Critical Reflection Report - OSCA

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             As a result of the virtual team environment and team diversity, several issues resulted during our preparation for the OSCA, which gave rise to conflict and affected the team's overall performance (Furumo, 2009). This report will analyze our team processes and consider the effects of the virtual team environment, team diversity and ensuing conflict on our team's development, and also offer recommendations to address these problems in the future.
             3 GROUP DEVELOPMENT.
             In preparation for the OSCA our team observed the Tuckman's model which includes five stages of group development - forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning (Tuckman, 1965; Jensen, 1977, as cited in Bonebright, 2010), although in our situation, some stages intertwined with each other as a result of the virtual team environment.
             3.1 FORMING.
             During this stage, the team is focused on getting to know each other and it is considered the polite stage where conflict is avoided (Riebe, Roepen, Santarelli, & Marchioro, 2010). Characteristics of the forming stage include becoming familiar with the task, brainstorming ideas about the task and establishing team goals (Ayoko, Konrad, & Boyle, n.d).
             Issues that our team faced during this phase included:.
             inability to make contact with all team members;.
             familiarization with the Moodle technology and determining what technology our team would use for the purpose of collaboration;.
             defining the requirements of the assignment; and.
             establishing our team goals.
             Initially, contact was made through the Moodle forum between the gen x members, but there was difficulty making contact with the gen y members through the Moodle forum and email. The gen x members each posted an introductory post through the Moodle forum, and provided mobile numbers for contact (see Appendix A). I also sent individual emails to each gen y member requesting contact (see Appendix B) however, contact requests went unanswered and the gen x members sought assistance from the course coordinator to intervene and make contact with the gen y members.