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PART III
Learning and Performing in Teams
This part considers several aspects of learning and performing in teams. In Chapter 5 we review and evaluate the research on cooperative learning, with an emphasis on adult learning. We also discuss some implications of the cooperative experience for performance in nonclassroom settings.
Chapters 6 and 7 focus on team performance and team training, respectively. Chapter 6 examines the effects of task variables explored in laboratory settings, reviews the effects of team-building interventions, and evaluates the effects of interactive game experiences on learning and retention. Chapter 7 provides a framework for organizing the many parts of the team training process: we expand on simple models by including mediating variables that account for the way inputs influence outputs. The chapter also highlights the importance of implementation goals—holding trainees accountable for what they have learned—and providing social support.
Skill acquisition through formal training is one contributor to job performance. Performance is also influenced by the way that tasks are designed, by the way teams are structured, and by organizational factors. It is important to take account of the way that teams learn, as well as the way that attitudes toward teams evolve and change. These issues are discussed in Chapter 6.
