The document discusses developing an effective online collaborative learning community. It emphasizes the importance of building community through establishing clear expectations, creating an engaging environment, demonstrating collaborative processes, and providing ongoing guidance. Elements like shared purpose, guidelines, technology tools, collaborative learning, and reflection are seen as important for developing community. The stages of group development and strategies for setting expectations, modeling participation, and evaluating outcomes are also outlined.

1. Carolina Lateral Entry Developing Community for Effective Collaboration
Collaboration in
the Online
Classroom
Juliana Porter, Timothy Walker, Kevin Feaster, Ginger Jantz
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2. Carolina Lateral Entry Developing Community for Effective Collaboration
Why Collaborate?
 Promotes deeper levels of knowledge
 Promotes active learning
 Promotes initiative, creativity and development of critical thinking
skills
 Promotes Co-creation of knowledge and peer to peer feedback
 Promotes the use of written communication, professionalism and
tone
 Promotes Reflection
 Promotes the use of new technology for online communication
(Web 2.0)
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3. Carolina Lateral Entry Developing Community for Effective Collaboration
Building Community
A sense of community must exist for
collaboration to occur…
Why?
 A sense of community makes online learning more meaningful and
pleasant (Online Pedagogy and Learning Community, Learn NC)
 You learn from communicating with others- Connecting with others
decreases isolation and allows for students to share new ideas and
perspectives
 Connecting with others “supports intrinsic motivation, improves learning,
and increases student satisfaction, which also results in higher rates of
retention and course completion” (Online Pedagogy and Learning
Community, Learn NC)
 When students are comfortable, they are better able to encourage each
other and provide feedback and support
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4. Carolina Lateral Entry Developing Community for Effective Collaboration
Elements of Community
 Be sure all of the participants stay actively involved.
 Shared purpose
 Sharing information, experiences, interests, resources, etc.
 Guidelines
 Structure of the course, ground rules for participation and interaction
 Technology or Meeting Places established.
 Be sure everyone has the same technological software, equipment, and
experience to be effective.
 Collaborative Learning
 Student-to-student interaction and instructor to student when needed.
 Reflection
 To reinforce and transform the learning for an enhanced experience.
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5. Carolina Lateral Entry Developing Community for Effective Collaboration
Why Do People Need to
Learn to Work Together?
 People need to learn to work together because
society today requires collaboration. Learners would
definitely benefit by learning to communicate
effectively with each other. I think it would also help
them with how the workplace is operating more and
more today. Technology has the ability to enhance
ideas and innovations. Being able to collaborate in a
small group in “real-time” can open and allow
people to work faster and more efficiently.
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6. Carolina Lateral Entry Developing Community for Effective Collaboration
How Does Working Together
Prepare Learners for the
Workplace?
 Many people in the workplace
work together more now than
ever because of the diversity
of experiences. People
combine their abilities and
strengths to create, enhance
and develop new goods and
services that can help
improve the quality of life.
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7. Carolina Lateral Entry Developing Community for Effective Collaboration
When Groups Work and Don’t Work
 My best group experience was in a Differentiated
Instruction Training. We used something called
Flower Petals, each group had a petal and each
group presented our info by putting it on a large
Flower with Petals.
 Professional learning Teams, and it was the worst,
we didn't have a clear understanding of what we
were supposed to do. I would like group assignments
if the expectations are clear.
Kevin Feaster
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8. Carolina Lateral Entry Developing Community for Effective Collaboration
When Groups Work and Don’t Work
 My best group experiences have been those in
which I was able to choose my group, and I knew
who I was working with and we were able to work
cohesively. This most likely works because you know
and feel comfortable in the group and most people
choose others at their skill level.
 I experienced this in a graduate class I took at
UNCC that included undergraduate students as well.
Not to say that they aren't "serious" students, but the
age and maturity I believe had a factor in how much
time and effort they put into working on the project.
