Howard Rheingold on collaboration | Video on TED.com

When thinking about if humans have an innate desire to "interact and work as a group" I have to say that I do agree with Rheingold with this statement. ( ) I have seen this in my children when playing with building toys or working with puzzles. They called on their siblings when working alone they could not figure out the correct configuration for what they are building or if the puzzle is giving them difficulty. I think that as adults we still work in this way. Individuals will likely work alone until they are unable to solve the problem on their own or if they feel that the task is too large for one to solve in the most effective way.

As a teacher, I tend to work alone on things that come easy to me, when my confidence is high. However when asked to complete a task that I have never completed I prefer to collaborate with others to complete the task or solve a problem. It is now socially acceptable for colleagues to work together, even encouraged. This is when the old saying is so true, "Two heads are better than one." this is evident in the case of Wikipedia where the collaborative knowledge is building the most up to date source of information. However, it is up to the user of Wikipedia to research further to make sure that the information being read on Wikipedia is not opinion but that it is fact.

Technology can facilitate collaboration using constructivist principles in many ways. Collaboration fits well with the idea that learning is gained through authentic experiences. Learners in different locations can be grouped (as we are Walden classes) through collaborative tools like Skpe and chat rooms to solve problems or to create projects taking advantage of all the members' knowledge.

I have found that the collaboration aspect of online learning also makes me more willing to interact with class discussions. In a traditional setting I was typically one of those students who only spoke when called on. I did not like to be put on the spot and everyone looking at me until I answered. However in the virtual learning world, I am able to think about my answers and am able to articulate my answers in a more accurate way. I believe that wait time for responses is an underlying principle of constructivism. Learning and understanding is not often quick and easy. It takes time and technology allows learner the time needed to process information and draw conclusions about what is being learned.


http://online.sfsu.edu/~foreman/itec800/finalprojects/eitankaplan/pages/principles.htm


Howard Rheingold on collaboration | Video on TED.com