February 2016

Play Ball: Collaborative Competition In Action

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When I view the relationship of competition in schools to collaboration among students, something that stands out in the forefront for me is how collaboration can permeate through team sports. This may seem like a contradiction and that many would argue that the two are mutually exclusive, however in the experience witnessing how some amazing educators have worked tirelessly to create a sense of collaborative competitiveness, I believe that it is possible. I believe it is completely dependent on the framework and presentation of the competition, and if it is done correctly can lead to an amazing atmosphere; one of enthusiasm, motivation, encouragement, growth, comfort, and a consideration of the feelings of the participants.

 

The scenario where I have witnessed this the most is during my practicum in the basketball program led by teachers and coaches from around the district. The structure for this is that the students are learning, and let me stress that they are LEARNING, how to play the sport. Inherit in this is competition as it is indeed a sport, however there are many other aspects to it that cross over with competition, most noticeably is the idea of cooperation. They are acting together as a team, communicating with peers, and working towards achieving a goal (winning the game). This is the definition of cooperation and one that is prevalent throughout team sports. However, more rare than this is collaboration within team sports. This is a much loftier goal as it requires collaboration among all participants, not just “your team”. Communication, working towards a goal, and trust are all elements that need to be shared between your team, your coaches, the other team, the other coaches, the referees, the spectators, everyone! Now how could this possible exist in such a competitive, no-holds-barred, free-for-all world like elementary basketball? Well it can, and here’s how. In watching the students engage in the sport, the coaches/referees conducted the game in a very unique way and one that didn’t reflect the “traditional” nature of competition. During the play, whenever there was a foul, the coaches/referees called the foul but didn’t simply continue on with the game. They stopped, drew all the players in regardless of which team they were associated with, and took the time to explain the play, what went wrong, and how to correct it next time. They demonstrated the concept and checked for comprehension with all the players. They then restarted the game and play continued with the coaches/referees continuing this trend of stop, collaborate, start, compete. This is a system that the students really responded to. It allowed them to participate in the traditional, competitive environment, however still leaving room for collaborative reinforcement of areas to improve on. Through this, you could really see the impact collaborative competition can have on the students. They were engaged yet exhibited sportsmanship, motivated to do their best yet respectful, honoured the process but showed that drive to succeed.

 

So can collaborative competition work? Absolutely! Is it effective? You betcha! Is it dependent on the framework you set up at the beginning of the activity and a prerequisites of skills the participants need to have before starting? Also yes. Regardless, it is a system that incorporates the best of both worlds and one certainly worth of exploring.

 

(Side Note: I know “play ball” is most often associated with baseball and this reflection was on basketball, but the title was too good to pass up)

Collaborative Competition: A TEDxMuskegon Talk by Todd Conrad

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Conrad, T. (2013, November 14). Todd Conrad: Collaborative competition. [Video file]. Retrieved 21 February 2016 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dN_r0DjF8Ls

This talk, given by Todd Conrad at a TEDx event in Muskegon, Michigan, puts forth a few ideas that points out some flaws in the concept of using competition to motivate. The first being the historical fallacy of “the most effective way to get the most of people is to have them compete against one another.” This hyper-competitive state that Conrad discusses is what we view as the negative incarnation of competition casing all the negative emotions associated with the competitive spirit. This marginalizes the “others” through isolation by searching for external validation through putting oneself ahead. This “social competition” that is a product of this environment and ultimately does not result in an outcome that is beneficial to anyone. The cyclical nature of such a system will result in those who were marginalized to continue to be so, pushing these individuals further and further to the peripheries, never being able to succeed. Is it any wonder we have seen such a blowback against having competition exist in our classrooms? The historical reality is that this hyper-competitive, alienating system has been at the forefront of our classrooms for over a hundred years so it is no surprise that many have looked at it and said to competition “never again”.

