Pedagogy & Theory 

Collaborative Learning 

--Michael Day, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology 

Where several years ago my students used to complain about group work, now they tend to demand at least one collaborative assignment per semester in which they can take advantage of networked groupware and discussion tools. They use Email to communicate and exchange drafts, they use planning tools such as Inspiration and MS Project to create an organized plan and schedule, and some have even used MOO and Email to collaborate with partners in groups made up of six students, two each from three geographically distant schools. I have found that my class listserve-type discussion groups also foster collaborative learning, for in many cases the students are instructing and informing each other. (next entry) 

--Diane C. Boehm, Saginaw Valley State University 

The e-mail paired or group journals I have used have given students a real audience; they write to each other, not to the teacher. As a result, their writing is more honest and they are willing to challenge each other's ideas in ways they would likely not challenge me . . . Sometimes this can leave students vulnerable when other students flame them; most of the time, however, students participate more avidly and more extensively when on-line--and every student participates, not just those who like to talk, as often happens in class discussions. (next entry) 

--George Otte, Baruch College/CUNY 

It's interesting that when I think about different aspects of teaching I also think about different classes. Business Communication, a junior-level course here at Baruch, was always the one where I encountered the most resistance to collaborative work (no doubt because it was also the one where I put the most emphasis on it). The way I teach the class, the biggest assignment, the culmination, is a group project. Students at this level tend to be especially anxious about getting credit for their individual effort--and wary that slackers will not pull their weight, maybe even drag the project grade down. I can't say that computer-mediated communication has entirely dispelled that anxiety--we haven't moved to utopia yet--but I'm surprised at the alacrity with which students approach group projects and especially the use of computer-mediated communication to accomplish them. Much of this, I think, is due to the students' realization that what I'm asking them to do is really quite close to what they envision themselves doing in the so-called real world. It also helps that computers make it that much easier to track or make a record of each individual's contribution. (next entry)