How do we get shy Fran to collaborate?

Let’s face it, although many students have to collaborate in an online learning environment, how many do so by choice? Are they doing it just because they have to, or for a grade? That is not collaboration! Real collaboration in my opinion should start off like a ball of yarn that has been thrown to a cat. At first the cat’s response is slow, but once it realizes what it is and it is full of fun, the cat will take off playing with the ball of yarn for pure entertainment because it likes it! The same should happen with online collaborative learning.  The students should collaborate and like doing it as well.  You may say well what about Fran? She does a great job with her online posts but not our discussions. She is hardly ever present and when she does collaborate it seems as if she doesn’t belong.   How can we keep all students, even Fran, engaged in collaborative work?

When encouraging students to participate in collaborative learning initiatives adult learners should have the option to customize some of the work involved. Differentiating instruction is not only important for students; it is important for adult learners as well.  Whereas there can be a matrix of assignments that the students can choose from. The students then can choose from an array of discussion topics, assignments or jobs that they can complete.  By giving them the opportunity to choose their work or functions in the online community they can take ownership of their work.  Their varying skill levels, preferred ways of learning and assessment can now be showcased.  In addition each topic should encourage the students to add their personal views. It is important to “encourage students to share experiences & beliefs in online discussion” (Swan, 2004) .Shy Fran can then choose a topic that she is interested in.  That way each student will participate.  

The instructor can also encourage student to student and student-teacher collaboration by developing:

-          Rubrics

-          Detailed grading systems

-          Requirements that stress the importance of collaboration.

-          Reward System

-          Class office hours

-          Student Access to online help

-          Instructions for creating class projects

-          Sample model class/coursework

-          Encouragement personalized help for bashful and intimidated students.

Additional suggestions can be found in the Relationships Between Interactions and Learning in Online Environments , some of which are to: “ make participation in discussion a significant part of course grades. Develop grading rubrics for discussion participation. Require discussion participants to respond to their classmates postings &/or to respond to all responses to their own postings. Stress the unique nature & potential of online discussion in faculty development”. My collegue Janelle Horton made an excellent point in her blog, Ms. Horton's Hangout. She stated that "having collaborative learning assessed for a grade should deter students from not participating in the learning community" (Horton, 2010). These increased rules and regulations should also encourage participatin in the online community.

Finally we all need to recognize that not all students are on the same level intellectually. A student that does not participate often may be intimidated by writing or novices at using a computer. Encouragement is critical when others fall behind to ensure that they all finish as a team!

References

Horton, J. (2010, October 9) Module 3 - assessing collaborative efforts {Web log comment} Retrieved from http://mshorton.wordpress.com/.

Swan, K. (2004). Relationships between interactions and learning in online environments. The Sloan Consortium.