 

But does this make competition inherently bad? I say with fervor, NO! As Conrad states, such a system is a product of the environment. If the environment is aggressive and hyper-competitive, then it makes sense that the students who participate in the system will mirror these traits. However, as he discusses, what if we make that competitive model more reflective of collaborative practices? Would our students reflect those traits as well? Communication, motivation, engagement, trust, a drive to succeed would all exist if the environment supports it. This model focuses on the process, not the result. It takes away the dependency the participants have on striving to win, but in its place it pushes them to drive for success, in whatever form that takes. Additionally, it replaces the traditional concept of “us vs. them”, with a model that makes your opponent’s allies, and tools to learn from. The motivation comes from within and the participants strive for excellence not for others, but for themselves. Without competition we fall into the participation ribbon syndrome, which takes away meaning for putting in your best, your hardest work. But without collaboration, we fall back into the historical model of aggressive hyper-competitiveness. Therefore, through collaborative competition we accomplish the desired result of blended system, taking the best of both concepts and molding it into a system that stresses both the drive to achieve the goal, but also the process it took to get there.

The Difference Between Winning and Succeeding: A TED Talk by John Wooden

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Wooden, J. (2001, January). John Wooden: The difference between winning and succeeding. [Video file]. Retrieved 21 February 2016 from https://www.ted.com/talks/john_wooden_on_the_difference_between_winning_and_success?language=en

Something that resonated with me in this talk, which was given by an incredibly successful coach who spent years teaching, coaching, and educating students and athletes, was about how when you are competing for a goal, what that goal actually is changes how you “play the game”. And what is significant is that this goal, whether it be in academics or athletics, is determined or framed by the facilitators. Achievement of that goal or “success” in the given task and the worth that people surrounding the participants place on this success varies. The idea that John Wooden brings forth of “Never try to be better than someone else, always learn from others. Never cease trying to be the best you can be — that’s under your control” is a concept that isn’t always in line with what we witness in competitive scenarios. The idea of measuring success in this format, of whether you achieved the best you could, regardless of others, is in line with intrinsic competition. This is directly linked to the question of “How do we make competition positive?” and “How do we make it a situation of learning and growth for all participants?” We could argue that this is the case all the time and that we strive for this in any competition. Well that is false. Whether it is caches, parents, spectators, or other participants, more often than not a certain expectation to win is placed upon them. Not succeed. Win. The framework of us vs. them, me vs. you, winners vs. losers, is the reason many people have such negative feelings towards competition. This baggage has stuck with them and they never had competition framed for them in a way that set them up to be successful. Not necessarily winners, but successful nonetheless. The ability to see yourself as achieving a goal, regardless of the outcome is an essential skill that needs to be taught, and yes it most certainly is not something that comes naturally. We as educators have a responsibility to teach our students this skill and competition can support that learning and growth. When they leave school and enter the “real world”, employers, administrators, and all sorts of people will be looking for individuals that can exhibit this kind of success, and again that doesn’t mean winning. John Wooden summarized it in an excellent way about what he looked for in a player that he would call a “perfect player”:

 

“Well, I’d want one that knew why he was at UCLA: to get an education, he was a good student, really knew why he was there in the first place. But I’d want one that could play, too. I’d want one to realize that defense usually wins championships, and who would work hard on defense. But I’d want one who would play offense, too. I’d want him to be unselfish, and look for the pass first and not shoot all the time. And I’d want one that could pass and would pass.”

 

These qualities translate off the basketball court, off the football field, off the ice rink, and directly into our classrooms. They are qualities and skills that stick with our students and will be essential for the rest of their lives.

Competition and Collaboration: The New Odd Couple

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So I have come to an impasse in my inquiry process. The more and more I work to investigate how I can include competition in a positive way in my future classroom, the more and more I realize that to do so is going to require a great deal of careful framing. This framing is going to come in the brand new form of a specific component of competition that I have uncovered, through research, observation, and reflection. I am going to coin this term “collaborative competition”. I have briefly examined the relationship between the two seemingly dissimilar concepts in a previous blog post (see: Competition and Social Relationships), so from here I will look to deepen my investigation of their relationship. So I now pose two questions that hopefully will serve to further my understanding of how the two are interconnected:

  • How can we bridge the gap that exists between competition and collaboration?
  • In what situations, scenarios, activities, or environments will a collaborative competition serve to motivate and engage students?

Now I can hear voices screaming out “Does this mean you’re changing your inquiry topic?” No. My question remains “How can you implement positive competition in classroom?” Collaborative competition is simply an avenue that I have discovered possible can answer my inquiry question. Therefore, to truly understand how a relationship can be built between collaboration and competition, I need to examine the elements of collaboration that will work to serve this purpose.

