What is the role of collaboration in understanding? This question reveals my social constructivist nature - how much do we build understanding through collaboration, interaction, etc. And if it helps increase understandings and knowledge then what is the responsibility, and how do we build in collaboration in learning particularly in virtual environments? And if it helps in learning, how can it help in teaching? As librarians we are often collaborators in teaching, so it helps to understand or at least considered its role in teaching and learning.
Collaboration is critically important to understanding, I believe. Even if a learner is able to grasp new information on her own, the understanding of the information becomes enriched as we encounter other understandings, see how they bump up against our own, and think more deeply about information. In a traditional face-to-face environment, building learning activities that involve collaboration seems like a no-brainer. (Perhaps that's because I work with elementary school students who can't help but "collaborate" with each other all the time.)
In an online environment, I think the same principles hold true but the logistics are a little different. As we've discussed in earlier blog posts, there is a notion that online learning is a solo activity, devoid not only of collaboration, but of community of any kind. I think we've all experienced something different, though, in this class and others. The key is, how do we use the online tools available to us to create learning situations that give rise to collaboration?
How does collaboration help with teaching? Such an important question. In my experience, some teachers like to close their classroom doors and do their own thing. They may not want to collaborate because there is a worry that doing so may take too much time or be less efficient than going it alone. Some teachers may not want their ideas or methodology challenged; others might worry about colleagues observing holes in their understanding of a topic. As librarians, though, I think we have a unique opportunity to open up avenues for collaboration with-- and among-- colleagues.
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Rebecca, I think you hit on some very fundamental reasons why people are reluctant to collaborate. I know I am one of those people, and for the very reason you state: being fearful of having revealed holes in my own understanding. Collaboration can be a very productive act, but it can also be very frightening for many people. How can it be made less so, I wonder?
ReplyDeleteIt's a good question. I too am a reluctant, shy collaborator. What has helped me in this program (which I've found to be very collaboration-intensive) is a)an acknowledgement way back in LIBR 203 that group work can be hard for all of us in different ways, and b)being forced to do it, over and over, in class after class. I think there's no substitue for (scaffolded) experience in terms of getting people out of their comfort zones and comfortable with something new.
ReplyDeleteRebecca, I have really enjoyed reading your blog posts. You are an excellent writer. This post is no exception. My experience with collaboration is that if you are on the same page with those you choose to collaborate with...big things happen and are possible. I have found this to be true in collaborating online with other students and in the F2F environment with faculty at the nursing school where I work part-time.
ReplyDeleteRebecca, I like your last point about getting instructors to collaborate. When I was doing a literature search for this big idea, I came across a LOT of articles on teachers collaborating with one another to learn how to teach better. It's such a good idea since not everyone has an education or child development background.
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