Learning Team Theories and Measurement through the Game Pandemic

Abstract

Teamwork is paramount in many modern day career fields. It is important for HF students and professionals to understand the knowledge, skills, and attitudes requisite for excellent teamwork and to grasp the many hurdles that exist in appropriately measuring its major constructs. Although theories can be imparted didactically, and ideas for measurement discussed, conducting team based research continues to be extremely difficult in particular for measuring team behaviors. This article discusses a potential remedy to this issue through the team-based game “Pandemic©”. This game has players work together on teams of 2-4 individuals whose goal is to cure the world from a set of 4 diseases that are eradicating humanity. It forces individuals to be resourceful and work together - and exemplifies many of the behavioral, attitudinal and cognitive components of teamwork. This article will discuss a) the major theories of teamwork that should be taught alongside this game as an in-class activity, b) the KSAs, team processes, and measurable outcomes that Pandemic entails, and c) an example of ways to integrate the game into semester long activities to give students insight into teamwork and teamwork measurement.