How can we work together to create good solutions? Work for sustainability consists of large, complex issues that require action and expertise from several actors. Without good cooperation, you can fall short even with the right professional expertise. It is therefore important that our candidates have the skills to contribute constructively to collaboration with others.
What is collaboration competency?
Collaboration competency is about
- the ability to learn from others
- understand other people's needs and perspectives
- deal with group conflicts
- contribute to constructive group dynamics
Collaboration skills in a MN-context
Many of our courses have a collaboration component. It can be anything from conversation in lectures to solving problems in small groups in the lab or in calculation exercises and larger project works in groups. What these have in common is that it is possible to take action as a teacher to facilitate good cooperation among the students, and to give the students tools they can use in future group work.
Examples of teaching activities
- Individual reflection notes on group work: own efforts, challenges, group dynamics
- "Collaboration contracts" or explicit plans about how a project work in a group should work
- Guest lectures from external experts on group dynamics