Module 3: Assessing Collaborative Efforts

I think that participation in a collaborative learning community should be assessed through various methods, like group projects, communication logs and discussion groups and providing feedback. Regardless of the amount of skills and knowledge that an individual brings to the course, an instructor should rate learning by actual completion of assignments and work in order be fair.

As stated by Palloff and Pratt (2007), “The most powerful experiences are those in which interaction occurs throughout the group instead of between one participant and the facilitator within group setting.” If a student does not want to network or collaborate in a learning community for an online course there are many things that can be done. In doing so you want to be fair to that person and the members of the learning community also. To begin with, all learning communities should have a team charter. This charter is like the bylaws of the community and should be agreed upon by each member. The first thing that should be done is the member should be reminded of the expectations that were agreed upon in the beginning when the learning community was established. If this does not work, other members have to combine together to do assignments, then it should taken up with the instructor. Whatever consequences are set up by the instructor should be carried out.

References

Anderson, T. (Ed.). (2008). The theory and practice of online learning (2nd ed.). Edmonton, AB: Athabasca University Press.

Palloff, R. M., & Pratt, K. (2007). Building online learning communities: Effective strategies for the virtual classroom. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.