 

Below is a link to  an infographic that was created with the purpose of demonstrating some of the impacts of a collaborative work environment in the business world.

PGI., (2015). From Me to We: Teams drive innovation, productivity and growth [infographic]. Retrieved 21 February 2016, from http://blog.pgi.com/2015/03/infographic-benefits-of-teamwork-collaboration/

Now these statistics may seem non-applicable to an elementary school classroom, but the essential elements of collaboration are exhibited and the importance of collaboration is also shown. It also shows some key areas that are connected to my fancy, new (but probably not) idea of collaborative competition.

  • The benefits of a collaborative work environment include better productivity, an expansion of ideas through innovation, and an increase in morale.
  • Technology plays, and will continue to play, a huge role in how people (and in this case, students) engage with their peers and communicate ideas.
  • The rising trend of collaboration OVER competition.

 

So how does competition relate to these ideas? Well I will be exploring each one in depth over the next few posts in an attempt to connect these trends in collaborative work to a motivating, positive, engaging competitive environment.

Mr. Hiebert’s Education Weekly

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Recently I have started exploring a new resource called paper.li. It allows to publish a weekly newspaper with resources from the previous week on the topics of my choosing. It is amazing to see a such a great collection of article, lesson ideas, tips, and other information that will benefit my current and future classroom all together in one place. Make your own at paper.li and check out Mr. Hiebert’s Education Weekly at http://paper.li/e-1455153821.

Competition and Social Relationships

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When we think about the role competition plays in social relationships, it is often remarked how competition creates divides and alienates students who don’t fit into the system. Now we have discussed this previously, so that isn’t the point of this reflection, but what is, is that competition also acts in the inverse of this alienation. It can bond, solidify, and bring people together. The connections that competition creates are incredible and are links that can last for decades. That is the power of teamwork. It works to teach people the skills they will need to engage in competition, cooperation, and collaboration. Three essential skills, all different, but all important nonetheless.

If we looks at the nature of our world, the reality is that we live in a society that is overtly competitive. To study to be the best, and to work towards that is an essential skill. I truly believe that this passion can push students to achieve their best and is the reality they will be facing when they enter the real world. Getting a job, being selected for a promotion, or even getting into an university program such as UBC’s Teacher Education program, you will be competing for those spots, so providing some scenarios where students need to reach high is essential.

Additionally, while competition may seem contradictory to cooperation, it’s is actually intrinsically linked. Cooperation is one aspect of teamwork and competition breeds teamwork. As stated above, it, brings people together to complete a task. This can involve competitive spirit, in that it brings people together against another team, and that this “versus” atmosphere pushes people to do their best for their team. Additionally, it can work towards a differentiation of instruction to best complete the task. This specialization draws on the strength of the individuals while still working together. This advanced organizational structure is one that is fostered by competitive spirit and a skill that students can rely on after the exit school. Finally, collaboration is a concept that is seemingly placed on another level aside from both competition and cooperation. It is stated that cooperation, while working together, still is motivated by extrinsic forces. It is still self-serving, similar to competition. Collaboration is said to remove those barriers and work together in an intrinsically motivated, selfless system of free information and skills exchange. This is an ideal scenario and one that is very attractive. I will say that for many activities this system is the goal. But I will conclude here with a question, or a few, for collaboration (yes I am asking a question to a metaphysical concept): Can you not achieve collaboration within a team, while still existing in a competitive environment? Are the two mutually exclusive and by introducing competition, do we remove all chance of collaboration within a team? Is it destined to be self-serving? I don’t have the answer to this and I will leave my musings on this for another post but I will conclude with these two points/questions:

  • Is there ever a situation where collaboration, true collaboration, takes place or is it just an unachievable dream?
  • In a situation where a sports team that “clicks” down to the point where they instinctively understand each other and can work together, sometimes no verbally and simply reacting on feeling alone, is that not collaboration in a competitive environment?

