IMPROVING TEAMWORK WITH A ROTATING LEADERSHIP MODEL

The Diploma in Integrated Events and Project Management (DEPM) course in the School of Architecture & the Built Environment recently started exploring using CDIO approach as a basis to enhance design of its curriculum. Teamwork and leadership are important interpersonal attributes desirable of graduates from the DEPM course. Events management work is multi-faceted in nature and requires event planners to work with various stakeholders to organise and implement events. Many times, event planners are also required to lead a team to complete tasks. The authors undertook an action research to investigate how teamwork and leadership can be integrated into a module in the DEPM course. The authors referenced the CDIO Syllabus for underpinning knowledge of teamwork and leadership; and use the relevant CDIO Standards to guide design of learning activities that enabled learners to work better in team settings and practise leadership skills necessary for planning and managing events (CDIO Standard 1). More specifically, the action research explore the use of a Team-Based Learning (TBL) strategy in an events marketing module coupled with a rotating leadership model to meet the intended learning outcomes (CDIO Standard 2) of working effectively in teams to complete tasks required in a marketing role. By providing opportunities for each learner to lead in the group coursework assignments, learners get to practise leadership skills in the context of events management (CDIO Standard 7). To evaluate students’ learning experiences (CDIO Standard 11), an online survey, a reflection paper and a Self-and Peer Assessment (SPA/SAPA) from the Singapore Polytechnic’s Teamwork Measurement Project were used to review learners’ teamwork contribution; the online survey and reflection paper also provided insights on how learners could improve their leadership skills. Feedback garnered from these touchpoints showed that learners opined that the learning activities helped to improve teamwork, as they were more responsible with better contribution to the team and minimal free-rider issue. Learners also appreciated the opportunity to practise leadership skills through living the role as well as learning from others. This action research study also serves as an example to the DEPM course on how it could enhance its curriculum design guided by the CDIO Framework.