CORAL Collaborative Online Research and Learning CORAL A

CORAL Collaborative On-line Research and Learning

CORAL § A pedagogy promoting active learning in the classroom. § Places responsibility in the hands of the learner.

Overview l The collaborative project is an applied research project comprised of psychology students enrolled in two different courses at WCU and CUP. l Students at WCU are enrolled in a Senior Seminar, Dynamics of Small Group Behavior. l Students at CUP are enrolled in a Psychology of Women course. l Project guides (TA’s) are former students of CORAL course.

Characteristics of CORAL Teams based at two different sites l Collaborative Writing l Develops sense of community l Teamwork l Shared goals l Focused outcomes l Active creation of knowledge and meaning l Course delivery is consistently changing l Interaction & feedback l Faculty & Peer guidance l

CORAL Pedagogy Promotes Active Learning Offers different teaching and learning styles. l Is structured by the professors, but led by the students. l Fosters active learning & independent thinking. l Encourages students to seek outside opinions without being scrutinized. l Time management – of self – others - the team! l

CORAL Pedagogy Understand the views of others n n n Active listening (including paraphrasing). This includes withholding judgments until one understands the other's positions and interests. Relevant self-disclosure of information and reactions. Check your perceptions. Describe behavior and indicate how you are reacting to that behavior. Use "I" messages. Criticize and evaluate constructively.

CORAL Pedagogy Promotes Experimentation Students have the opportunity to set their own pace. l Environment is supportive promoting experimentation with subject, each other, project guides, & instructors in a completely different way. l Yields experience with collaborative processes (personal communication-talking, to content discussions! l Students meet on-line at mutually agreeable times. l

CORAL Pedagogy Transforms competition to collaboration l l Learning to collaborate with team members at distant & home sites. Expressions of support and encouragement exchanged among team members. Students transform from competition and contention (Individual Gain) to collaborative problem-solving based on reflection & interpretation of experiences (Mutual Gain). Provides exposure to technology – the relationship of person to machine.

Team Evaluation Criteria l l Collaborative Tangram Paper Progress Reports l l l Research proposal Team development Video Conferences Web Board postings Collaborative Research Proposal Collaborative Analysis of Group Processes Power. Point Presentation, Video Conference & Written Paper

A Snapshot of the Collaborative Process Video Snapshot – Week 7

Project Guides l l l l Trained by the instructors. Introduce the Internet and technological tools. Highlight the connection between on-line communication and both written (print) and spoken (oral) communication. Help teams clarify ideas. Provide assistance on specific writing concerns. Encourage all team members to participate. Model effective online and written communication. Assist team members by posing questions and offering suggestions.

Collaborative Technology Tools § Survey of Internet experience § Web Board (web-based discussion boards) Coral Reef (real-time chat room) Video Conferencing (ISDN / ATM) File Manager Coral Website Desktop Video Conferencing: Laptops with Net meeting capabilities On-line Calendars Coral list-serv E-Mail § § § §

Web (Discussion) Boards l l l Are the primary means of communication. Allow asynchronous communication. Encourage exchanging team ideas as well as socializing. Messages are threaded. Messages are archived every 2 weeks.

CORAL Reef n n A on-line chat room Used by teams for synchronous communication Used on a weekly basis Teams schedule chats

Video Conferencing l Is used by students, not faculty. l Is used for discussion and decision-making in organizing their research & collaborative analysis proposal. l Assists students in defining ‘team -member roles’. I. e. who is responsible for various part of the research proposal. l Used for synchronous Power. Point presentations.

Video Conferencing l l Students’ clarify asynchronous misinterpretations. Share knowledge with distant site members – content. Team members settle group conflict via the face to face interaction. Encourages greater cohesion among sites.

File Manager Accessible anywhere on the Internet On-line file managers are used to: l l l Edit papers Exchange articles Stores drafts of papers Drafts of Power. Point presentations The file cabinet for each team. Share teams communication patterns

Web Cams & Laptops l Allow students access to CORAL tools, the discussion boards, file-managers, chat rooms, and websites. l Desktop video-conferencing via Net. Meeting. Purpose – to contact team members when decisions need to be made outside of their scheduled class.

