Virtual teams much? : Overcoming disparate participation in a distance education construction management program

BACKGROUND: In an age of increasing digital workplaces and globalisation, professionals need to be able to effectively participate in and complete projects via virtual teams. Distance education not only provides students with career changing opportunities but introduces disparities in participation abilities and long distance collaboration. Teamwork has long been a desired graduate attribute but changes in student cohorts and industry requirements and expectations are forcing a bridge of the digital divide in its attainment. Exposing students to working in virtual teams is expected to better prepare them for a modern workforce. PURPOSE: The objective of the study was to determine the importance, utility and functionality of virtual teamwork in a distance construction management program as it relates to real world situations and identify the factors that influence student progression. DESIGN/METHOD: Participants in a distance education program were introduced to a simulated global virtual team environment with variations in project tasks mirroring a typical infrastructure stage gate approach ranging from financial project feasibility to concept design and aspects of project execution. Multiple scenarios were presented while virtual groups were allowed to redo presentations to the project owner as they developed and honed their project and reflected on their team performance. Pre and post surveys were conducted and project results were compared for each project team to measure improvement in team effectiveness, cohesion and ability to adapt to unknown project variables. RESULTS: With project participants represented by both traditional and non-traditional students, the results of the project delivered somewhat scattered results. Project teams in distance education reported anguish over aspects of team leadership, developing trust in other members’ contributions, overcoming the technological challenges of geographic distribution and more importantly, vastly dissimilar career experience, led to various project team breakdowns and in a few cases, failures. Students failed to comprehend the advantages beyond qualification progression. CONCLUSIONS: As a result of this project, more emphasis has been placed on actual international student collaboration and teamwork on simulated global projects through the use of assessable bilateral project adjudication. Project results provide a fertile field ripe with alternative teaching approaches ready to harvest and make available to the non-traditional student cohort.