During these two weeks, we have discussed online collaboration and learning. It has been rather interesting, as we have been talking about it while actually collaborating and learning online.

In theory, facilitating an online collaboration should be rather easy if you just follow Brindley et al. steps (2009):

1. Facilitate learner readiness for group work.
2. Establish a healthy balance between structure and learner autonomy.
3. Nurture the establishment of learner relationships and sense of community.
4. Monitor group activities actively and closely.
5. Make the group task relevant for the learner.
6. Choose tasks that are best performed by a group.
7. Provide sufficient time for the group work.

Easy peasy lemon squeezy

When has group work ever been easy?

Even if one would apply all of the steps above I would argue that the online collaboration would not run as smoothly as hoped. Why? The human factor.

Humans can be unpredictable. We might not necessarily do everything that we are told and certainly not at the time we are told. But this is why online collaboration can be so interesting and amusing (as well as frustrating). I also often think that it is thanks to the human factor that the learning can be so great (if one is open to it). I am. Are you?

-I

 

References

Brindley, J., Blaschke, L. M. & Walti, C. (2009). Creating effective collaborative learning groups in an online environment. The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 10(3).