Collaboration Workshop

The workshop started very chaotically, but we did get a chance to learn that Canvas facilitates students adding themselves to teams.

We talked about the value of group work and the reality that group work is hard work. Is it worth it? The group in the room was split on the issue.  The presenter noted that successful group work is not appropriate for all activities. 

In creating teams, the moderator emphasized having the "Right People" - know your students before grouping them for a high stakes.  She recommended putting the least productive people in one group to lessen the negative impact.

Build in "play time" for students to get familiar with the technology.  If you don't, the moderator says that students will play with your first assignment. So, craft expectations then give students a fun activity to experiment with the tool.

We played with the Chat tool. In addition to the typical option of text chat, you can video chat or audio chat - fun! The images resize as more people join the chat. The presenter said she had once had 16 people in the video chat.

We did a brief exercise on learning styles and had the class take a survey identifying who learned in which ways. She talked about the importance of having learning activities that honor each learning style, especially for groups. She would work to put like styles together, especially at the beginning of the class, since like groups work better together.

It's time for a break. I've been sitting at a table with folks from Utah Valley University which has used Canvas for over a year. It's been very interesting.