Using E-Teams

Abstract

Teams have become a mainstay in the workforce and teamwork is essential within modern industry. As more and more companies require employees to function in teams, engineering schools have begun to use teams as part of the training for careers in industry. The formation of teams can easily utilize the talents from different functions, locations, and organizations. Now the functioning of industry in a global environment has led to formation of virtual teams. As more schools incorporate distance education into their setting, virtual teams or e-teams are becoming a part of engineering education. The use of the e-team technique in a distance education engineering course is not without problems. Since there is no timeworn body of experience to draw from, team members and the professor have to be open to experimentation, often discovering in hindsight what makes an e-team successful.