Collaboration with Technology

Collaborative activities in the classroom engage students in communicating with each other as they work through different ideas and perspectives. During the process of collaboration, students share information and resources within their teams to support thinking. Technology can enhance collaboration by taking communication beyond the classroom walls and by allowing more efficient sharing of resources. This module examines elements of effective collaboration and various technology tools that might be used to extend or enhance collaborative activities. Estimated time to complete: 40-60 minutes.

This module is related to NEE Indicator 4.2b

At the end of this module, participants will be able to:

1. Examine various elements and skills that result in effective student collaboration

2. Determine how collaboration skills might be taught to students in the classroom

3. Identify the ways technology might be used to enhance student collaboration activities

4. Clarify the type of discussion tools students might use for collaboration

5. Select online tools students might use for collaboration workspaces and to share resources

Review the activities below.

	1. What Is Effective Collaboration?
	2. How Can Technology Enhance Student Collaboration?
	3. What Tools Can be Used to Support Collaborative Meetings?
	4. What Workspace and Resource-Sharing Tools Can Be Used to Support Collaboration?

Are they really ready to work? The Conference Board (PDF)

Partnership for 21st Century Skills. The Intellectual and Policy Foundations of the 21st Century Skills Framework (PDF)

Computer-Mediated Collaborative Learning: An Empirical Evaluation. MIS Quarterly. Alavi, Maryann

Computer-supported collaborative learning: An historical perspective. In R. K. Sawyer (Ed.), Cambridge handbook of the learning sciences (pp. 409-426). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Stahl, G., Koschmann, T., & Suthers, D. (2006) (PDF)