The ETD Faculty Tool Kit is meant to equip faculty so that they can help their teams work effectively together. It is a set of cards and a booklet, and it is also designed to build team skills that have been shown to decrease the likelihood of team conflict.
The tool kit is designed like a first aid kit, with some contents aimed at the prevention of debilitating conflict and others aimed at treatment. Each of the recommended tools for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment are described, including necessary materials and suggestions for increased effectiveness. Some of the tools support the facilitation of difficult conversations with team members.
The tools were developed with instructors who have used these tools successfully in their classrooms and offices. The tools are designed for a wide variety of courses and teaching styles. It is not expected that instructors will use all of the tools in any given course. Although the kit contains seven different tools with variations offered for many of them, we have found that each instructor that uses the tool kit will use one or two of the tools most frequently. For example, one of the Vertically Integrated Project (VIP) teams at Georgia Tech has fully implemented the five-finger pulse check into their team discussions to help normalize talking about team dynamics and setting expectations for the team.