An interesting thing about the virtual environment is how it compels you towards collaboration as a means to understanding. I know this is simplistic, but hear me out. I spent the past several days working on a paper analyzing the marketing prowess of the New York Public Library (note – not as grand as it sounds) which involved collaborating with 3 other classmates. Each of us took a section of the assignment, did the appropriate research and posted it in a coherent manner on a shared Google document where we will edit as necessary. We communicated extensively via Gmail and made use of Elluminate. Now I know a little about marketing because I use to DJ (a lifetime ago) in the SF Gay scene and promotions/marketing was key to survival in that cut throat business. Because of this dejaying experience, I was able to contribute some expertise or ‘understanding’ to our marketing project. On the other hand, another member actually worked for the NYPL and brought a different perspective and skill set to the project. Likewise, the other group members added their expertise about marketing to the project to facilitate new understanding and to build new knowledge among the group. The experience shows students do learn more through collaboration with other students. I think as far as citing a learning paradigm for this discussion, Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development theory supports this concept by presenting a model for understanding how students/peers learn from each other or what we can do with the help of a more “capable peer”. As an aside, this marketing project was assigned as an individual assignment with the group component optional!
That's great that you all brought something different to your project! I wonder what we would all do without Google Docs?!?! I have done several group projects this semester and I've used Google Docs extensively for them. I've also used Google Sites successfully, this semester and in the past, as a file repository, rather than having loads of drafts floating around in email. Virtual collaboration would not be the same without Google Docs. And have you heard about the new discussion/comments feature? I haven't had a chance to really use it yet, but it looks cool!
ReplyDeleteThis is a great example of how collaboration should work. If you had each done your own evaluation, the final product would have been a one-dimensional analysis. It's actually really enjoyable to have others prompting you to think about your own views and experiences. Thanks for your post!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Casandria completely--your group project is a perfect example of the powers of collaboration-- creating this project on your own would have resulted in one-dimensional analysis.
ReplyDeleteTowards the end of your post, you referenced Vygotsky's notion of the "more capable peer." (I am straying a bit afield here, so bear with me.) Does anyone out there worry about the "more capable peer's" experience? When I was a classroom teacher, I totally see how that theory worked well for many students, but I sometimes felt badly for my racehorses. I'm not sure that they got so much out of (oftentimes) being the ones to demonstrate, teach, lead etc. I'm all for heterogeneous grouping, but I think there can be drawbacks as well. Clearly, in the group experience that you referenced, this does not apply--it sounds like you were well matched in your strengths. But this isn't always the case.
Sometimes I think it can be hard to find one's own strengths and to also accept that other people have different strengths and perspectives. Everyone in this project had to be willing to share, to know their own strengths, and to listen to the ideas of others. Evole could have decided that the perspective of the person at the NYPL wasn't important or relevant (and vice versa).
ReplyDeleteThis ties into Kathleen's comment about the racehorses. I think sometimes a person may be better at most things than others, but this is not going to be true in every case, and group projects can give these "racehorses" practice at looking for other people's talents and perspectives, rather than prancing ahead and leaving everyone behind in the dust. (Plus these people often hone their teaching skills, and don't tell me those aren't important!)