You want me to work with who? Stakeholder perceptions of automated team formation in project-based courses

Instructors are increasingly using algorithmic tools for team formation, yet little is known about how these tools are applied or how students and instructors perceive their use. We studied a representative team formation tool (CATME) in eight project-based courses. An instructor uses the tool to form teams by surveying students’ working styles, skills, and demographics−then configuring the criteria as input into an algorithm that assigns teams. We surveyed students (N=277) in the courses to gauge their perceptions of the strengths and weaknesses of the tool and ideas for improving it. We also interviewed instructors (N=13) different from those who taught the eight courses to learn about their criteria selections and perceptions of the tool. Students valued the rational basis for forming teams but desired a stronger voice in criteria selection and explanations as to why they were assigned to a particular team. Instructors appreciated the efficiency of team formation but wanted to view exemplars of criteria used in similar courses. This work contributes recommendations for deploying team formation tools in educational settings and for better satisfying the goals of all stakeholders.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Computer Science

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2017

Author dc:creator

• Jahanbakhsh, Farnaz

Contributors dc:contributor

• Bailey, Brian P.

• Algorithms
• Comprehensive Assessment for Team-Member Effectiveness (CATME)
• Education
• Team formation

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2017 Farnaz Jahanbakhsh

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/98369

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/98369