On-Line Calendars l l Organize due dates Are used to schedule chats Organize team members’ schedules Organize differences in university schedules (e. g. , spring breaks).

Benefits of the Model l l Can be used across or within disciplines. Allows student enrolled in different courses to work together, integrating topics. Allows students at different point in their undergraduate careers to work together, thereby encouraging mentoring. Improves undergraduate writing skills. Measure communication patterns.

1 § Forming - Meeting, team logo, collaboration (tangram project) [3 weeks] § Confusion, Anxiety, Trepidation! § Storming - Task Clarification[4 -8] § Norming -Duty/Role Clarification § Performing -“Work” § Adjourning Settlement and Closure

Superordinate Goals High appeal value to both teams l Underlying hypothesis: Common goal(s) are established whereby achievement is possible only by working together as a team. l Based on the assumption – l l Contact Familiarity Comfort Tolerance/Liking Superordinate goals - Tangram paper, sem plan, research proposal, collaborative analysis paper l Help to bind teams and give impetus to resolve conflict and distance.

Tuckman’s Model Forming Leadership Instructors Project Guides Purpose & Goal clarity Decision Making Attention to team process Reaction Storming Norming Performing

Team Phases Forming Storming Norming Performing Instructors / Project Guides Leadership Direct & provide structure for the team, clarifies expectations about how to initiate team project & group process (select wtw data collector). Leader coaches the group by helping them focus on goals & expectations, managing process and conflict, generating ideas, and explaining decisions. Leader acts primarily as a facilitator providing encouragement, helping to build consensus, and giving feedback Leader still facilitates team process, but tasks and objectives are delegated. Leader oversees and identifies when the group is moving to a different stage Purpose & Goal clarity Members are discover relevant parameters of the purpose and goals. There is little agreement or commitment to team mission Options are generated and challenged as the group stretches parameters. There is increased clarity, yet some misconceptions linger. Agreement from most; genuine commitment is forming. The group is moving toward unity. The whole team shares a commitment to overarching goals; a tangible vision for the team is accepted.

Decision Making Roles & Responsibilities Forming Storming Norming Directed by the distributed leader. The process is sometimes dominated by the most vocal members. Decisions are hard to make; deadlocks common; Process is usually dominated by power plays & fast and loud talkers. Compromise is the fall back tactic. Major decisions are made by consensus, differences are Roles and responsibilities emerge and become clearer. Members jockey for roles and power. Individuals are not clear about roles. They privately hold opinions, but do not publicly state them. Roles are clarified and accepted. There is open discussion about how to make the group perform tasks and work toward goals. negotiated & some decisions are delegated to individuals or smaller groups Performing Team makes decisions within agreed upon criteria; major decisions still made by consensus Group members are willing to challenge the nature of relationships within the group and adopt changes as needed.

Forming Storming Norming Performing Attention to team process Process is usually ignored; it is noticed but avoided. Members test the waters and look for guidance from the designated instructor. Team work doesn't seem justified for the effort required. Cliques can form! Members generate team norms and develop mutual respect. However, can be sidetracked by process discussions and waste time focusing on unimportant issues. Members are autonomous; not dependent on designated leaders. Everyone shares responsibility for initiating and discusses team collaborative process. Reaction to Leadership within team Team members take a wait and see approach. They watch from a distance and remain dependent on a fixed hierarchy of responsibility. Team members challenge the leader. Factions and cliques emerge. Power struggles and polarization often occur I. e. we vs them. General support for distributed leadership. Leadership is shared among the group. Discussions are open; disagreements do not lead to fear of rejection. Members feel highly supported. Leaders offer inter-personal support as well as guidance.