Juliana Porter
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9. Carolina Lateral Entry Developing Community for Effective Collaboration
When Groups Work and Don’t Work
 The worst experience was in a “teacher class" in college.
In the first class, instructors put us in groups and told us
to film each other while we were interviewed about our-
selves. People were uncomfortable with the technology,
as well as the personal questions. Participants were
guarded, revealing only superficial information.
 In contrast was a film class. These instructors, too, put
cameras in our hands and directed us to make a film.
However, this film was not ABOUT us, though we would
have to be in it. The topic allowed creativity and humor.
We learned about each other indirectly by working
together.
Ginger Jantz
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10. Carolina Lateral Entry Developing Community for Effective Collaboration
When Groups Work and Don’t Work
 Professional Learning Community (PLC). We knew
how each other thought because we knew each
other. Another characteristic was that everyone
wanted to succeed and do well. Everyone accepted
and understood their role and followed through with
their responsibility.
 Project in graduate school. This group was
dysfunctional because of lack of communication
between members. Another characteristic of this
group was that everyone had individual goals and not
on the same page with what we were doing as a
whole. Timothy Walker
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11. Carolina Lateral Entry Developing Community for Effective Collaboration
Stages of Group Development
 Forming: when groups get to know one another
 Norming: when groups figure out how to work
together
 Storming: Problem-solving where there will be
disagreement and/or conflict
 Necessary for the growth of the group. By resolving your
differences , members will be able to participate with one
another more comfortably and develop to the next stage.
 Performing: when groups work to complete the task
 Adjourning: when groups end the work and disband
or regroup for other tasks
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12. Carolina Lateral Entry Developing Community for Effective Collaboration
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13. Carolina Lateral Entry Developing Community for Effective Collaboration
First,
Set the Stage
Set clear standards:
 clear, well-organized syllabus
communication guidelines
 course rationale/objectives
how/when to contact instructor
 assignments-for peer format
expectations timeline,
 discussion
required materials
 turn-around time/feedback for
grading standards
assignments
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14. Carolina Lateral Entry Developing Community for Effective Collaboration
Next,
Create the
Environment
Develop community:
encourage interaction
 welcome participants
 pre-course contact
 offer venues for discussion
 instructor introduction
 provide opportunities
 for collaboration
technology orientation TEAMWORK!
 build peer interaction
 icebreaker/student
into course requirements
introductions
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15. Carolina Lateral Entry Developing Community for Effective Collaboration
Then,
Model the Process
Demonstrate:
 facilitate show understanding
listen & participation
 pose open-ended questions
rephrase or summarize
 student posts
address/engage reluctant
 participants
provide timely feedback
 involve students questions
augment studentin
 problem-solving
practice “netiquette”
 maintain focus on course content
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16. Carolina Lateral Entry Developing Community for Effective Collaboration
Continually,
Guide the Process
Remain involved:
 maintain a presence
 strengthen the framework
 ensure reasonable
 monitor discussions group size
 structure group challenges-
 troubleshoot interpersonal
problems task
time and
 require active discovery of
 periodically respond or summarize
information (v. passive learning)
 reassure anxious learners
 expect peer-to-peer feedback
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17. Carolina Lateral Entry Developing Community for Effective Collaboration
Finally,
Evaluate the
Process
Gather and assess:
 summative input
formative input
 student reflections-
after units or modules
 “big” questions- course goal
 attainment, or surveyslearning
short polls and
perceptions quality of
 formal- short,
 experiences specific, within
student reflections- ease and
 realm of of learning tasks
efficacy students’ experience
instructor reflections-
 ideas for future
instructor reflections-
course adjustments
effectiveness of lesson design
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18. Carolina Lateral Entry Developing Community for Effective Collaboration
Successful
Collaboration
Remember:
 support the process
follow the steps
 set the stage
provide sufficient time- team
 formation, environment
create the task completion
 allow teamprocess
model the autonomy
 encourage multiple viewpoints
guide the process
 promote healthy conflict resolution
evaluate the process
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