Chapter 5: Digital Approaches and Tools for Collaboration
Collaboration has always been an element of classroom learning, but in recent decades it has become increasingly valued and expected. Colleges, universities, and professionals emphasize that the ability to collaborate effectively is one of the twenty-first-century skills people need to be able to navigate an increasingly connected world, to be successful in emerging industries, and tackle complex global issues like climate change.
But what is collaboration? In general, collaboration is defined as the process of working together toward a common aim or to solve a common problem. We would argue that collaboration is a process that involves applying a range of skills including communication, self-management, and problem-solving skills.
Technology already is an integral part of the conversation around collaboration within the classroom, mainly focusing on remote collaboration. We believe that technology’s potential in the context of collaboration goes far beyond this. We frame student collaboration around three key purposes:
• Forming Understanding
• Building Community
• Managing Tasks and Sharing Information
To support each of these purposes students need to engage in a scope of collaboration ranging from partner work to working with students and experts from around the world. We organize this thinking into three categories:
• Within Groups (e.g., partner work, small groups, whole class working on a task)
• Between groups (e.g., students of same age/grade collaborate between different classes, different subjects or students of different ages/grades collaborate on the same or different subjects.)
• Beyond school (e.g., connect with peers from different cultures and contexts, working with experts from around the world)
Click on the links below to download a free PDF resource for each collaboration purpose that recommends digital tools and approaches for common challenges students and teachers face when they’re collaborating.
