Assessing Collaborative Efforts
As I mentioned in this past week's discussion assignment, besides the importance of the group dynamic in most every human activity, there is the overarching importance of self-determinism that should be held as one of the most important values that an educator should be consulting in the course of helping a student to develop new skills or gain new understandings. The individual is the target of the education process. Groups are composed of individuals. Yes, you can train teamwork and help to develop group skills and this can be seen and experienced in most of our common sports. The trick is to maintain a healthy balance between individual and team values. The strength of a free society is probably due to its granting individual freedoms.
If done correctly, students respond to collaborative assessment the same way they respond to learning a new game. They want to participate. Group activities are natural for people. In my science classes, I would schedule several, in class, group activities each week. These were problem- based assignments which the students had to solve in groups. They were graded on their solutions and each of them was graded on his or her participation. They were assigned to groups based on their seating arrangements. They chose these themselves at the beginning of the term. Usually, they were seated near other students which they worked best with. Usually, there were students who were less socially oriented and a teacher has to notice this and compensate for it. Don't let little Joey sit out the game on the bench. Let him and someone else practice throwing and catching the ball. Find an acceptable group for each student. Sometimes the teacher must work with a student or two in a group. The same mechanics work online but would probably require surveys to establish optimum group structures.
Another problem, also cited earlier, is that many students are better adjusted socially than their teachers or school staff. There's nothing really wrong with that. The Hurst and Thomas study (Hurst and Thomas, 2008) was probably following the dynamics that youngsters had already developed within the internet structure. The youth of this world seem to be way ahead of the rest of us on the social aspects of the internet. Treat it like recess and use it to help form good solid communities. Adult learners need more structure. Keeping the direction of group activities becomes easier when you intend to keep the fun of learning in sight.
Hurst , Deborah and Thomas, Janice (2008). Towards a theory of online learning. In Anderson, T. (Ed.) The theory and practice of online learning (Chapter 18). (pp. 441-472). Edmonton, AB: AU Press, Athabasca University.
Palloff, Rena M, Pratt, Keith, (2005). Collaborating Online, Learning Together in Community, San Fransisco. CA, : Jossey-Bass.
Vodcasts:
“Assessment of Collaborative Learning Environments” George Siemans more acceptance /global extensions. Retrieved from web page EDUC - 8842, Walden University, (2010)
"Learning Communities" George Siemans more acceptance/global extensions. Retrieved from web page EDUC - 8842, Walden University, (2010)
For Module 3, I responded to the following 2 blogs:
Christine Rand: http://walden-crand.blogspot.com/2010/06/module-2_29.html
Amy Cantymagli: http://acantymagli.blogspot.com/
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Bill,
ReplyDeleteI find your reference to the youth and their “social aspects of the internet” being compared to recess funny and true. Just like recess, they know to play with one another and generally, if the adults stay out of it, will play with someone new. At least at the beginning. But eventually, all kids have to be taught to “play nice”. Don’t hit others. Share. Take turns.
My elementary school kids come into my room already having experience working on a computer. I cannot count how many times a parent has said to me, “Oh she/he is so good on the computer. They know more than I do!” This is not quite true. What the kid knows is, “if I click click click over in this area around that frog, then my game will start”. And they do it with confidence. THAT’S what the parents lack; confidence. It doesn’t mean the kid knows more, it just means the kid is willing to take the risk. Like making friends with the new kid on the playground. How many adults automatically try to include someone new in their group? It takes a while. Much longer than a kid. By the end of the day, the kid says “Mom, meet my new friend.” How many of us make that connection that fast?
The online students need to build confidence and to learn how to interact socially online. This can be taught and facilitated with an instructor. Adults can learn; it just takes longer for them to learn to “play nice”.
-Christine
Agree with your statement, “Many students are better adjusted socially than their teachers or school staff.” Students now are born in a digital age where as those of us that were born in a different generation are trying to catch up with them and it takes time. As the author Prensky once stated they are Digital Natives. The internet and other technology come natural to them. For me personally, once I think that I have acquired the skill and knowledge for a technology component, something new comes out or another version. My question to you is as technology continues to rapid change how would you suggest individual that are not digital natives, keep up?
ReplyDelete