Are Your Students REALLY Collaborating?

Jon OrechInstructional Technology CoordinatorCooperative Learning TrainerSouth High School,Downers Grove, ILjorech@csd99.org

Google ModeratorLink for session:

http://tinyurl.com/ietccollab

Web Presence

Email: jorech@csd99.org Blog: jonorech.blogspot.com Twitter, Delicious, etc, “jorech” Delicious tag: “collaboration” Digital Storytelling resource:

http://jonorech.wikispaces.com

What have you heard here at IETC that will transform student learning?

How do you make your classroom a

“collaborative learning space”?

What about here?

Or here?

Or even here.

Wiki Solution Manual

Web 2.0

Are you over the

Frenzy…

and ready to focus (again)

on learning?Handbook of Emerging Technologies for

Learning

(Siemens and Titterberger, 2009)

http://tinyurl.com/handbookemerging

“Collaboration”

is NOTthe goal.

BLOGS DISCUSSION BOARDSWIKIS

Where do I want to go?

Why Discussion Boards?

”Anytime, Anywhere” learning

Increased process time

Permanence

Empowers “quiet” students

Deeper meaning, richer discussions

Duration

Assessment

Frequency

Audience

Instructor involvement

A “quality” post looks like…”

Discussion boards must lead to A purpose.

Wikis in the Classroom:Theory…

Wikis in the Classroom:Reality…

“Wiki” is a tool“Collaborative writing” is a process.

Positive Interdependence

• Goal

• Role

• Environment x

• Resource

• Task

• Identity

IndividualAccountability

• Small Groups

• Frequent Assessment

• Random questioning

• History (Careful)

Face to Face Interaction

• Preparation

• Revision

Group Processing

• Peer reflection

• Teacher interaction

Social Skills

• Netiquette x

• Negotiate revision

• Recognizing strengths

The final product…

MUST be valuable to others.

Research

“Asynchronous writing results in richer communication” (Mabrito, 2006).

“Online collaborative writing produces higher quality writing than face-to-face collaboration” (Passig and Schwartz, 2007).Why?

Successful teaching today requires:

Experimentation.

Co-creation of content.

Relinquishing control.

Tolerance [encouragement] of failure.

Siemens and Titterberger