Assessing teamwork skills for assurance of learning using CATME team tools

Colleges of business must meet assurance of learning requirements to gain or maintain AACSB accreditation under the new standards adopted April 8, 2013. Team skills are among the most important skills desired by recruiters, yet employers and scholars perceive that team skills are frequently deficient in college graduates. This article describes how a set of free web-based tools available at www.CATME.org allows colleges to collect data to determine whether their students are developing good team skills and demonstrate achievement for accreditation reviews for learning goals related to team skills. The tools, which were developed to support teamwork in college classes, allow instructors to easily collect, interpret, and share data about students and teams. We show how colleges that use the CATME system in all courses requiring teamwork could analyze the data to demonstrate that their programs develop students’ team skills. The appendix provides 13 examples of learning goals colleges could use, along with a method to demonstrate achievement for each, and a sample measurable program target. These examples relate to team skills such as working with teammates of diverse backgrounds, contributing effectively to teams, displaying good interpersonal skills, being able to evaluate teamwork, and recognizing team processes and outcomes.