Transcript Online Collaboration and Collaborative Writing

Online Collaboration
Kitty Daniels and Susan Feather
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Topics of Discussion
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Collaboration Overview
Characteristics of the Online Learner
Collaborative Writing
Incorporating Collaboration into the
Business and Technical Communications
for Telecommunications course
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Collaboration Overview
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Institutions of higher learning have
begun to recognize its benefits:
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Active learner-centered teaching approach
which “… reforms classroom learning by
changing students from passive recipients
of information given by an expert teacher
to active agents in the construction of
knowledge” (Goodsell, Maher, Tinto, Smith, and McGregor, 1992, p. 43).
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Characteristics of the Online
Learner
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Source:
Self directed and motivated (consistent
with the adult learner)
Needs support services
Requires a social context for learning—
learning community
White, K. W. and Weight, B. H. (2000) . The Online Teaching Guide: A Handbook of
Attitudes, Strategies, and Techniques for the Virtual Classroom (pp. 41-44). Boston,
MA: Allyn and Bacon.
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Collaborative Writing
Advantages
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Draws on better knowledge and skills base.
Helps to ascertain how the audience will
read the document.
Enables group members to share
responsibility for the document.
Improves communication between
students.
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Collaborative Writing
Advantages . . .
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Improves socialization of new students.
Disadvantages
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Generally takes more time than individual
writing.
Can lead to inequitable division of labor.
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Incorporating Collaboration into
Business and Technical
Communications for Telecom
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Team Formation
Lesson on collaboration and
collaborative writing techniques
Team projects and presentations
Use of CourseInfo tools
Group Process Survey - Feedback
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Group Process Survey
Student Comments
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Try to form groups from people in the
same or adjoining time zones.
Everyone should participate; otherwise
it is a waste of time.
Develop “warm up” exercises to get
group members used to each other and
to group tools before assigning a
project.
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Group Process Survey
Student Comments
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“I don’t know the people I’m speaking to.
They can’t hear my tone of voice … see my
facial expressions. I may try to be humorous,
but I could be perceived as being flippant or
mean.”
“We can’t tell if unresponsive group members
are sick, are working double shifts, have
withdrawn from the class, or have died.”
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Group Process Survey
Student Comments
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Became a working unit instead of
individuals
Learned constructive criticism
Received good feedback from group
members
Good exercise to prepare for joint
writing assignments on the job
Really enjoyed it!
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Questions/Comments
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