Strategies for developing robust teamsmanship in the context of design education for product development: A progress report

A conceptual model that provides a framework for developing strategies to improve the performance of student teams has been developed. The model is dynamic and covers the time-dependent states that are essential for the proposed criterial of successful team-based design project experience for students. The states of design progress, team development, and knowledge acquisition can be moved to desired values at project conclusion by measurement and comparison with desired values. The main energy for moving the states is derived from the team efforts that are internally directed through the primary, single-loop feedback structure. Secondary energy is derived from coaches and instructors through interventions that are directed as part of an external secondary, or double-loop structure. Interventions include instruction in the whole process and specification of a design activity schedule. This aggressive activity schedule sets up an environment that provides tension for the team to move the states toward improved values.