In previous sections, we have mainly discussed methods that apply to users on an individual level. But, we know that there are various scenarios where we collaborate with others to obtain a goal.
First, we should distinguish what a team is and what a group is. Cooke & Gorman (2006) suggest that a group consists of two or more individuals, and clarify that a team is a special type of group. In a team, team members have specific roles that vary on the individual level. Team members depend on each other to perform a specific task. Team members bring different knowledge, skills, and abilities to a task.
In another section of this website, we discuss mental models. We can assess team members' mental models to get a collective view of team cognition (how a team thinks/works together). A method to use here would be to give team members a factual test of taskwork knowledge. This means that team members would be asked about the facts of a task. Because this is through their perspective, it will give us an idea of that member's mental model of the system. If we gather this information by testing all team members, we can combine them and have qualitative data on the team's overall combined mental model.
Cooke, N. J., & Gorman, J. C. (2006). Assessment of team cognition. International encyclopedia of ergonomics and human factors, 2, 270-275.