Content, Collaboration, and Communication

Module 3 Assessing Collaborative Efforts Assignment

Students in a collaborative environment should be assessed differently than individual assessment. Their are different models in which assessment can occur in the collaborative learning community. Peers can evaluate or assess each others work. The student receiving information can rate if it was helpful or not. Receiving feedback from peers is an excellent way to provide collaborative learning and receive help with a project before the teacher gives their main evaluation of the total picture. The varying level of skills that students bring to a course should be assessed based on the amount of growth.

If a student does not want to work collaboratively, it is mostly because they are not familiar with this type of learning environment. Other members of the group can help students to feel comfortable if they discuss their experiences with collaborative learning. The instructor has the role to help these students understand what is fully expected of them from the course. The instructor can also help by role playing a scenario to help the students get a feel for what is expected. Siemens states, the impact on the assessment plan for the teacher would be to design it to have a "mixed" environment (2005).



Palloff, R. M. & Pratt, K. (2005). Collaborating Online; Learning Together in Community; John Wiley & Sons Inc., Published by Jossey Bass

Siemens, G. (2008). Assessment of Collaborative Learning; Laureate Education Video presentation

Module 2 Discussion

The collaborative classroom began in the orginal brick and mortal schools with students collaborating face to face. The internet has broadened the horizon with students persuing online degrees through collaborative interaction on university portals, blogs, wikispaces etc. Online tools that help students collaborate include: email, conferences, shared documents, videos, blogs, wikispaces, skype, etc. Any type of tool that can help students research, discover, and improve their skills would be considered collaboration.