This list of skills and dispositions was developed to help faculty find relevant teaching resources. The list is in alphabetical order.
Communication
Students need to be able to actively listen to group members, advocate for their own positions, and compromise with others.
Decision Making
Students need to learn the difference between reaching consensus and voting. They need to be able to use good decision making skills to set goals and to decide who will do what on the group project.
Fair Share
Students need to learn how to do their fair share of a group project. This involves being committed to doing the project, conscientious, and accountable for their own behaviors. Students need to learn to give each other feedback and need to listen to and receive multiple forms of feedback.
Handling Biases
People’s biases toward stereotyped groups or toward specific individuals can undermine the group’s work together. Some of these issues can be addressed by the instructor, but other issues require that students gain self-awareness of their own biases.
Handling Conflict
People often respond to conflict with peers by complaining to the person in charge instead of directly addressing the conflict themselves. Students need to learn how to discuss and resolve conflicts on their own.
Influence and Leadership
Each student needs to play a leadership role at some point. They need to learn to delegate tasks.
Organization
Completing a group project requires some project management skills. Students need to understand the group’s goals and identify the steps needed to meet those goals.