Community+and+Collaboration

Below are some key points from our Week 2 discussion about community and collaboration (as well as some of my own that I added). Feel free to add to the list!


 * Importance and Benefits of community and collaboration:**
 * Provides opportunities for reflection and feedback
 * Helps to hold others accountable
 * Allows each other to see the human side of online learning
 * Accomplish shared goals
 * Promotes camaraderie
 * Allow participants to feel comfortable communicating openly and asking questions
 * More reserved students tend to “speak up”
 * More time for thoughtful posts
 * Promotes a positive environment conducive for learning
 * Feedback reinforces further communication and deepens understanding
 * Support constructive inquiry; challenge others' ideas
 * Big tasks can be more manageable; each person can have tasks and roles, utilizing other group members' strengths
 * Learning is more influenced because we are in a social setting
 * Promote engagement with materials; active, not passive learning
 * Once a safe community is built, participants become more comfortable responding to others, questioning, and even disagreeing with other members of the community.
 * Collaboration contributes to learning and understanding of content
 * Use of collaborative Web 2.0 tools such as wikis or blogs contribute to collective understanding and knowledge building through exchange of ideas and unique perspectives
 * Promotes honesty and trust; people more likely to be open and take risks
 * Provides real-life, authentic context