Keywords: Assessment, innovation competence (critical thinking, creativity, initiative, teamwork, networking), project-based learning, online, motivation, feedback, complementary evaluation
What and Why: The pilot was conducted on 2nd year Industrial Management and Engineering students’ obligatory course Supply Chain Management (3 credits). The students on the course were future sales engineers, which was an interesting target group. In the course, the students did eight extensive learning tasks in groups, which had a written part and presentations in class. At the end of the course, they did a self-evaluation of the group work of the course, where they were guided to evaluate their own and the group's work through the SINCOE project's statements about innovation competencies.
How: The course was implemented as face-to-face teaching. In practice, the students worked both face-to-face in class and remote, and online. During the course, eight different group projects were completed, with varying group compositions within a larger collective. Specific roles within the groups became established, though there was some turnover. As the course progressed, group work became a routine part of the weekly schedule, conducted outside of lectures via remote connections.
In the beginning of the course, self-assessment was given as one of the assessment criteria of the course. Towards the end of the course, the students were introduced the questions and asked them to return their answers in Its Learning platform at the end of the course.
Outcome: The assessment tool helped to articulate and concretize student groups’ work and accomplishments by describing their critical thinking, initiative, creativity, teamwork, and networking skills by tying examples to projects. The feedback was a good addition to the numerical grade the teacher gave.
Recommendations:
Schedule more in-person sessions to foster better communication, creativity, and group dynamics.
Use face-to-face interactions for critical discussions and feedback sessions.
Provide guidelines for effective online meetings, including tips on scheduling and maintaining motivation.
Encourage the use of collaboration tools (e.g., Microsoft Teams).
Incorporate structured timelines and clear task division to improve efficiency in both in-person and online settings.
Design group activities that emphasize the importance of diverse perspectives and individual development.
Provide a framework for effective presentations and task distribution.
Monitor and provide feedback on group work efficiency and productivity.
Guide students in taking on various roles (research, writing, verification) and adapting to changing group compositions.
Offer support when workload increases due to changes in group dynamics.
Recognize the productivity benefits of remote work and incorporate remote meetings as part of the course structure.
Allow flexibility in course formats to accommodate individual preferences for remote and independent work.
Design activities that teach teamwork, consideration, and listening to different perspectives.
Emphasize the real-world applications of skills like problem-solving, creativity, and teamwork.
Encourage groups to find a balance between independent work and collaborative sessions.
Set clear deadlines and expectations for task completion.
Create a supportive environment that values teamwork and innovation competencies.
Provide examples of how these competencies are applied in both academic and professional settings.
Include assignments that allow for creative approaches and idea generation.
Design tasks that require critical thinking and evidence-based decision-making.
Encourage students to consider multiple perspectives in their work.
Recognize and reward proactive behavior in starting tasks and leading projects.
Provide opportunities for students to take initiative in various aspects of their group work.
Encourage mutual respect and appreciation for each other’s ideas within the group.
Create assignments that mimic real-world challenges, allowing students to apply their skills practically.
Provide feedback on how well students demonstrate competencies like problem-solving, creativity, and teamwork.
Discuss the importance of these skills in professional roles such as technical sales or logistics management.
Implement regular feedback sessions to continuously improve the course based on student experiences.
Use this feedback to adjust and address any emerging challenges.
Incorporate diverse teaching methods to keep students engaged and motivated.
Balance between in-person and remote activities to accommodate to different learning preferences and needs.
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