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Collaboration - task design

Group collaborative reflection

In our quick group collaboration we landed on a few ideas.
We thought that task design is central to the success of the collaboration. It is not enough to say 'go collaborate' (particularly if the group is new to the concept, and used to individualised learning.).

We think that the teacher needs to think about what they'd like the outcome to be. Is it to explore a concept initially? Is it to interrogate a problem or idea in depth? Is it to build trust social bonds in the class? In each circumstance the design should look a little different.

Group size is also something to consider. We found that we ended up forming smaller groups within our group of 5. Perhaps 3 is the optimum, in terms of involving all in production.

I think that if the goal is add depth to the learning, the task design will need to include think time for the group - possibly even taking time as individuals to make sense of the idea, skill etc before working with the group to build ideas etc.

I draw parallels here with my NetNZ class, which I use a flipped classroom model for. My learners are located all around NZ and more often than not are the only art history student at the school. They do collaborate a lot in and out of class using the likes of our Knowledge Building Community on Knowledge Forum and Padlet. Students really value being connected as a community (this is the difference between VLN and correspondence school.) and love being able hear others ideas and perspectives (which they don't necessarily get to see in their face to face classes, as they've been so trained into a competitive individualistic mode of learning).

However they also really value being able to take time to think, research and reflect. When they are adding to the discourse in our Knowledge Building Community they want to have something worthwhile to say. 

https://sites.google.com/netnz.org/kbnz/home


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