Download - Dogwood Collaboration

Developng Community for Effective Collaboration

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CollaborationCollaboration

in thein the

Online ClassroomOnline Classroom

Edited by the Dogwood Edited by the Dogwood Group 2010Group 2010


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Promotes deeper levels of knowledge through active involvement and problem-solving

Promotes initiative, creativity and development of critical thinking skills

Promotes co-creation of knowledge

Promotes a sense of responsibility and achievement

Promotes reflection

Promotes a sense of belonging/community


A sense of community must exist for collaboration to occur.

• A rapport needs to be established among the students in order for them to communicate freely, particularly when they are not able to meet face-to-face.

• The students are dependent upon one another for the satisfactory completion of their project, so they must trust one another.

• The free exchange of ideas enriches each group member.

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Involvement of all participants Shared purpose• Sharing information, experiences, interests,

resourcesGuidelines• Structure of the course, ground rules for

participation and interactionTechnology or meeting placesCollaborative Learning• Student-to-student interactionReflection• To reinforce and transform the learning

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To share different perspectives and experiences in order to perform optimally on work tasks

To meet the workplace demand to be able to function in teams and in a virtual environment

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Groups that work:• All members have a common goal and know how best to

achieve it.• All members have something to contribute and are willing to

do so.• Tasks are assigned and/or chosen based on individual

strengths or preferences.• Deadlines are honored. • Feedback is timely and constructive.

Groups that don’t work:• Goals are unclear and/or unimportant to some group

members.• Members are arbitrarily assigned tasks and deadlines with

no consideration to personal interests or time conflicts. • There is little or no communication between group members.

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Forming: When groups get to know one another

Norming: When groups figure out how to work together

Storming: Problem-solving where there will be disagreement and/or conflict

Healthy conflict results in a higher quality product and greater success.

Performing: When groups work to complete the task

Adjourning: When groups end the work and disband or regroup for other tasks


Build collaboration into the syllabus starting with an icebreaker requiring collaboration

Highlight collaboration and create community in the introduction and student welcome

Create an early activity requiring collaboration that generates discussion among participants and instructor

Create an early collaborative activity with facilitation by the instructor

Evaluate collaboration through student feedback and reflection 8


Require participation as part of the course

Provide for a self-organizing element through the use of the Learning Group Agreement

Include well-defined goals, meaningful tasks, procedures for involvement and instructions/tips for using the wiki

Follow up with students who don't participate Respond periodically to posts or provide summaries to verify participation

Provide for reflection and self-evaluation according to a rubric 9


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“Snowflakes are one of nature’s most fragile things, but just look what they can do when they stick together." Vesta M. Kelly