Hi,
My colleagues and me have developed an online group formation tool, that allows you to mix up the classroom objectively using matchmaking technology. You can put cognitively diverse, or cognitively similar
student teams together, or mix based on demographic/language criteria with a few clicks. This solves the “friends work together problem”, while avoiding the pitfalls of randomly put together teams.
The system also provides each team with a dynamically created team report, that looks at the aggregate of the personalities/ team role preferences in the team, and visualises them and relates it to teamwork
theory. It’s a very nice resource to enhance any form of collaborative learning, and aids student’s reflection on team processes in a structured way.
We have developed the prototype with more than 9,000 students with great results, and have also won an award from the UK Higher Education Academy. We are looking to roll out the product widely in August, incl.
a plugin for moodle and blackboard to make the admin very simple.
If you are interested in advance access or a pilot for your institution, then please support the project by voting for us at the JISC teaching innovation elevator
https://shar.es/1rkbJj and then contact me at [log in to unmask]
All the best,
Norbert
Dr Norbert Morawetz
Lecturer in Entrepreneurship
UG Programme Director Entrepreneurship
Henley Centre for Entrepreneurship
University of Reading