Peer Assessment l Experience Bales interaction process analysis l Task-Oriented Leadership Measures l l l Summarizing and offering direction Asking questions Socio-Emotional Leadership Measures l l Positive feedback to group members Negative feedback to group members

Appraising Team Communication § § § Begin collecting data from week one. Team member volunteers to collect data. ‘data collecting role’ lasts the semester. Taught how to interpret data. Prepares them to teach team members. Update communication pattern weekly via video conference.

Assessing Team Communication week 6

Bambi, Mary, Mike, & Samantha – Project Guide Roles n n Introduce internet and technology tools Clarify roles

CORAL Project Guide: Evolution Mary Reed (Clarion University of Pennsylvania) Bambi Juryea & Samantha King (West Chester University of Pennsylvania)

Presentation Outline n n The evolution of the Project Guide from Writing Assistant to Teaching Assistant The transition from student to Project Guide Present roles and responsibilities of the Project Guide Suggested future changes

Wyoming Writing Assistants n n n Casper College in Wyoming Worked under writing assistant professor Had never taken the class before Didn’t understand what the class was about Focused more on writing style than communication

Wyoming Writing Assistants n n n No face-to-face communication with students in the class Each had his/her own approach to the role One quit halfway through the semester One was transactional One was transformational.

Project Guides Become Past Students n n n Able to share class experiences with the students Know what kind of time needs to be committed to this class Able to offer suggestions as to how to complete assignments Able to offer suggestions as to how to effectively use web board and file manager Able to meet with students face-to-face

Project Guides Begin to Become a Role n n n Trial and error Begin to determine what a project guide should do Help with organization Focus more on communication and less of writing style Communicate with the professors n n Make suggestions as to how to improve class Give feed back

Student Experience n n (advantage for project guide) Vague – Unknown expectations Formulated own group norms n n n Reinforced ideas of cultural differences Resolved conflicts without intervention by professors Evolved into different roles

Student Experience cont. n n n Likes & Dislikes Our role as student Benefits of class as student: n n n Hands-on experience with technology Learning how to write research proposal Experience working in group setting

Clarion Mini-Conference Experience n Voiced concerns and suggestions n n n Change in final project to focus on group dynamics rather than presenting the final paper Start videoconference on the first day of class More of a focus on APA format Increase of progress reports to focus on the collaboration process Acted as transitional period from student to project guide n Adjustments made

Project Guide n Expectations n n Perception of project guide role Role: “Guide” not “Direct” n n Interpretive mediator between professors and students Start off with more “hands-on” approach and gradually move “back” (child learning to walk) Allow mistakes to occur for learning purposes Offer suggestions and feedback to alleviate frustration, offer guidance

Project Guide Responsibilities n Help team members establish academic and personal relationships n n Facilitate and encourage team communication Discourage perpetuated influence of perceived and speculated cultural differences n n Compensate for experiential differences n n Highlight individual personality types and encourage utilization of individual strengths ex. (freshman non-major vs. senior psychology major) Model effective online communication n Maintain visibility n n n Daily web board postings Presence at video conferences Presence at chats

Project Guide Responsibilities cont. n Provide direction for team members n n n Importance of past experience as student in class with P. G. responsibilities Post weekly plan with suggestions Help organize team to meet deadlines n n n Encourage inactive team members through reinforcing emails Answer or redirect technology questions Answer or redirect assignment questions Offer feedback and suggestions on assignments Recommend available resources Proactively offer help

Role of Project Guide n Students’ perception of us n n n “Accessible”/non-intimidating resource Mediator between professors and students Evolution of role n n Hands-on approach Students highly reliant on P. G. for guidance and support Emphasis shifted from writing style to group dynamics and effective communication Regarded as important resource

Suggested Changes n Availability of project guides in class n n Concentrate second week of class on establishing relationships between group members n n Presence during class time, videoconferences, chats Geared towards each others strengths and similarities Relay and reinforce expectations of work ethic and responsibilities to excel in class

Suggested Changes cont. n Project guide’s responsibility for weekly update of group dynamics n n n Observations and suggestions Pull away from web board numbers with greater emphasis on quality Separate web board and chats designated for project guide collaboration