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Definition
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To develop a purposeful relationship with two or more people or organisations in order to work together to explore ideas, complete a task, achieve a shared goal and promote the value of team working and knowledge exchange.
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Importance
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Collaboration skills enable individuals to work together efficiently and effectively. Working together increases productivity, reduces wasted time on unnecessary or duplicate tasks, and enhances each individual’s personal impact on a project.
Individuals may work together to develop a product, complete a project or solve a problem. To collaborate effectively, you need to be open-minded, inclusive and able to overcome conflict.
In today’s workplace, effective collaboration is increasingly achieved via the digital work space. Advanced digital technologies have facilitated group work, making it easier for people to connect, communicate, and create from anywhere, anytime.
Students must possess the ability to collaborate seamlessly in both physical and virtual spaces, with real and virtual partners globally.
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Key behaviours associated with being collaborative
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- Understanding
- Common goals
- Team work
- Co-operation
- Understanding
- Cohesion
- Flexibility
- Empathy
- Inclusivity
- Tolerance
- Patience
- Partnership
- Effective communication
- Participation
- Mutual benefit
- Co-ordination
- Inter-disciplinary
- Contribution
- Engagement and collegiality
- Knowledge exchange
- Team diversity
- Respect
- Professional etiquette
- Conflict resolution
- Leadership and influence
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Examples of Outcomes
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Students should be able to:
- Build positive and cooperative working relationships that successfully achieve shared goals
- Work in groups and teams of varying sizes and in a variety of roles (leader, team member)
- Conduct self professionally and contribute positively when working in a team
- Establish an atmosphere that encourages all team members to share their views and to feel listened to and included
- Identify desired outcomes, negotiate roles and responsibilities and demonstrate flexibility in reaching a mutually agreed outcome
- Develop good relationships with others and a sense of wellbeing in a group situation
- Acknowledge individual differences, negotiate and resolve conflicts
- Check progress, review the work of the group and personally reflect on one’s own contribution
- Agree methods for keep each other informed of progress on group activities
- Develop empathy and see alternative perspectives
- Express emotion in appropriate ways
- Help a group to persist in the face of difficulties, taking responsibility, providing support and demonstrating leadership when needed
- Celebrate the achievements of a group in an appropriate manner
- Recognise that different positions and viewpoints are likely to be adopted and expressed
- Work across the University with both academic and professional support services, as well as with external partners such as employers
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Curriculum Design Strategies
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Include formative and summative assessments which require students to work with others e.g. Group work, research projects, live employer briefs, problem solving activities.
Consider team projects with individual and group marks.
This attribute is linked to being ‘Self-Aware’
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Curriculum Delivery Strategies (examples)
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- Live Briefs – Provide opportunities for students to build respectful relationships and provide peer feedback on performance against a particular brief.
- Action Learning Sets – Facilitate action learning to support group learning and idea development.
- Digital Collaboration – Design online interaction/activities to assist students to explore their digital skills to find information and present it in a collegial manner.
- Listening activities – Ask students to undertake listening skills activities that allow them to recognize different ideas and viewpoints.
- Knowledge Exchange Activity – Work with industry partners to collaborate on progressing an idea/product/service.
- Case conference - Multi disciplinary approach to find a solution to a problem (appropriate to discipline)
- Team Competitions – Encourage students to undertake and work collaboratively on internal and external competitions and design challenges.
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