I used Google Docs for a collaboration assignment in another
class. If I could have turned in the final product from Google Docs, the other
irritations I felt would probably have been minor. However, since our formatting
had to be APA and we couldn’t figure out how to do everything we needed to do
in Google Docs, we had to keep saving our changes to a Word document. That
meant that anytime one of the four of us did any editing, all four of us had to
change our own resident Word document. It was not a “seamless” transfer,
either, so I got frustrated with that part. Google Docs does not have as many
formatting options as a good word processing software. It can accept documents,
tables, spreadsheets, graphics, etc., from many other programs, but the fine-tune
editing has to be done before it comes to Google Docs.
A collaboration assignment helps us learn from each other,
and I learned a lot from my team. We could chat while we were working if we
were there at the same time, or we could work alone and leave messages for the
others. We were able to record some of our sessions when all of us were there
at the same time. We each had different strengths, so we complemented each
other and brought in unique ideas.
There is definitely a learning curve involved in using
collaboration to complete class assignments. These are some of the things I
would do differently next time. I would make sure each team member had a
specific assignment. I would make sure one team member was willing to be the
leader for the group, for the times when we felt rudderless. I would make sure
we had at least one synchronous meeting early in the project to set the
guidelines, including those two I just listed, but also to map out the project
so less time is spent “spinning our wheels.”
Alma,
ReplyDeleteIt really sounds like you had quite a mix of synchronous and asynchronous learning with that project. It also sounds very complicated. I believe it is always difficult with a completely on-line course where you have the use of only a virtual classroom setting and not the traditional “shake hands and sit down” classroom to get the cohesive flow going with a group project. It would be difficult to get a sense of who the leader is going to be and who will fulfill each role based on natural the strengths and tendencies of each other. I am a big believer in the power of body language and in an online setting even if you Skype or set up a Google meeting, it is still difficult to read people and thus makes it difficult to find the natural group dynamics. I hope your project ends up receiving a high mark and your group is successful with the coursework!
Jacki
Body language has always been very important to me, too. I always respond to my students based on their body language. I can usually tel when I have made myself clear and the new material has "clicked," or when students are drawing a blank.
ReplyDeleteWe finished the project last term and the mark wasn't as high as I would have liked. However, I learned a lot, and that is a lot more important than the grade.