Facilitating engagement and interaction in teamwork: an online tool

This article was migrated. The article was not marked as recommended. Teamwork is an essential transferable skill that all graduates need to develop, and will contribute positively to student's development as practioners throughout their academic and clinical career. However, ensuring fair and transparent assessment of group work can be challenging when awarding individual marks. To address this we have developed and piloted an on-line facility for groups of dental students. This facility enables the recording of team meetings in real time, allowing easier monitoring of individual contributions and promoting reflective peer review by individuals in the group. Forty four second year dental students attended initial focus group meeting. Feedback on traditional teamwork modes of assessment were negative, with students disappointed that their mark may be lowered by other group members not taking the work seriously, or working at the last minute. The e-portfolio teamwork component was piloted and a second round of focus groups carried out (51 students). The e-portfolio component was engaged with by all students; with the 'up-load' facility and the area for sharing information being cited as useful. In conclusion, the e-portfolio component developed is a useful tool in allowing and encouraging reflection, evaluation and monitoring contribution.