PROJECT
EDT 631: Online Project Collaboration Methods and Tools was developed for the MA Educational Technology Program at the University of Michigan-Flint.
I was a graduate student mentor/facilitator for the course and developed the course outline, syllabus, and content in 2015, 2016, and 2017 as part of my employment duties as Program Associate with the Institute for Innovation in Education. I was hired as LEO Lecturer for the 2018 course offering. You can find my course syllabus here.
CHALLENGE
Design a course where learners participate in an online experiential sandbox exposing them to methods of effective collaboration in virtual spaces while using Web 2.0 tools.
DESIGN
The LMS used for this course was Canvas. There was a course announcement for each week in the LMS and that was the main “home” for the course. That said, the bulk of the course took place in other online spaces. I am passionate about team development, management, and technology mediated collaboration. EDT 631 was an opportunity to share knowledge with my learners, play with them, and introduce them to a “crash” course in online tools, virtual team collaboration, and project based learning. Each week had a theme and a new tool to engage in collaboration with others. Learners had to create two reviews of online collaboration tools. The reviews were peer reviewed and collaboratively edited. The group also had to collaborate as a whole to determine how they were going to share their reviews/new knowledge with the outside world.
The course was designed to allow learners to be thrust into a virtual team environment where they would experience the joys, and challenges, of technology mediated collaboration. It provided them with a scaffolded introduction to some of my most frequently used applications and also afforded them the opportunity to explore additional tools, share them with each other, and co-create artifacts to share with a wider audience.
STRUCTURE
Week One: Discovery/Introduction (Padlet)
Week Two: Discovery/Communication (Slack)
Week Three: Engagement (MindMup)
Week Four: Research/Analysis (Hypothes.is)
Week Five: Synthesis/Project Planning (Trello)
Week Six: Creative Expression/Group Project (WordPress*)
Week Seven: Conclusion/Reflection (Poll Everywhere)
* Not a collaboration tool but learners had to work together to organize pages and upload their content. Learners had immediate access to my assistance through Slack and also had reference materials such as this document.
OUTCOMES
2015
The class created the UMFInnovationHub.
2016
The class shared their reviews as a page on the Institute for Innovation in Education website.
2017 & 2018
The class revamped the review page and it became – Collaboration Resources Reviews.
I just wanted to thank you for a great class. Specifically, for the tone you set, the respect you gave us, and all the tools you introduced us to. It was a lot of fun learning from you and having a chance to try out new things in a safe place. Even when we were “uncomfortable” – you told us we would be – you were there to support us. Thank you!
S.G.