Participation in a collaborative learning community is a key
component to the success of the community. Due to other demands on learners;
technical issues with computers; and differences in learner expectations,
learner participation will not be equal and instructors need to address these issues
at the beginning of the class (Palloff & Pratt, 2005) . “The challenge isn’t
that collaboration is an issue. That’s the positive. The challenge is: How do
you change an assessment model that’s been pinpointed on individual learners”
(Siemens, 2008a)? Siemens provides the following four models for assessment in
a collaborative learning environment: peer assessment, peer feedback, students
assessed on individual contributions, and students assessed based on metrics
from learning management systems. Assessment needs to be “fair and direct,
based on stated outcomes, and equitable” (Siemens, 2008a). Students have
different levels of knowledge and skill that they bring to the classroom.
Students who are used to being the brightest and assessed based on their
individual work will have the hardest time with collaborative learning. In
order to make sure assessment is fair and equitable; a large portion of the
assessment needs to be based on participation. “The notion of equitable
assessment is that it is based and tied tightly to participation” (Siemens, 2008a).
“The best way to get students to participate in a learning
community is to tie the assessment participation that emphasizes working
together” (Siemens, 2008b). There has to be a mixture of individual
participation as well as collaborative participation. In order to have a
successful collaborative environment, Siemens stated that there must be “a high
level of trust, a combination of well-connected sources, and external
connections to tightly knit groups” (2008b). If a student does not want to
participate, the learners can try and talk to the student that is not
participating but if they are unsuccessful in getting the learner to participate,
the instructor must step in. By making sure there is an individual assessment
as well as a group assessment, the instructor can help to ensure that all
students will be willing to participate in a collaborative environment.
References:
Palloff, R. M., & Pratt, K. (2005). Collaborating
online: Learning together in community. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Siemens,
G. (2008a) Assessment of collaborative learning [Video file]. Retrieved from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=6509797&Survey=1&47 11068223&ClientNodeID=984645&coursenav=1&bhcp=1
Siemens, G (2008b) Learning Communities [Video file]. Retrieved
from
Mel,
ReplyDeleteI can definitely relate to the challenge of evaluating group members in a collaborative activity. I struggle with knowing how to assess my students fairly and equitably on group projects. I could imagine that it is twice as hard in an online environment.
Research supports the notion that collaborative group activities have many benefits. Learning to work with others and compromising when necessary, learning to take ownership of your work, and learning how to provide constructive feedback are just a few of the benefits it offers.
You did a nice job with your analysis!
I love your point about the level of trust. It is very important that we trust our fellow team members to give us good honest feedback without being too critical. I also agree that when you have a reluctant participant it is important that the group first encourages the learner prior to going to the instructor.
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