Authentic Learning Task (ALT ) #3: The Meeting

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Overview

In an organized team meeting, whether it is formal or informal, the atmosphere can usually be described as either defensive or supportive. While characterizing a meeting environment as defensive or supportive is clearly a broad generalization, it is nevertheless useful in understanding how to best facilitate team communication. Meetings held in a defensive climate are most often less productive and less effective than those held in a supportive climate.

In a supportive climate, members are descriptive rather than judgemental; equal rather than inferior or superior; empathetic rather than accusatory. A defensive climate often stems from the perception that an individual team member has little or no control, power, voice, or responsibility.

Conducting a meeting requires an understanding not only of the importance of the environment, but also of the logistical requirements for success. In this Authentic Learning Task (ALT), you work in a team to organize a formal meeting to decide which seven out of eleven people should survive a nuclear attack.

After completing this ALT, you should be able to demonstrate the following competencies:

• Utilize teamwork principles to encourage effective teamwork (Comp. 4).
• Explain and implement an effective problem-solving process within a team (Comp. 5).

Materials and Equipment
No materials or equipment are needed to complete this ALT.

Safety and Equipment
No special safety or disposal procedures are required

Pre-Activity

To prepare for the activity:

• Review Information Sheet: Surviving a Nuclear Attack in your Teamwork Participant Journal.
• Read Information Sheet: Team Member Meeting Roles.
• Read about How to Ensure a Successful Team and Team Meeting.
• Read about the important aspects of conducting a meeting and complete a post-test.
• Complete an exercise on conducting an effective meeting.

Activity

In your team, perform the following steps to complete the activity:

1. Your mediator will read through Data Sheet: Setting the Agenda in your Teamwork Participant Journal with you and discuss why agendas are important and useful documents in facilitating a meeting. Fill in the agenda for the meeting for this ALT.
2. Your mediator will read through Information Sheet: Team Member Meeting Roles with you and determine a team leader for each team.
3. Refer to Instruction Sheet: The Meeting. Your team leader will call the meeting to order.

Note: Remember, you are not being assessed on your selection. You are being assessed based on the effective implementation and understanding of teamwork concepts. Your choices are difficult and controversial in order to generate disagreement, since the handling of disagreement in a team situation is a critical issue in Teamwork.

Post-Activity

Your team should now post all of its results recorded on Instruction Sheet: The Meeting to the discussion board.

Assignment
To prepare for the Transfer Activity, read Information Sheet: Overview of RGI in your Teamwork Participant Journal.

Assessment
Your facilitator may use Assessment Sheet: The Meeting to evaluate your results from the activity and your posting to the Discussion Board.

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