Overview
This open course supports participants in developing the confidence and skills needed to work effectively as part of a team and inspire those around them. Through practical guidance and collaborative activities, participants will explore how teams function, how to build positive working relationships, and how to contribute meaningfully towards shared goals.
By learning how to harness individual strengths for the benefit of the group, communicate constructively, and support the common good, participants will be better prepared to thrive in any team environment.
Participants will also learn how to chair a meeting effectively and articulate a clear vision, enabling the whole team to set goals and achieve its aims and objectives collectively.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
- Explain the core principles of effective teamwork and describe the characteristics of a positive, collaborative team environment;
- Apply constructive communication skills that support cooperation, respect, and understanding among team members;
- Identify individual strengths and roles within a team and apply strategies to contribute meaningfully towards shared goals;
- Navigate common challenges in team settings by using problem-solving and interpersonal skills that promote group success and the common good;
- Chair effective and inclusive meetings using structured facilitation techniques that support clear communication and decision-making;
- Articulate a compelling team vision and guide the group in setting collective goals that align with that vision and drive successful outcomes.
Professional Development Recognition
On earning the open badge for this course, you will have achieved further recognition across the following domains of the National Professional Development Framework for Staff Who Teach:
- Domain 1: The Self — focuses on the centrality of personal and professional values, self-awareness, and the individual identity that a teacher brings to their practice;
- Domain 2: Professional Identity, Values and Development in Teaching and Learning — emphasises the evolution of professional or disciplinary identity and encourages reflective, context-aware professional growth;
- Domain 3: Professional Communication and Dialogue — highlights the importance of clear, coherent, and effective communication within dynamic learning environments.
Course Developers
This open course was developed by the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education in partnership with:
Riona Hughes
University of Galway & Board of Irish College Societies
Dr Lorraine Tansey
Student Volunteer Ireland
