Development of Teamwork Skills Using ICTs in Undergraduate Students of Food Industry Engineering Degree

Abstract

The development of soft skills is considered vitally important for the professionals in the Food Industry Engineering field. Employers in the food industry seek graduates who are prepared for work and possess strong teamwork skills. One effective strategy for students to practice and enhance their teamwork skills is through team-based assignments. In this study, three different team-based tasks were assigned to students in the three Food Industry Engineering courses. These tasks included the preparation of a Kahoot! questionnaire, a video presentation, and a traditional written report, all related to specific topics covered in the courses. The teamwork skills of the students were evaluated using VALUE rubrics. The acceptability of these three learning methodologies was also measured. The results indicated that the use of Kahoot! and student video presentations resulted in higher teamwork scores  compared to the traditional methodology (P<0.05). No significant differences were found between the uses of Kahoot! and video presentation in any of the courses (P>0.05). The level of student satisfaction, regarding the general acceptance of Kahoot! and video presentation tools, as well as the acquisition of teamwork skills, was very positive. These findings undoubtedly encourage faculty to incorporate these new teaching methodologies in Food Industry Engineering courses.