Module 5 : Collaboration and Communication Tool

Introduction

Collaborative learning refers to working on activities, projects, or concepts in groups while learning something new. Because our ideas complement one another, collaboration helps to break down information silos and improve the learning experience for all learners. Online collaboration is the technique through which we can collaborate even while we are geographically distant using digital technologies. With the epidemic, there has never been a greater need for students to band together and participate in remote training. There are several online learning collaboration solutions accessible for all activities nowadays. It is challenging to choose the correct tool among the numerous accessible ones.

Collaboration Definition

Collaboration is the joint effort of many individuals or groups of people working together to complete a job or achieve a common goal. When two or more people work on different aspects of a project independently, they are at best coordinated. When they need to get together to help one another because they cannot proceed alone, that is collaboration. People are naturally collaborative. We, humans, are social beings who exist by engaging and connecting with others. Everyone wants and needs to be a part of a community or be a part of a similar group of individuals. Power is having a shared work target, such as a problem, a project, or a shared goal. When working from home has become the new standard, virtual collaboration has surpassed the old method with the use of modern technological solutions. The ability of employees to operate as a team with clear and defined goals is one of the important criteria for a successful organization. It ensures that team members are aligned with the bigger vision and that everyone is working in the same direction and speed.

Communication Definition

Communication is the process of sending and receiving messages through verbal or nonverbal means, including speech, or oral communication; writing and graphical representations (such as infographics, maps, and charts); and signs, signals, and behavior. More simply, communication is said to be "the creation and exchange of meaning.”. In other words, the transmission and interaction of facts, ideas, opinions, feelings, or attitudes. Communication is the essence of management. The basic function of management (planning, planning, staffing, supervision, and management) cannot be done effectively without effective communication. Communication is a two-way process that involves transferring information or messages from one person or group to another. This process goes on and includes a minimum of one sender and receiver to pass on the messages. These messages can either be any ideas, imagination, emotions, or thoughts. Communication is a Latin word that means “to share”. There are different modes of communication available today. These include emails, chats, WhatsApp, skype (conference calls), etc. Effective communication makes people’s work easier and smooth. 

So this module will introduce you to several tools that can be used (and will be useful too) in your daily lives.

 

Blendspace

Blendspace offers a tool to educators who wish to create online lessons for their learners. The tool supports different educational praxis including a Flipped Classroom approach, a Socratic teaching method, and a tool to follow an elaborative path providing educational scaffolding. Blendspace offers flexibility for learners and considerable options for educators when it comes to building and executing lessons.

Educators can plug and play with videos, PDFs, PowerPoints, websites, Dropbox files, quizzes, images, text, and forums, which are placed in an organized, easy-to-follow grid. Lessons are easy to create, customize, share, and edit. Learners can access lessons with a wifi connection. Full participation in lessons is possible without an account, except in-platform forums. Educators can create classrooms, add their students to those spaces and track progress.

Blendspace allows educators a platform to contain many different kinds of learning tools. All content for each lesson is collected in one place, in easy-to-follow blocks. In-platform tools are available to monitor progress and understanding.

 

Wikispaces

In Hawaiian, the word wiki means “quick; fast”; in the world of the Internet, it refers to a website that allows the content and structure to be edited collaboratively by its users. This feature often causes people to question its reliability (think: college professors’ view on the use of Wikipedia as a reputable source). The truth is that wikis’ ability to share in content creation can be a valuable and “quick” tool in the classroom. Wikispaces Classroom is a virtual platform designed with teachers and students in mind.

There are 5 ways that Wikispaces Classroom can benefit both teachers and students, but I only give 1 way:

1.    Project-based learning

In Wikispaces Classroom, you can quickly create assignments. The site allows you to establish start and end dates for the project before assigning them to students or groups. Once the students submit their projects, you can publish them so that the entire class can view each other’s work. It is also possible to allow parents to see their children’s submitted projects, which is a great way of maintaining open communication between you and your parents.

 

Skype

Skype is a VoIP service that enables people to make and receive free voice and video calls over the internet using a computer, web browser, or mobile phone. VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) enables communication that goes around the standard methods of landlines and cellular plans.

Whether you're working from home or looking for a way to chat with others using video, Skype has broken traditional barriers to communication. Along with chatting with people in your in-app contacts, you can also use it to make international calls. If the person you're talking to also uses a Skype account, talking to them doesn't cost anything extra. For an extra charge, however, you can call and text your non-Skype contacts on their cell phones.

Discussion

In this module 5, I feel that Blendspace is the greatest choice to utilize in the educational system since it has been revealed that Blendspace has increased their communication ability. Blendspace, it was agreed, might assist students to become more skilled in speaking English and have a favorable attitude toward it.