TechOne Program Encourages Teamwork

At the Simon Fraser University Surrey campus, teamwork is essential to a first-student's success. The three first year programs at SFU Surrey include Explorations, TechOne and Science Year One. Both Explorations and TechOne have courses that are largely based around teamwork. This factor has made the experience for first year students at SFU Surrey very unique and unlike any other university.

In the TechOne program in particular, students come from many different fields. The students come from the School of Interactive Arts and Technology (SIAT), Business Administration and Engineering. In the four TechOne classes taken in the first two semesters in university for these students, they are able to meet students from other areas. The structure of the TechOne program also forces students to work in teams with students from other faculties.

Are team-based projects in the TechOne program beneficial to the students from different fields?

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The majority of TechOne students will say that it is very beneficial to them. The first benefit of working in teams with other students is it allows them to combine their skills. By combining these students together in a project environment, each student is able to put their strengths together to create a successful project. The aim of these projects is to prepare students for the real world, where they will have to work in teams with different types of people.

Another benefit of TechOne team based projects is learning new skills from a subject that is different than their major. One of the TechOne classes, "Technology in Everyday Context" is largely focused on engineering. This allows students in business and SIAT to expand their knowledge and have some idea about another field of study. This is a great opportunity for the new students to expand their frontiers and knowledge in a variety of different areas.

The final and most important benefit of TechOne team-based projects is that students are able to form new friendships within the small classes. Each TechOne lab or instructional classroom has 24 to 50 students. With these small and diverse classes, each student is able to form new friendships with people that they would not have met if they took classes only in their own faculty.

Overall, TechOne is an excellent program for first year SIAT, engineering and business students at Simon Fraser University. If new students are looking for a place to start and meet new people, Simon Fraser University is an excellent choice.

TechOne Website