Interdisciplinary teamwork in practice

Well-functioning interdisciplinary teamwork is an effective and efficient way to solve complex problems within both the public and private sectors. The aim of the course is to build cross-disciplinary collaboration skills in the form of knowledge and skills that candidates can apply in the teams the candidate is part of, in their own business. In all teamwork there are disagreements and differences. This is reinforced in interdisciplinary teams, where the team members speak from different disciplines and working methods. In well-functioning teamwork, disagreements and differences are handled so that resource potential is unleashed. Knowledge of what happens when people come together in a team, and what are the prerequisites for well-functioning interdisciplinary teamwork, is central to the subject. The course provides training in practical collaboration skills and increased insight into how the skills can be used in different types of teams in your own business.

Theme:

Different types/teams and ways of working

Interdisciplinarity in the team - how to utilize the interdisciplinary potential found in the team?

Group process and group dynamics: The path to the best solutions is not just about the end result, but the process along the way

Team management

Digital collaboration - what is important to think about when working together digitally?

Psychological security in teams

Communication and feedback in teams

Knowledge

The candidate can:

• reproduce key group theoretical concepts and explain the prerequisites for good interdisciplinary teamwork
• identify and describe challenges and opportunities in different types of teamwork
• explain how one's own and others' patterns of action and demeanor affect cooperation, and know structures for giving and receiving feedback
• identify management and role functions in interdisciplinary teams

Skills

The candidate can:

• apply methods for interdisciplinary teamwork that facilitate the involvement of team members in different types of teamwork
• apply basic group theory to analyze and reflect on situations that occur in teams, and take measures to improve cooperation
• give and receive both positive and negative feedback
• clearly communicate your own and recognize others' professional expertise, and handle professional disagreements and differences in the team.

General competence

he candidate can:

• understand the value of communicating challenges and prerequisites for interdisciplinary teams in your own business
• meet people from other fields with openness and curiosity

The course is carried out with a digital start-up meeting and two compulsory, physical sessions over two days with both a theoretical and practical focus. Great emphasis is placed on active forms of learning such as reflection, exercises and discussion related to both experiences gained in the course and experiences from one's own everyday working life. A central form of learning in the subject is experiential learning through participation in groups and teams. The candidates are organized into teams that work together, and through this explore and challenge their own and others' ways of being in the team. The groups must write an assignment together, and in that context the groups must meet digitally at least once during their work process. A group assignment is included as part of the final assessment.

Attendance at digital start-up meetings and physical gatherings, and participation in digital teamwork is expected. Expected workload is around 200 hours.

We must have a minimum number of participants for a course to be started. If there are too few applicants, the course may be changed to guided self-study, postponed or cancelled. The course is part of NTNU's further education offer, and has a course fee. See NTNU Videre's websites.