry, evaluation, and assessments. Implementation of these practices can be transmitted to every aspect of life. Via communication, teamwork and collaboration are allowed to take place. If there is a singular uniting subject matter that traverses every field, it is the exchange and transmission of ideas in an informative manner. Communication is the interface to fundamental literacy and intellectual distinction. Communication is an important cornerstone of all groups, and often the variable, which determines their success or failure. Effective communications build trust, mutual respect, and facilitate learning. Although communication is frequently thought of in terms of written or oral dialogue, actions are also important forms of communication and indicate commitment to stated agreements (Department of Primary Industries, 2001). Because the opinions and thoughts of individuals vary, the connotations in individual and group communication can fluctuate. There is a fundamental importance to recognize this fact as it certainly has an effect on communications. If an individual communicates information to an individual or group, the receiver should be capable of understanding the information in the way the speaker intends to convey it. Group communication can be a difficult skill to learn due to the fact that there are numerous members, who may have differing views and opinions on the subject at hand. This should be taken into consideration and duly noted. There is always the chance of disagreements and therefore, the opinions of others should be taken in stride if they are not in agreement with the majority. In individual communications, the task of settling disagreements and making decisions becomes much easier because there are only two individuals involved thus making the process more straightforward and much simpler. Group communications have the capacity to offer a variety of ideas and collective knowledge to the issues at hand. Group communications can be used to solve problems and issues relating to various subjects in numerous ways because the combined efforts of those in the group. Individual communications are on a much more personal level and may be used to solve personal problems as opposed to community or business-related problems. Each type of communication involves specific skills that must be used effectively to transmit thoughts and ideas. Group communications entail the ability to successfully listen to all opinions while keeping order among group members. The avoidance of argumentative statements and actions should be high priority and necessitates a strong leader who can keep order to maintain a positive outlook among members. Individual communication should include the ability to understand verbal communication as well as nonverbal communication to successfully understand ideas exchanged between the sender and receiver. In general, the art of effective communication is a useful tool in solving and resolving important issues in both individual and group settings. Team Communications Working in an online environment is difficult when working collaboratively. To be successful it is important to keep **maintain** communication between group members and for a strategy to be in place. Keeping this in mind, each member must commit to keeping the communication line open and to offer feedback, voice suggestions, and handle complaints within the group. Each member must make a commitment that shows he or she is willing to work with others despite any difficulty and to remain open minded to his or her new group dynamics. Examining Team A’s charter, it is clear that each member has had both good and bad experiences when working collaboratively online. In an effort to make this experience better, the group has decided that they will maintain an open line of communication using technology and other methods. Working together the team has decided to designate time frames. These time frames are for when collaborative projects must be completed by and also for participation purposes. The team has also established how any person who is considered missing or not contributing will be handled. Team “ A” has also established a team leader and a co-leader. This was done in an attempt to be aware of those members responsible for motivating and also ensuring the completed product is up to standards and submitted. These members help to coordinate the assignments including making sure each person is doing his or her fair share of work and communicating with each member. In an effort to keep each person informed, the group has established ground rules that state how late portions will be handled. These rules also discuss emergencies and what to do if there is an emergency for a team member. It has also been established that each member is responsible for making sure that he or she are within compliance of the schools plagiarism bylaws. Each team member has also agreed that certain lines of communication should be reserved for emergencies Team “ A” has also noted that each person has his or her own style for writing and vocabulary. With this in mind each member has agreed to be accepting of this fact and to continue moving