Building a Collaborative Online Environment
Collaboration is the success in almost every environment learning, work, relationships etc. By engaging with one another you can enhance and promote learning. It also increases the efficiency of work and reaching the goal you hope to achieve. Collaboration also helps to grow an individuals knowledge and thought processes. By working together and sharing ideas you can improve your ideas and others by fine tuning elements associated with each. You can also determine that an idea that you might of had may not be the best idea or process from the feedback of others. In the online environment, it is imperative that they be active knowledge generators who assume responsibility for constructing and managing their won learning experiences (Conrad & Donaldson, 2011).
This week you will begin your discussion by thinking of situations you were a part of in a collaborative asynchronous online environment and reflect upon them.
- How can subject matter experts and instructors incorporate activities that promote collaborative learning in an online environment?
- What have you learned that could promote collaborative learning? Ex: ADDIE
- What are some positives and negatives that could occur when working in an online environment when collaborating with peers?
- What are some pieces of advice you could offer to your peers?
By Wednesday:
Using these items as a guideline to create a discussion post, reflect on your learning experiences in an online collaborative environment that promoted learning. Be sure that you included experiences that promoted and incorporated positive online learning. Feel free to include examples of situations that were difficult or did not work when collaborating. Provide a minimum of 3 examples from the questions above.
By Sunday:
Reply to at least three of your classmate’s initial post and provide insight,constructive feedback, and ideas that expand and deepen the initial discussion post.
Discussion rubric:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/16384526/Scoring-Rubric
Additional Learning Resources
Horizon
References:
Conrad, R., & Donaldson, J. (2011). Engaing the online learner. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass A Wiley Imprint.
Steven,
ReplyDeleteI feel that in my past experience as an adult learner, Collaborative activities help to meet the needs of adult learners by helping them acquire skills that are relevant for their current settings. Adults that are working together often feel a sense of community with their class and in turn their engagement in the class may improve. This proved very true in my past online experiences.
The downfall of engaging adults in a collaborative activity, is that some adults are just not interested in joining a community within their online environment.
Hi Jarice,
DeleteI like how you defined that you help them acquire skills that a relevant for their CURRENT setting. Often times training, learning, and development has taken too much of a cookie cutter approach.
Why do you think some adults are not interested in joining a community? Perhaps they perceive it as extra time that they don't feel is productive or valuable?
Great response!
Steven,
ReplyDeleteIn terms of positives for collaborative learning, learners are also able to establish a shared identity with other group members (especially in discussion boards), while developing their own voice and perspectives. Group assignments also help students to plan and manage time, and refine understanding through communication, discussion and explanation. Collaborative activities also can help students develop skills group, individual, and professional work (Eberly Center, n.d.). Potential weaknesses include losing track of time and slacking off. This is especially relevant because learners can work in different time zones, and have various responsibilities and obligations. It may be difficult for some learners to meet to work on the projects or log on to the course.
SMEs and instructors have to make themselves available as often as possible for learners if they have conflicting schedules, or if they are having difficulty understanding or advancing in the assignment, in tools such as the syllabus, course announcements, discussion forums, and chats. Traditional assessments, which are usually are given in short-answer questions, essay questions, true-false or yes-no, and multiple-choice questions can be combined with various technological tools to offer unique features, such as synchronous and asynchronous communication, Web search, online resources and technical support (Liang & Creasy, 2004).
For group assignments, learners should agree on devised times where we could meet and communicate (in person, email, phone, videoconferencing, discussion forums, etc.). It is also advisable for learners to research additional resources that would help the group to complete the assignment.
References:
Eberly Center (n.d.). Design and Teach a Course. Retrieved August 13, 2013 from http://www.cmu.edu/teaching/designteach/design/instructionalstrategies/groupprojects/benefits.html
Liang, X. & Creasy, K. (2004). Classroom assessment in web-based instructional environment: instructors’ experience. Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation, 9(7). Retrieved July 31, 2013 from http://PAREonline.net/getvn.asp?v=9&n=7
Northern Arizona University (n.d.) Instructor-facilitated Online Discussion Participation Rubric. Retrieved August 17, 2013 from http://www2.nau.edu/d-elearn/support/tutorials/discrubrics/disc1.php
Hi David,
DeleteYou stated, "In terms of positives for collaborative learning, learners are also able to establish a shared identity with other group members (especially in discussion boards), while developing their own voice and perspectives." That is a great way to explain what "happens" with discussion boards.