Blog - September 28, 2011

·         Do you believe that humans have a basic instinct to “interact and work as a group,” as Rheingold proposed in his discussion of the evolution of Wikipedia as a collectively developed encyclopedia?

I believe that there is a natural instinct for human to “interact and work as a group,” as Rheingold proposed in his discussion of the evolution of Wikipedia as a collectively developed encyclopedia.  A group is made up of two or more people that have a common goal, a stable structure, a leader, and a set of rules.  These people would see themselves as a member of a group whose purpose is to get things done, states Rheingold. People join groups because it is a natural way get their social needs meet.

·         How can technology facilitate collaboration among learners based on constructivist principles?  

Technology and constructivism complement each other because technology is designed to engage learners and constructivism states that learning takes place in contexts. The implementation of one will complement the other.  Technology in the classroom is within the atmosphere of a framework of constructivism.  When we focus on the learner, technology can be used to help with new understanding and capabilities, thereby, affording a cognitive tool that supports cognitive and metacognitive processes.  Thus, the task of the learner is seen as dynamic, and the computer makes available new learning opportunities.  The learner functions as a designers using technology tools for accessing information, interpreting and organizing personal knowledge and then representing that knowledge to others. Technology provides a rich and exciting learning environment.  (Nanjappa, A. and Grant, M., 2003).

·         Find a current research study that has been conducted in the last 5 years that supports collaboration as an effective tool for learning. Include the link and reference for this study in your blog.

  Smith and Toland (Is wiki an effective platform for group course work?) states that Wiki is a means of supporting collaboration by making it possible for individual to contribute toward a joint assessed outcome.  Students have a fair share of the work and they are assessed individually.   The quality and quantity of each group member’s contribution encourages participation and makes the marking of the group easier.  Wiki technology supports collaborative learning not only for on campus students, but also for geographically dispersed distance students, by making it possible for individuals to contribute towards a joint assessed outcome.  There is value in using wikis as collaboration tools because they encourage individual student participation even though the study found that some students do prefer to work alone. 

References:

Elgort, I., Smith, A., and Toland, J. (2008).  Is wiki an effective platform for group course work?  Educational Technology, 24(2), 195-210.

Nanjappa, A. and Grant, M. (2003). Constructing on constructivism: The role of technology. University.  Retrieved from http://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&sugexp=pfwc&cp=33&gs_id=3o&xhr=t&q=electronic+journal+for+the+integration+of+technology+in+education&qe= on September 27, 2011.

Web Video. Rheingold, H. (2008, February).  Howard Reingold on collaboration (Video file).  Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/howard_rheingold_on_collaboration.html  on  September 28, 2011.