CATME or ITP metrics? Which one should I use for design team development and assessment?

Abstract

The characteristics of high performing teams and their correlation with excellent task results and individual satisfaction have been studied extensively. Consequently, these characteristics have become selection criteria for new graduates, development targets and performance benchmarks for employees and entrepreneurs alike that define aspects of corporate culture. Engineering design and engineering safety and risk management instructors at a large Canadian university have been using the Comprehensive Assessment of Team Member Effectiveness (CATME) tools from Purdue University for peer evaluation and team selection for the past several years. The Individual and Team Performance Metrics Lab (ITP Metrics) has recently developed team and leadership tools including peer and team evaluation for student and industry use. CATME and ITP Metrics differ in methodology, scope, emphasis, user interface, feedback format, and cost. The selection of peer evaluation and feedback tools for student team development and eva luation should include skill development and reliable assessment of student performance in case differential grades are required. The method of data collection, the type of feedback and the contextual validity of the feedback may impact students' development of useful team behaviours and personal strategies for working in team environments. In this contribution, outcomes from a situative study with CATME and ITP Metrics are reported and discussed based on mentoring design teams in a course where CATME and then ITP Metrics evaluations were used for sequential student cohorts in introductory and capstone design courses.