(Di)stressing Feedback: The Impact Of Feedback Type On Students' Teamwork Effectiveness

Web-based teamwork evaluation and assessment tools have grown in popularity yet little is known about their potential to enhance student learning and skill development. This study examines the role of computer-generated feedback, as well as instructor interpretations of such feedback, in improving students’ teamwork effectiveness. It further addresses the effect of different types of feedback on students’ self- and peer-evaluations. Drawing on the literature on teamwork evaluation and performance feedback, we develop a set of hypotheses about the impact of different types of feedback on students’ teamwork effectiveness. We test our hypotheses in a sample of 1416 business students, using a web-based system for teamwork assessment. Our results show that both types of feedback influence students’ teamwork effectiveness, and that the enhancement of computer-generated feedback with instructor interpretations is related to greatest improvement in teamwork effectiveness.