Teamwork & Assessments — Lab Guide
Each week you will be provided with a lab guide. These guides will outline the week’s lab activities and give a suggested schedule for the amount of time recommended for each activity. Each guide will also indicate whether an activity is a group or individual activity. If you have any questions during the lab, please talk to your TA.
1 Overview
Teamwork and collaboration are important components of scientific research. Collaboration allows scientists to share ideas and expertise. Teamwork brings different perspectives together to find the best ways to solve scientific questions. Today, we will be working through some teamwork scenarios that may occur during this class to help establish some strategies and norms for engaging in productive and fun teamwork throughout this semester.
2 Lab Activities
2.1 Introduction to TAs and Teamwork Scenarios — Full Lab Group
- The TAs will be a great resource to you this semester! They will introduce themselves and the research they work on and some overview of the lab.
- TAs will then give a quick overview of the Teamwork Scenarios and have you break into small groups of 3–4 people to discuss the scenarios.
2.2 Teamwork Scenarios — Small Groups (3–4 people)
- Introductions: Everyone should share their name and major.
- Open up a Google document using your CU email address (do not use your personal gmail or other email address) to work collaboratively with the other members of your group. Share the Google doc with each group member. Instructions on how to create, share, and download a Google doc can be found on the Other Resources page on Canvas.
- In your shared document, be sure to include all group members names (first and last names).
- In the Teamwork Scenarios document, please select at least 2 of the 6 scenarios to discuss as a group. You can discuss more than two if you have time.
- At the end of each scenario, you will find a set of questions in italics. Please answer the questions for your scenarios that your group selected in the shared Google Doc.
- After answering the questions for your selected scenarios, discuss and write down at least two general group strategies or norms that will contribute to successful collaboration this semester.
- Everyone in the group should save the document as a PDF and submit it to the Teamwork Strategies assignment on Canvas by the due date listed on the assignment. Each student in the group must submit an identical copy of the PDF.
2.3 Teamwork Scenarios — Full Lab Group
- Each group will share one of the group strategies or norms they believe will contribute to successful collaboration in the lab this semester and discuss how to make this semester productive.
2.4 Reports from Previous Researchers — Small Groups (3–4 people)
- Access the folder containing Reports from Previous Researchers on Canvas and have each group member randomly select 2 reports to read to yourself.
- After each member has had a chance to read through their reports, discuss as a group the following prompts:
- What themes do you see in these reports?
- What surprises you in students’ reflections on the courses?
2.5 Assessments, Surveys, and Reflections — Individual
- On Canvas, you will find links to a Course Preparation survey and two assessments.
- Use the remaining time in the lab to complete the survey and assessments. These activities are due by the due date listed on Canvas. You get course credit for completing these assessments, so don’t miss out on these easy points!
3 Post-lab Activities
3.1 Reflection
After each lab meeting, you will have a reflection assignment due. A key component to the research process that all scientists do regularly is assessing what you have learned and where you are in the process, so we will be doing that in this class. You can find a link to this week’s reflection on Canvas. Please complete your reflection by the due date listed on Canvas.
3.2 Readings
In preparation for next week’s lab meeting, you have been provided with two scientific papers to read outside of class. These papers can be found on this week’s Canvas page. You are only required to read the highlighted portions of each paper.
As you read, please think about the following questions, which will guide our discussion in lab next week:
3.2.1 Guiding Questions
- What are the motivating factors behind this research project?
- What questions do we hope to answer with this research?
- What is unique about this project that differentiates it from past research?
- For each graph you encounter, consider the axes. What are they showing?
- What pieces of “jargon” do you encounter in these readings? (“Jargon” is special words or expressions used by particular groups that can be difficult for others to understand.)
- What other questions or points of confusion do you have about the project? Make a specific list so you can discuss with your TA and labmates.
You do not have to submit answers to these questions anywhere — just think about them to be ready to discuss in lab next week. That being said, taking notes while reading scientific articles is a helpful habit to start building (and having some thoughts written down will help guide conversation next week). Don’t be intimidated if you don’t have much experience reading physics publications. You aren’t going to be quizzed on the science in these papers and you will discuss them further in lab.