IST 520 ON SP18 Group Project 1

Talking Paper – Collaborativism

Cassandra Humphrey, Deanne Dominguez, Hiba Adnan, Maren Sibai

PURPOSE: To provide colleagues with information on Collaborativism.

1​. ​Principal Elements and Ideas Related to the Theory

a. Collaborativism is technology-based and group-focused.

b. Instructors are thought of as subject matter experts whose primary role is introducing
industry-specific vocabulary, concepts, and information to students. They are neither a
lecturer or a guide, but more of a resource.

c. Students’ primary roles are to collaborate and discuss the information introduced by the
instructor. They are responsible for sharing their thoughts with the group, filtering
through the new information, and drawing their own conclusions.

d. The theory is broken down into three processes:

1) Idea Generating: Learners are introduced to a knowledge problem. They

brainstorm, share their initial positions on the topic.

2) Idea Organizing: Learners discuss the topic as a group, referencing, agreeing or

disagreeing with, and questioning other members of the group.

3) Idea Convergence: Based on the discourse and group contribution, learners

emerge with a new, shared understanding of the topic.

2. Social Conditions/Economic/ Technological Context

a. Based on a wide social interaction, the process of transmitting knowledge and

information engaged the community in a collaborative thinking and interaction, the
theory covered four scenarios:

1) Scenario One: Online case study where students have to collaborate through the
internet in solving their assigned task (p.145).

2) Scenario Two: Student led online seminars where discussion and exchanging of
ideas and information took place.

3) Scenario Three: Online global professional development program, an educational

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 program gathering together 24 countries to study one online program (p.150).

4) Scenario Four: online educational games and immersive learning environments,

hundreds of millions gathered at one time playing games or sharing programs
(p.152)

b. As a result, when the society is interacting through an educational network which is

technology therefore economically the share of advertisements and online selling and
buying will increase.

3. Positive Contributions

a. Collaborativist theory defines learning as Intellectual Convergence. Thus, it pushes

students to work together to learn, generate knowledge and find solutions.

b. Students learn through interacting and actively engaging into discussions and discourses
with fellow students. This positively contributes to building and accumulating
knowledge.

c. Collaborativist theory encourages conversation and dialogue, in an effort to seek a

solution to a problem or to discuss an idea. It promotes brainstorming, verbalization,
generating information, and as a result, sharing ideas and positions on a specific topic.

d. Learners are encouraged to participate and articulate their views. They are encouraged to
use, analytical thinking, organize, analyze and filter all the ideas shared.

e. They are challenged to learn, problem solve and innovate.

4. Criticisms and who made them (Source)

a. Many online courses today do include an online discussion forum, unfortunately the
discussion is often secondary to the curriculum. Unless maintained and stressed on by the
facilitator, practical application of Collaborativisim can suffer from the same problem.

b. Over-emphasis on technology. Technology is sometimes viewed as superior to pedagogy.

5. Major Contributors/their contributions/years of major contributions

a. Technology was the cradle of this theory. Many inventions contributed in branching and
expanding the flow of information. Computer scientists and engineers created the main

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 platform for computer networking (p.106) and so on, started with:

1) Invention of the computer: 1959

2) Computer Netoworking: 1960

3) Email Invention: 1971

4) Murray Turoff created the EIES “computer conferencing system for online group
communication in 1972” (p.114): 1972

5) Turoff and Starr Roxanne Hiltz issued their book “Network Nation” the book
discussed the probability of an online cooperation through computer
conferencing. The book was highly appreciated, and the two were considered
leaders of online learning: 1976

6) In January 1986 the first online course was taught in the university of Toronto and
it was designed and taught by Dr. Linda Harasim and Dr. Dorothy Smith (p.115).

7) Virtual classrooms were created between 1986-1987 by Roxanne Hiltz at the New
Jersey Institute of Technology (p.115).

8) The big change and move toward online education has been acknowledged by
many public reports like “Sizing the Opportunity: The Quality and extent of
Online Education in the United States, (Allen & Seaman, 2003)”, these reports
contributed to the Collaborativists as they documented the increasing numbers of
students going towards online learning (p.115).

9) The first and basic public wakefulness to online education: 2012

10) Engelbart’s production of the “Internet Hall of Fame”: 2014

b. As technology use has increased, awareness of and theories pertaining to

technology-driven education have become more common and well-developed.