forward. Team “ A” has established some much needed ground rules and procedures. The team has established leadership and is using each member’s strengths as a tool for success. Each team member has agreed to listen to each other’s suggestions, complaints, and more. Through good communications, the group will be better equipped to work together. Good communications will keep any person from acquiring more than his or her fair-share of work and keep each member informed of the team’s progress. With these strategies in place, the team can facilitate good team communication. By following the teams’ rules and bylaws that each member contributed to, the team will have a means of maintaining good communication. Each team member must bring with him or her strengths and experiences to help him or her better his or her experiences working in a group. Communication Technologies Team “ A” has established that there are a few technologies that may be used in facilitating group communication. The technologies currently available are e-mail, the group forum, phone calls for verbal communications, texting. The group may also set up a time and place to meet such as a place to chat in real time. Each technology available to communicate has advantages and disadvantages. For instance e-mail, some people have only a work e-mail, and some have both personal and work e-mail addresses. Some e-mail accounts cannot be accessed in some locations as the sites they are attached to may be blocked, or they may not be considered global. E-mails can take time to be received by members and can sometimes show up in their junk mail or spam mail boxes instead of the person’s inbox. The recipient may also have a block on their e-mail accounts that allow only those in their contact list to e-mail them. E-mails also have the risk of sending viruses to another person’s computer. E-mails do have their advantages. One advantage is that a person may send multiple files to multiple people at once as long as he or she stays within the size limits. This can help a person submit his or her section to the group when he or she has trouble logging into the schools forum. E-mails also can be sent from cellular phones, which allow a person to stay in a communication when he or she is not near a computer. Using the group forum is another way to keep communications open with the group. This is a useful means of communicating, but using this technology also has its downfalls. There may be times when the school’s website is down for updates or repairs. If a person is trying to log into the school’s site during one of these scheduled down times it is possible they may be denied access. The possibility of the school’s site developing some technical troubles in which certain usernames are not showing as valid logins are another disadvantage to this technology. In this instance the person may need to communicate with the technical team that runs the site. The group forums also have their advantages as e-mails do. A team member may post to the group forum with a general message for the team. Each person who logs into the class can also read any message posted to any forum, except for the individual forums. This is also a disadvantage because other teams can read what other groups are discussing and thus temptation to take some work from another team may occur. With both of these written forms of communications a disadvantage to keep in mind at all times is how a post may be received. Each member must be mindful of what he or she is saying and how he or she is saying it. In written communication, all caps are thought to be a person yelling. As humans, people tend to perceive some words and their arrangements to be either funny, or harmful. By communicating via group forum, or e-mail, it makes it easier for each member to write to another person clearly, or legibly. With so many font faces and sizes available, there are plenty of options that can help a person to choose an appropriate font for a fun message, or a professional one. Communicating over the phone has its own set of advantages and disadvantages. One disadvantage is the different time zones that each person lives in. Whereas it may be early in the day for one person, it may be late for another. This means that contacting other members of the group is harder to achieve by phone. Each member must keep in mind the different time zones and available times each person has listed. Another disadvantage is whether or not one member is calling another member’s cell phone, or using a cell phone him or herself. Some cell phone companies allow free calling between members of the same carrier. Others offer free incoming calling whereas some companies charge minutes regardless, especially if it is a prepaid phone where the person must buy his or her minutes ahead of time. Another disadvantage is whether or not a person has long distance calling capabilities. Regardless of the disadvantages, there are still advantages such as the ability to speak directly with a person in real time. One team member can communicate instantly with another and receive answers or notifications. It also helps those who learn best through verbal