Communication and collaboration strategies in virtual teamwork

Introducing technology students to successful virtual team work attends to careful skills development in collaboration and communication This paper describes the design and development of a course assessment instrument that attempts to build an understanding of virtual interaction through teamwork. Self-reflective monitoring of team activity provides opportunities for students to examine issues of cohesion and team task management. Underpinning the teamwork, are three considerations: environment, tasks, and tools. Preliminary results indicate that the process of self-monitoring and peer feedback provide students with a means to develop more effective strategies for virtual teamwork The length and varied experiences within these virtual teams equip students for the global workforce that they may enter.