6. Collective Team Position on Situations of Application

a. Top three applications:

1) MIST Program

2) Businesses, especially startups

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 3) K-12 as long as there is an even playing field/similar skill sets
b. Main takeaways:
1) This theory works well when innovation and new ideas are the main goals.
2) It works best when group members have similar levels of competency for the
assigned tasks.
7. Attached 5P analysis Rubric.
Element of Motivation
Presentation
The theory considers whether material
is relevant to needs and goals of the
learner
The theory includes consideration as
to whether material and/or
presentation/stimulus is novel, is
something new and interesting to the
learner
Accounted
For?
Y = Yes
N= No Comments
NA = Not
Applicable
? = Cannot
Determine
Theory focuses more on the
Y importance of collaborative
learning as a lifelong
investment for learner’s own
cultivation of knowledge.
“The instructor’s role in this
theory is to engage learners
in the specific language or
vocabulary and activities
associated with building the
discipline”
Readings do not emphasize
on novel stimulus however,
N “learning by doing implies
that student interest activities
will generate knowledge and
skill”
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 The theory concerns itself with the
presentation approach being
intrinsically
pleasant/interesting/stimulating/
thought provoking
The theory informs with respect to
areas such as wording, visuals, audio,
language being manageable and
useable to the receiving group or
individual
Practice
The theory supports opportunities
being provided to develop proficiency
in application of the skill, knowledge,
ability or concept
The theory supports practice activities,
to include repetition and spiraling,
designed to develop automaticity in
responses and execution if appropriate
The theory requires that practice is
relevant to needs and goals of the
learner
The theory covers self-assessment or
assessment by other means that
evidences that the Learner can see that
skill/competency acquisition is taking
place
Methods derived from theory
are focused on engaging
Y learners in thought provoking
and stimulating discourse
“The instructor’s role in this
theory is to engage learners
in the specific language or
Y vocabulary and activities
associated with building the
discipline”
“Discussing, debating,
accessing new sources of
Y information and learning
analytical concepts moves
the group from an initial
position of brainstorming to
more considered analysis of
various perspectives, linking
common ideas and filtering
out the weaker ideas”
With this theory, there is a
repetitive process of Idea
Y Generating, Idea Organizing,
Intellectual Convergence
The instructor ensures
Y discussion topics are relevant
to discipline.
Readings do not discuss this
idea. However in a group
? discussion setting,
comprehension or lack
thereof may be evident
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 The theory requires practice activities
that are within or slightly above the
learner’s competency level
The theory requires that practice be
designed to lead to correct response.
Production and Posting
The theory encourages application of
the skill, knowledge/ability or concept
being learned
The theory encourages publication of
whatever is produced by the learner to
group for peer view and learning
Participation/Collaboration
Theory supports synchronous or
asynchronous review of posted
products
Theory promotes a Community of
Practice/Wisdom/Knowledge
Theory supports some form of
accountability with respect to who is
“internet revolution has the
Y potential to emphasize,
extend and leverage our
mental capabilities”
It is designed to engage
N students in problem solving
but answers may not look the
same
Educational designs and
Y pedagogies based on new
theories such as
Collaborativism provide a
basis for addressing these
Knowledge Age realities that
educators can apply in their
work.
A goal for collaborators to
use collected ideas to present
Y an answer for discussions
‘‘The Knowledge Age
Y requires and enables
knowledge creation both as a
process and a product”
There is a focus on
Y approaches and techniques
that use the internet for
collaborative learning.
Because this theory is based
on social interaction, a
Y participant is held
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contributing and how they are
contributing to knowledge sharing
Theory accounts for variation in task
readiness and ability to contribute to
group effort to meet goals
In terms of theory, does the theory
provide for collaboration?
accountable by other
participants.
Readings do not discuss
variation in task readiness,
N but the Collaborativist theory
being based in Constructivist
ideas does acknowledge
varying degrees of task
readiness among participants.
However, this does suggest
that participants may not be
be prepared to meet group
goals.
“a primary group consisting
of peers who share similar
occupational goals and who,
through long periods of
dialogue and collaboration
negotiate a common vision
that guides their work. The
vision consists of a shared set
of assumptions about their
discipline, including what
constitutes good work, how
to work, what subjects are
worth working on, and how
to think about them.”
Y Theory is based on
collaboration
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 Reference

Harasim, L. (2017). Learning Theory and Online Technologies, 2nd Edition. [Chegg]. Retrieved

from ​https://ereader.chegg.com/#/books/9781317508175/