It's Official

If you teach it, they will come! So, Google Docs and Spreadsheets are now officialized by a tutorial created by Atomic Learning. Finally, the serious G-Doc lover can point newbies to a resource. Having just used Google Spreadsheets for the first time (yes, there are limitations, but it's still cool that you can copy and paste cells directly from Excel), I am ready to get my students involved in some collaborative (and cooperative) writing and recordkeeping.

The Three C's

I have become familiar with constructivist epistemology and how both cooperation and collaboration support it. I had not, previous to reading the article by Panitz, distinguished between the two models. The difference is defined as largely a matter of how "teachers tend to make different assumptions about the nature and authority of knowledge" (Bruffee 1995 p. 12). The teacher's judgment about the students' expertise with material would dictate which was used; cooperation or collaboration. I had not considered the two in linear structure (cooperative first, then collaborative), one building upon the other. If Brufee is correct, foundational knowledge is the beginning point-learning the jargon and basic concepts-- and nonfoundational knowledge is dealing with the "dubious or ambiguous answers" which are arrived at by judgment based on knowledge. Maybe one reason some collaborative projects (calling for reasoning and questioning) fail is that the underlying knowledge is not yet established (the cooperative job of building vocabulary and basic precepts). Students cannot be expected to participate in full collaboration (creating a product) until the bridge to foundational knowledge is established through cooperation (learning to work together and communicate). I also appreciated the discussion (Rockwood 1995) about the authority for validity. In collaboration, the product is checked against the small group, the whole group, and the existing knowledge of the wider community. This view parallels "real-world" work more than a central authority like a teacher (autonomous and alone) determining the validity of group process. Many of the elements of cooperative learning (Johnson, Johnson, & Holubec) like interdependence, individual accountability, promotive interaction, interpersonal skills, and group processing could also be applied to collaboration. The question of motivation (intrinsic or extrinsic) is answered only be examining the classroom environment, teacher belief, and the reward system in place. The use of cooperation and then collaboration should build student autonomy and intrinsic reward in learning, a shift from knowledge transmission (knowledge flowing from the teacher) to knowledge construction (Lee 1997). Bruffee, K. (1995). "Sharing our toys-Cooperative learning versus collaborative learning." Change, Jan/Feb, 1995 (pp 12-18). Johnson, D.W., Johnson, R.T., Holubec, E.J. (1991). Cooperation in the Classroom. Edina, MN: Interaction Book Co. Lee, G.S. (1997). Internet communication. Institute for Distance Education: Universiti Pertanian Malaysia. Panitz, T. "Collaborative versus cooperative learning- A comparison of the two concepts which will help us understand the underlying nature of interactive learning." Ted's Cooperative Learning E-Book. (Chapter 2) http://home.capecod.net/~tpanitz/ebook/contents.html Rockwood, R. (1995). National Teaching and Learning Forum (4)6.

Joey's Reflection on Interaction/Interactivity

Reflection on Interaction: to engage in Interactivity. Terry Anderson http://it.coe.uga.edu/itform/paper63/paper63.htm Highlights: -Interaction is the number one debated topic among educators, most important to education. -The likelihood of finding a perfect mix of interaction is low. -Collaboration is key component of all forms of education both process and context -Definition: Wagner’s (1994). Reciprocal events that require at least two objects and two actions. -Functions of; learners control, facility, program adaptations based on learner input, various forms of participation communication. -Interactivity key to formation of Leaning Communities and part of constructive learning theory. -1916 John Dewey stated interaction is the defining component when information is passed from one student to another, resulting in construction of information. 6 types of interaction 1) Teacher-Teacher 2) Teach-Content 3) Content-Content 4) Student-Student 5) Student-Teacher 6) Student-Content -No single media supports the educational experience in a manner that is superior in all ways to that supported via other media. -Conclusions from informal surveys of students: wide range of needs preferences paces, synchronous asynchronous act, desire for exposure, differing modes of activities and provisions Equivalency theorem: 1) Student-Teacher 2) Student-Student 3) Student-Content Interaction above can be substituted with little loss of effectiveness - Student Interaction: Teacher interaction currently has the highest perceived value amongst students and thus commands highest market value. - Teacher Interaction: Some teacher interaction can be substantiated into learning objects (videos, animations, assessment programs etc.) thus migrating student-teacher interaction to student-content interaction. - Content Interaction: The value of the content is dependent on the extent to which it engages students or teachers in interaction, leading to relevant knowledge construction –There is also a direct relationship between this capacity for interaction and resulting engagement mindfulness and motivation. Classroom Delivery: 1) Low Level of student- student interaction 2) Medium Level student-content - Distance Education Email- text allows for high levels of student content interaction. - Web Based; Audio Video, Centra, ELuminate, have the same technical and pedagogical pluses and minuses of earlier video and audio graphic systems. Conclusion- Author hopes people will engage in dialogue about interaction, think critically about the role of human interaction with non human entities. Interactivity, Joey

Collaberative vs Cooperative Cont...Lisa's notes

I never have given too much thought to the differences/similarities to collaberative and cooperative learning. I found it interesting to read Panitz's detailed article about the topic. In a nutshell, collaboration "focuses on the process of working together" while cooperation "stresses the product of such work". Cooperative learning uses quantiative methods to measure achievement (the product). This method is more 'teacher-centered'. On the other hand, collaborative learning is more qualitative (analyzing student responses). This approach is more 'student-centered'. It is designed to pick up where cooperative leaves off. The constructivist theory lays the foundation for both methods of learning, so there are many paralells. They both use groups, assign specific tasks, and share their findings. The major difference is that cooperative deals exclusively with traditional (canoniacal) knowledge while collaborative learning deals with nonfoundational knowledge (reasoning and questioning). Cooperative learning is great to start with, but as educators we should be striving for the collaborative learning with our teaching methodology. We want our students to think on their own and question their experiences.

Collaborative vs. Cooperative le...

Rose's take ...

 

Finally! Panitz's comparison of Collaborative versus Cooperative learning, including the addition of a third type of learning, is clearly outlined so I can see the similarities & differences. In a nutshell: 

 

In the collaborative model groups would assume almost total responsibility for answering the question. Collaborative learning is based upon the following principles:  

 1.          Working together results in a greater understanding than would likely have occurred if one had worked independently.  

 2.          Spoken and written interactions contribute to this increased understanding.  

 3.          Opportunity exists to become aware, through classroom experiences, of relationships between social interactions and increased understanding.  

 4.          Some elements of this increased understanding are idiosyncratic and unpredictable. 

 5.          Participation is voluntary and must be freely entered into. 

 

Cooperative Learning is very similar except that it introduces a more structured setting with the teacher in total control of the learning environment ... even though the students work in groups to accomplish a goal of a course.  Many of the elements of cooperative learning may be used in collaborative situations... The approaches diverge in the amount of freedom allowed the participants; collaborative learning strategies are the most open.

 

Interactive learning relies on the application of computer technology as the collaborative medium between student and teacher ... all three learning approaches recognize that learning is indeed a two-way street with teaching and learning being two components of the same educational system.

 

In our online classes, we should share Panitz's goal. "In my classes, I view student-teacher and student-student collaboration as essential to successful learning. Thus, I will seek every opportunity to encourage collaborative experiences...students will experience a variety of instructional methods and they will be actively involved in the learning experience."