Rheingold (2008) tells us that collective action (collaboration) has enabled much in the way of progress and major historical events. Collective action enabled by the literacy of the printing press, for example, fostered the protestant reformation and the birth of constitutional democracies (Rheingold, 2008). I do believe, as Rheingold (2008) believes, that humans have a basic instinct to “interact and work as a group”. I see the desire to work collectively in small groups or learning communities regularly from my own students. The American Civics course that I teach is set up as a project based learning course. Students complete four major projects throughout the semester course. Two projects are group based and two are individual based. During the end of course evaluations students routinely comment as to preferring group projects to individual projects.
21st-century technology will certainly continue to facilitate collaboration among learners. Rheingold (2008) believes that open source or peer-to-peer software will serve as the new economic form of the 21st-century. There are various pieces of 21st-century technology that can facilitate collaboration among learners as well. Prior to the onset of web chat/conferencing, collaborative student work was limited to the confines of the classroom for students who were not mobile (able to get together with classmates outside of the classroom). Web chat/conferencing software such as Skype and ooVoo allow students to collaborate on schoolwork outside of the classroom.
Teacher learning and collaboration in innovative teams, a mixed methods study conducted by Meirinka, Imants, Meijer, and Verloop (2010), is an example of current research on the topic of collaboration and learning. This study investigates how specific characteristics of collaboration in teams relate to teacher learning.
References
Meirinka, J. A., Imants, J., Meijer, P. C., & Verloop, N. (2010). Teacher learning and collaboration in innovative teams. Cambridge Journal of Education 40(2), 161-181. Doi: 10.1080/0305764x.2010.481256.
Rheingold, H. (2008, February). Howard Rheingold on Collaboration (video file). Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/howard_rheingold_on_collaboration.html .
Hi Joshua,
ReplyDeleteUsing project based learning is an excellent way to engage students in the classroom. Project based learning simulates "work" in the "real world" as our society depends on cooperation and collaboration. Teaching these skills at an early age is valuable. Keep up the great work!
I am interested to hear more about your project-based civics class. It sounds like you do an excellent job assisting the students in productive collaboration. Do you go over norms and expectations at the beginning of the year? How do you handle the formation of groups? Do students do self-selection or are they assigned? Do you have problems with unequal participation and the impact that has on the communication in the group? One of my concerns in collaboration is the difficulties some students face when they communicate poorly. There is often trouble when one student attempts to take charge and the others become resentful. There is also difficulty if one or more students become dead weight and don't contribute to the group. Proactively addressing these concerns helps develop better collaboration and I am always looking for strategies to assist in that process.
ReplyDeleteJoshua,
ReplyDeleteVery nice post. Do you see Rheingold's theory working more in situations of need, or do you think that it is an inherent human instinct to work with others?
Joshua,
ReplyDeleteIt seems that Rheingold's theory is what most companies are looking for now. They want people who can work collaboratively on group projects. What do you do for students that still do not have access to a computer at home?