Creative Teambuilding Session Helps Students
23/10/2008

First-year students from the Robert Gordon University's School of Pharmacy
and Life Sciences will today be introduced to magic and humour to help
prepare them for project work throughout their four-year degree course and build friendships with fellow students.

Around 120 students will take part in the interactive team-building
session, The Inspiration Game, which is being run by Aberdeen-based presenters and magicians Fifth Dimension.

The communications company created the programme which combines a variety of creative challenges and acts as an induction to give those entering Further Education a taste of the first-year student experience.

During the session students are split into teams to tackle issues such as leadership, communication, project management, creativity, time management, problem solving and planning. Participants will also be encouraged to develop a wide variety of life skills and values while learning about the benefits of working as part of a team.

Dr Lorna McHattie, lecturer at RGUs School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, comments, "We are committed to improving the first year experience for students. One of the ways the School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences is helping students to get to know each other in a relaxed and safe environment in the first few weeks of the semester is by using Fifth Dimension and their Inspiration Game."

The Inspiration Game is a half day activity run in a game show format that combines a variety of magical, mental and physical challenges, and involves both team based and individual activities. Each team works towards a common objective whilst demonstrating their creative talents and the session is structured to encourage leadership capabilities.

Dr McHattie continues, "This quiz show format has the entire Year One captive in a venue away from the university and carrying out team-building tasks which will help them in project work throughout their four-year Masters of Pharmacy degree.

"Fifth Dimension provides an exciting and fun approach for higher education learning, as a result our first year students reported that their knowledge and understanding of skills required for effective teams was enhanced considerably during the session. This allowed our department to reduce formal teaching time and staff embedded the team-working messages into other teaching material."


Jeff Burns, of Fifth Dimension, comments, "When dealing with major life transitions from an educational perspective, it is always important to help students to come together and give them an opportunity for learning more about themselves and each other. This allows them to support each other through what can be confusing times with a minimal amount of anxiety and disruption. By making the session's fun, we also manage to maintain the student's interest and encourage active participation, helping students bond as a group and stimulate new ways of thinking."


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