Without sufficient instructor attention to process, student project teams can reinforce poor leadership, learning, and human relations skills. Students learn to confuse mediocre with excellent performance and to accept dysfunctional behavior as appropriate and necessary. This article presents strategies for helping student teams combat defensive routines and foster high standards of team performance. These include emphasizing the importance and challenge of process learning, reviewing team development concepts, reviewing and practicing communication skills, providing coaching for individual students, and giving graded feedback on process quality.
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