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Collaboration and Group Projects: Essentials in Higher Education. Collaborative work also changes the traditional role of the instructor. Rather than a "sage on the stage," dispensing information and knowledge, the professor moves more towards the role of facilitator, guiding students and groups toward obtaining specific learning goals and accomplishing predetermined tasks. The professor must also assume the role of troubleshooter, quickly mediating the unique kinds of conflicts and problems that appear with group work. The tools of technology now allow us to open up new avenues of communication and collaboration with students and between students more than ever before. Knowing best practices of collaborating through technology, such as setting up good "ground rules" of collaboration and group work with students ahead of time, along with being familiar with the major collaborative tools available to faculty, will enlarge the teaching options available to you as a well-rounded instructor. Collaboration with Technology links: Collaboration Overall:
Asynchronus Communication and Collaboration (listservs and threaded discussions): One of the easiest and most common methods of educational collaboration is through the use of out-of-class electronic discussions. Below are ideas and tips that can help shape these types of assignments. Theory:
Asynchronus Document Sharing and Collaboration: Collaboration has become much easier recently due to telecommunications. Being able to share and edit created documents has become indispensable in collaborating in today's world.
Synchronus Communication and Collaboration: Real time collaboration is no longer as constrained by distance and location as it use to be. Some tools can bring people together at the same time no matter how far apart they are. Chat Rooms/Instant Messenging:
Theory: Practice: Collaboration with Other Technologies in the Real World |
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