Collaboration

When it comes to taking online classes and campus classes, there are a number of differences as well as similarities. Group projects work similar in both situations. Let's compare:

        In - Class/Wiki Editing 

• The work is done as a team.
• Each students is supposed to have a certain thing they work on more. (Their specific topic.)

   There are more similarities but those are the main ones coming to my mind. However, there are differences too. Let's contrast:

         In - Class

• Students are physically seeing each other while doing their project. 
• The students are in the same physical place at the same time. 
• Students are working on the project at the same time. 

       Wiki Editing

• Students are at different locations when they are working on the project. 
• The teacher can see how much work each student puts into the project without having to ask the students. (It will be accurate.)
• Students do not have to work on the project at the same time. 

In both ways of group work, we are striving for collaboration and not just cooperation. With cooperation, students are working to assist each other and while that is what collaboration is to a extent, collaboration goes a little deeper. In collaboration, each individual has a say so in what is going on it the project. Students are taught at an early at (hopefully) to cooperate with others. They learn that they must work with other people and they need to be cooperative. Something that needs to change is that students need to be taught to collaborate instead of just cooperate. In this changing world, students need to learn how to speak up and share their ideas and adults need to learn to listen. 

One way to help teach students how to collaborate is to change the way teachers teach. We have to get rid of the traditional way where students are just passive learners. Teachers need to embrace the differences and ideas of their students. They need to let their students have a say so in some of the things that they learn. Granted I know that there are standards that need to be met. However, they can still be met and the students can give their opinions on what they want to learn about. A teacher just needs to be skilled enough to teach to the students interests while reaching those standards.