Discussion: Many beneficial elements of face-to-face collaboration may never be replaced by any technology, but the pressing need to convene distributed teams, cohorts and individuals to collectively explore ideas and resolve complex challenges has inspired the development of scores of networked collaboration technologies. At first glance it might seem infeasible to collapse such systems into a handheld form factor, but we have to remember that one of the original and still-most-effective networked collaboration applications is the teleconference.
523 Inspiration: The accessibility potentials of emerging Mobile Collaboration technologies, both live and asynchronous, is the driver for a global transformation involving telecommuting and distributed work of all kinds. Building on decades of innovation in web collaboration tools, Mobile Collaboration within education is an exciting new frontier, brought closer rapidly by the recent pandemic. Most offices may never go back to the ‘old normal’, so what about classrooms and learning more generally?
I think mobile collaboration has been an essential part of teaching at my school and applicable to the future of education as we move towards a world where all individuals have access to a smart device, be it a cellphone, a laptop, or a tablet. During COVID-19, it became almost essential to develop ways to allow students to digitally interact and collaborate, as we use Dingtalk, a platform similar to a combo of Zoom and Instant Messaging like WhatsApp, which also included folder filing systems that gave each microcosm group a platform to build data collaboratively, similar to a shared Google Drive. Each file also allowed students to in real-time edit the same document or file, while also saving the history of the files and edits, as these overlapping functions create a virtual network that helps digitize education both in the classroom and remotely when students return home.
Since many industries have digitized, utilizing platforms like Slack, Zoom, and other system-wide communication tools, that it is becoming an essential skill that need to be part of 21st century learning to equip students as technology continues to rapidly expand and encompass all aspects of our lives.
The rise of mobile collaboration technologies have afforded the ability for learners to collaborate both synchronously and asynchronously online. Following the pandemic, platforms such as Zoom have had a transformative impact on the way we learn and work across almost every sector.
Working in a remote company, mobile tools enable our team members to communicate and to collaborate on projects regardless of location, and it’s great being to collaborate and to learn from team members from around the globe. A challenge however, is in finding platforms/methods which can cater to a diverse range of communication needs and preferences. Zoom/Teams simply isn’t for everyone, and for some team members it can be a barrier to effective and inclusive collaboration, as some team members do not feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and speaking in chats/virtual meetings. Therefore, it’s important to explore tools/strategies for promoting collaboration and engagement that cater to various preferences for how team members prefer to work and to collaborate online. I’m curious to hear others’ experiences and tips on utilizing collaborative platforms effectively to enhance teamwork and learning experiences for all team members.
I recently watched a video by Sir John Daniel (2012) in ETEC 520 about emerging trends in online education. While the video was 10+ years ago, the growing use of mobile communication technology was highlighted as a trend, and it came with the question for post-secondary institutions to look at “what does the campus provide that technology doesn’t?”. As a corporate trainer, online collaboration, and in particular mobile collaboration has become more essential in how we work. Many of my colleagues and I use apps like Microsoft Teams on our mobile devices to collaborate across the entire province, and it enables us to communicate in real time through chats and/or audio and video calls. However, this is only part of what these platforms allow for us to use. I see mobile collaboration as a natural progression in workplace education, as it leverages our existing infrastructure and capitalizes on a frontier that has already been established, it would be coming from it through a different perspective. So I would address the original question by saying the continuous improvement of technology is making the answer less and less clear.
Reference
Daniel, J. (2012). Three developments that are transforming online learning. [Video, 7 mins.]. YouTube.
As an instructional designer, I have been using asynchronous tools like Slack, Trello, Miro, and Jira for project management, as well as team collaboration tools like Zoom and MS Teams for real-time collaboration with SMEs and stakeholders, and facilitating breakout rooms for activities for students. Together, these tools (and several others) have shrunk the world and enabled learners spread across different geographies to come together. This is collaboration in the truest sense, with no physical boundaries.
As an adult learner and educator, I have experienced an upward shift in the use of mobile technologies in education for class design, delivery, and project management in recent years. Especially since the pandemic, this trend has picked up, and I believe that this is the new normal.
During the COVID pandemic, education institutes on mass onboarded the use of collaborative mobile technologies. Generally speaking, many teachers are continuing to utilize technologies such as MS Teams Classroom as a supplementary tool to their in-person class. In establishing an MS Teams Classroom, a teacher can choose to use and engage with the technology to varying degrees as desired, they are however in essence making the class ‘disruption ready’ and mobile ready. Should there be a transit strike, a meningitis outbreak, an earthquake, a personal situation for an individual student, or any other unforeseen event, the class has the potential to immediately connect and continue in a very mobile way.
Working with First Nations, who, for many, historically have had limited or poor access to internet connectivity, the recent availability of access to Star Link has been game-changing in the realm of access to real-time collaboration and expertise. In the past, the only means of training and support would have involved costly travel (either by the community member or service provider) to meet in real life. One of the remaining practices from the COVID era is the community’s acceptance to join a video call, which can be used to solve issues or provide learning opportunities in many cases. In my previous organization, this practice of Teams meetings or calls coupled with on-demand Teams chat helped to build relationships and break down the barriers of remoteness and distance.