explanation rather than written. Despite the advantages of technology, there is always the possibility of its disadvantages. Though the advantages may outweigh the disadvantages they must still be considered when working collaboratively. Resolving Disputes **APA style: Double-spaced** Information regarding the resolution of disputes is completely covered in Team “ A” Charter. One example is, in the event a team member cannot be reached in a reasonable period or is not participating to the satisfaction of the team, that member can be expelled from the team and refused future participation. The group will exhaust every measure possible (phone, e-mail, post, etc.) to attempt to contact the individual over a three-day span. If the member is still unreachable the team is to notify the instructor and continue with the given assignments without the member. The team could incorporate stronger strategies such as contacting other university authorities. For example, the team could contact the non-participating member’s academic advisor or finance counselor. Academic advisors and finance counselors are already in the loop concerning a student’s academic performance and are therefore good points of contact in situations like this. Academic advisors and finance counselors monitor a student’s participation and are a student’s first point of contact for any course withdrawals. Usually when a student lacks participation it is that he or she has dropped the current course or he or she plans to do so. Though there are many strategies a group can take to settle disputes each member has an obligation to his or her group. In the beginning of every course each group member must agree upon the rules and guidelines pertaining to the expectations for participation. Extreme measures by group members should not have to be taken (such as contacting further parties) because a member must be held accountable for his or her participation or lack thereof. Many reasons contribute to a member’s lacks of interest or willingness to participate in a group. In a group situation it is the responsibility of all member’s to address those reasons and concerns, otherwise the other group members will be left to pick up the pieces. In any classroom setting disputes can occur over countless issues. Applying the correct approach when dealing with conflict is crucial as it can mean the difference between a positive or negative outcome. To avoid possible negativity, a team must give the member’s an opportunity to respond. When this fails in a reasonable timeframe, the team leader should attempt direct contact with the member. The team will want to contact the member without jumping to any conclusions or making inaccurate assumptions while making some kind of progress. Waiting for the member to respond will prolong the issue, especially if he or she has already demonstrated an unwillingness to do so. Because communications work both ways, both sides must be willing to communicate. Individuals have many advantages and disadvantages working in a distant learning environment. One advantage is that it challenges everyone to think outside the box with their communication techniques. One disadvantage is dealing with conflict virtually. By solving conflict successfully problems are brought to the surface. “ However, if conflict is not handled effectively, the results can be damaging. Conflicting goals can quickly turn into personal dislike. Teamwork breaks down. Talent is wasted as people disengage from their work. And it’s easy to end up in a vicious downward spiral of negativity and recrimination” (Mind Tools Ltd,  2010). Conflict is tough to handle within a group but some kind of effort should always be made to resolve it. The responsibility of the group is to develop conflict management strategies because conflict affects all group members. Conclusion The learning team charter is the main component that helps a team to work and collaborate effectively. Effective group communications are the cornerstone for a team’s success. Effective communications will assist a team or group in resolving disputes and conflicts smoother and with better results. Team communications require all members to take responsibility for his or her own actions and require a commitment to help the team succeed. Today’s technologies provide groups, teams, and individuals with an opportunity to communicate in a timely manner and share information from different locations. Disadvantages to some technologies do exist but with a large array of choices communications are always possible to achieve. Conflict management and dispute resolution are the keys to keeping individuals in groups working in harmony. Team “ A” has a group harmony that makes its experience both pleasant and challenging. References Department of Primary Industries. (2001, September 12). Effective group communication. Department of Sustainability and Environment and Department of Primary Industries… Retrieved January 18, 2010, from http://www. dpi. vic. gov. au/DPI/nreninf. nsf/childdocs/-C835B1CE4BC7F1D04A2568B30004FC37-4FEBC5DEBF535AC1CA256BC8000410EB-5D3323C8EDE7C7EB4A256DEA00294D0A-B59DCFB30DB614C3CA256BCF Mikanowicz, C., & Shank, S. (2010.). Communication Strategies – 9453. National Center of Continuing Education Home Page. Retrieved January 18, 2010, from http://www. nursece. com/onlinecourses/3453. html  Mind Tools Ltd.  (2010).  Mind Tools.  Retrieved from http://www. mindtools. com | CRITERIA | NEEDS IMPROVEMENT | SATISFACTORY | EXCEPTIONAL | | | Minimum Points | Medium Points | Maximum Points | | CONTENT | The writer does not demonstrate | The writer demonstrates limited | The writer demonstrates an understanding of | | 40% | cursory understanding of subject | understanding of the subject matter in | the subject matter by clearly stating the | | | matter, and the purpose of the paper | that theories are not well connected to | objective of the paper and links theories to| | From a content perspective, | is not stated. The objective, | a practical experience or appropriate | practical experience. The paper includes | | this was a very comprehensive| therefore, is not addressed and | examples, though the attempt to research| relevant material that is correctly | | and well thought-out paper, | supporting materials are not correctly| the topic is evident, and materials are | referenced, and this material fulfills the | | which thoroughly addressed | referenced. | correctly referenced. | objective of the paper. | | all core elements of the | | | | | assignment, including through| 27. 9 or FEWER POINTS | 28 to 35. 9 POINTS | 36 to 40 POINTS | | analysis of the team charter | | | | | and review of technological | | | 39. 5 | | implications. | | | | | Excellent work. | | | | | ORGANIZATION | Paragraphs do not focus around a | Topics/content could be organized in a | The writer focuses on ideas and concepts | | 30% | central point, and concepts are | more logical manner. Transitions from | within paragraphs, and sentences are | | | disjointedly introduced or poorly | one idea to the next are often | well-connected and meaningful. Each topic | | Generally well organized with| defended (i. e., stream of | disconnected and uneven. | logically follows the objective. The | | clear focus on each topic. | consciousness). | | introduction clearly states the objective or| | | | | ideas leading to the purpose of the paper, | | | | | and a conclusion draws the ideas together. | | | | | | | | | | 27 to 30 POINTS | | | 20. 9 or FEWER POINTS | 21 to 26. 9 POINTS | | | | | | 29 | | FORMAT | The paper does not conform to APA | The paper does not conform completely to| The paper is correctly formatted to APA | | 5% | style. | APA style (e. g., margins, spacing, | style (e. g., margins, spacing pagination, | | | | pagination, headings, headers, | headings, headers, citations, references, | | APA style was utilized | | citations, references, according to the | according to the APA Manual). | | throughout the paper; | | APA Manual). | | | excellent command of the APA | | | | | style format with only slight| | 3. 5 to 4. 4 POINTS | 4. 5 to 5 POINTS | | errors. | 3. 4 or FEWER POINTS | | | | | | | 4. 5 | | GRAMMAR, PUNCTUATION, & | The writer demonstrates limited | The writer occasionally uses awkward | The writer demonstrates correct usage of | | SPELLING | understanding of formal written | sentence construction or overuses and/or| formal English language in sentence | | 10% | language use; writing is colloquial | inappropriately uses complex sentence | construction. Variation in sentence | | |(i. e., conforms to spoken language). | structure. Problems with word usage | structure and word usage promotes | | Overall, the spelling and | Grammar and punctuation are |(e. g., evidence of incorrect use of | readability. There are no spelling, | | punctuation were correct. | consistently incorrect. Spelling | Thesaurus) and punctuation persist, | punctuation, or word usage errors. | | There were a couple of | errors are numerous. | often causing difficulties with grammar.| | | errors, notably missing | | | | | commas, but nothing took | | 7 to 8. 9 POINTS | | | significantly away from the | 7 or FEWER POINTS | | | | message. | | | 9 to 10 POINTS | | | | | | | | | | 9. 5 | | READABILITY & STYLE | The writer struggles with limited | Some words, transitional phrases, and | The reading audience is correctly | | 15 % | vocabulary and has difficulty | conjunctions are overused. Ideas may be| identified, demonstrated by appropriate | | | conveying meaning such that only the | overstated, and sentences with limited | language usage (i. e., avoiding jargon and | | The overall readability and | broadest, most general messages are | contribution to the subject are | simplifying complex concepts appropriately).| | style complimented the essay | presented. | included. | Writing is concise, in active voice, and | | well. It was generally easy | | | avoids awkward transitions and overuse of | | to read and follow and | | | conjunctions. | | professional, clear, and | | | | | typically concise language | 10. 4 or FEWER POINTS | 10. 5  to 13. 4 POINTS | 13. 5 to 15 POINTS | | was also utilized. | | | | | | | | 14. 5 | GRADE 97 out of 100 (11. 64 out of 12) ———————– Learning Team Charter Analysis **APA style: Running Header should be capitalized and left-aligned** 13