This resource is based on an event that took place on the Community between 11-18 August 2003. It was moderated by Alison McAllister and Kate Fannon.

Introduction
We hear a lot about teachers and managers collaborating to achieve greater outcomes…but isn’t this a skill our learners need? Working collaboratively both in teams and across teams is one of the key skills required in the workplace, particularly in industries which have a distributed work force.

How can we help our students to develop skills in collaboration with other students both in their local classes and further afield?  This event looks at some examples of how this has been done.

Teacher experiences
I work with design students who attend the college each day. But we've begun experimenting with giving them some online discussion forums for peer assessment. They are responding because we are asking them to present their designs to each other for comment rather than just handing them up to the lecturer. This is a 'real' issue for them as they are keen to get responses from their classmates.

The overall driving factor with my students was that the students really wanted to communicate with other learners like them, with other migrants and refugees who had different stories to tell because they decided to go Melbourne or Adelaide to settle. This had great outcomes for language learning. The best and most original language formed in the Discussions and to a lesser extent in chat.

I let students form their own groups, I never set up groups, and I never assess group work. Despite all the research I've read about the benefits of collaborative work/ leaning/decision making it only occurs when there is 'action commitment.'

Students need an interesting project and a clear understanding of the goals and objectives of the project. I once had a team of students who lived in various outback towns. They never met each other but they had to do a team project that required a presentation. They had to organise everything via telephone, post or email (if they had it). They had to post all the materials that they individually prepared to me before the presentation. The presentation was done via a teleconference over the phone. Had it been online we could have saved so much time and heartache and the students would have collaborated far more effectively. Online is definitely the way to go!

What works for teachers

Give students:

• clear guidelines about the expectations of them in the online discussion
  
• technical tips and exemplars of how to participate
  
• really clear instructions
  
• give students ground rules about when posts/emails will be answered

Teachers need

• technical skills
  
• ability to write clear instructions in an email
  
• journalism skills ie - ability to write catchy headlines to hook participants
  
• ability to write clear instructions (its harder than writing exams or case studies)
  
• ability to talk a student through a technical problem over the phone
  
• to be organised
  
• time management skills
  
• ability to set activities and use strategies that encourage 'quieter' learners while not allowing the 'hoggers' to dominate
  
• to be flexible and willing to learn from mistakes
  • perseverance when technology doesn't work.

Students need

• a suitable place for collaborative learning to take place (well designed web space, nice comfy lounge in library, back yard swimming pool… the place needs to be conducive!)
  
• computer skills. (Maybe partner students with buddies in the f2f environment and get them to talk online to students at a different site. This would get them learning at a number of levels at one time).
  
• Comfort with the technology. (We now run an "introductory online orientation" as a compulsory for all online students).
  
• The 7 key competencies (perhaps with the exception of "using mathematical ideas and techniques").
  
• some familiarity with files and folders.
  
• Some patience
  
• Some discipline.
  
• Motivation!

Essential attitudes for students

• A willingness to engage with new ideas (and technology). Willingness is an attitude that you can never predict! some older folk have it, some younger folk don't!
  
• the willingness to have a go - even to make a mistake, ask a (stupid) question!
  
• Commitment to the team process and the goal

Contributors:
Robby Weatherley, Berniece Simpkins, Peter Petkovic, Sandra Neville, Alison Mcallister, Peter Mantell, Andrew Kidd, Ian Hutton, Louise Housden, Jenni Harding, Kate Fannon, Margaret Cupitt, Maureen Connors, Alicia Boyle, Jane Baker Jones