DIVERSITY: A BLESSING OR A CURSE FOR ONLINE COLLABORATION?

摘要

The authors, independently and without any prior knowledge of each other, joined a learning experiment: the Open Networked Learning (ONL162) course for several months in the autumn of 2016. We were randomly assigned to the same Problem Based Learning (PBL) group and collaborated 100% online. Our group, PBL9, was part of a Community of Inquiry, (COI) consisting of more than 100 students and 25 facilitators. We worked synchronously and asynchronously. Learn to collaborate online in diverse groups matters because complex challenges in today's society ask for smart solutions. Smart solutions can only be achieved when 1 + 1=3, when people, with diverse knowledge, experience and perspectives collaborate. When synergy is created out of diversity, when people learn to collaborate effectively and happy. Was diversity a curse or a blessing for PBL9, our group? We were diverse, yet there was commonality as well. How did we balance between togetherness and diversity? We want to share our experience and the knowledge we gained with the participants of #EDEN17. We will answer these questions in our paper: 1. Why does collaboration and diversity matter? 2. What do we mean by diversity? 3. When was diversity a curse? When was it a blessing? 4. What is the role of the individual group members for happy online and collaborative learning? 5. What is the role of the facilitator and co-facilitator? 6. What kind of diversity matters the most in our educational context? We believe diversity matters when collaborating in an educational context, as it brings to the group the 'multi-perspectiveness' that is needed when looking at complex problems. Further we will provide tips to make online collaboration with a diverse group a blessing.