 

Ideas inspired by:

Snow, C. C. (2015). Organizing in the age of competition, cooperation, and collaboration. Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, 22(4), 433. http://jlo.sagepub.com/content/22/4/433.full.pdf

Competition, Cooperation, and Collaboration: A Lesson Debrief

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In reflection of my mini-lesson given on the topic of competition cooperation, and collaboration, it was extremely interesting to see how people related to the different terms I presented. It is striking to see that, yes indeed a significant amount of people have extraordinarily negative emotions connected to competition and some pretty idealistic association when it comes to cooperation and collaboration. This can be seen below.

 

IMG_0153

In a debrief of the actual lesson, overall I thought it went extremely well. A lot of new ideas brought up, some of my assumptions confirmed, and a few debunked. Here are a few highlights for my to take forward into more exploration of my inquiry topic.

The fact one group gave up when the other group finished first. The helplessness when they lost was evident and I can see how people could feel this way when they lose. This was unplanned as they were supposed to finish the task but gave up, and provided insight into this phenomena.

  • In discussion after the lesson with some colleagues, we talked about the prerequisites that competition requires to be successful. Sports really shows this in that there exists a non written “ethical code of sportsmanship” within each sports and it is really evident when players don’t abide by it. In cases like this, the player didn’t receive (or comprehend) this code in their education of the sport or competition in general.
  • Additionally, few of my assumptions were confirmed. The Word Wall on Padlet showed that when people think about competition, their thirst are primarily negative. Words like hopelessness, disheartening, bullying, sabotage all were present and showed that people have had very negative experiences with competition in the past, an issue I think has to do with framing how competition should exists.
  • Finally, it took longer to complete the task in a collaborative- competitive environment than in a teamwork-cooperation environment. This confirmed my suspicion that collaboration, while beneficial to an open sharing, trusting exchange of ideas, it is less effective for task completion. I think there are times when collaboration is appropriate and others where cooperation works better to complete the task.

Moving forward, I am excited to explore a few more of these ideas, particularly in relation to the link between competition and collaboration. It should prove interesting to see if we can find a way to connect these two seemingly exclusive concepts.

The Gamification of Education

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The Gamification of Education. (2011). Futurist, 45(1), 16-17.
http://web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=739f7619-4924-4509-b26f-286b75ef986b%40sessionmgr111&vid=15&hid=102

When we look at the future of education, we find ourselves constantly drawn back to the idea of integrating technology into the way our students engage with the material. Now this can involve many different types of technology, but in terms of engagement and motivation, game based programs are very significant. Now this isn’t new. Educational game based technology have been around since the dawn of personal computers and when I reflect of my education, I used programs such as Math Blasters or The Oregon Trail from as early as grade 2~3. Something this articles points out is that there are three integral components of using technology to engage our students; curiosity, imagination, and a sense of play. When we look at examples of technology that is used to motivate our students, we can see these three qualities in educational gamification. In my personal experience, eVan in these “ancient” educational games like The Oregon Trail (even though personally I wasn’t studying US History), I was curious. Students wonder what would happen next…well you’re going to learn about United States western homesteading. This is true in modern educational teacher-directed technological resources like KaHoot or Plickers, whigh both foster this curiosity. Additionally, these resources allow for expansion of imagination and encourage critical thinking. Connected to this is the sense of play gamification exhibits and through this, it makes the trial and error system that is associated with these games actually fun. When the students fail in the games, they’re more likely to try again because it is fun, something that may not exist in other aspects of their classrooms. Through this, it also removes the social pressures of collaboration because the students are exploring, collaborating, and exchanging ideas together.

Now how does this relate to competition in the classroom. Well if gamification and these resources encourage teamwork, and teamwork is directly associated with positive competitive spirit, then the gamification of education is linked, intrinsically, to the idea of competition.

Competition and Technology: A Perfect Pair

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It has been interesting in my observations of my current classroom, of the role that technology plays in promoting the competitive spirit in my students. This shouldn’t come as a surprise as the technology used is essentially an extension of gameification, but simply extended to a different platform. Technology provides teachers an opportunity to bring their methods to align with the interests and learning styles of many modern learners. It also diversifies competition, as there exists a plethora of resources available to facilitate a broad range of competitive activities. Individual or self competition, peer vs. peer activities, or even activities that face the user against the “system” all exist in multitude through various forms of technology. Let’s explore a few forms of competitions facilitated or advanced by using technology.

Plickers
Plickers is a QR code based scanner app than give educators to give each student an inexpensive way of polling your classroom. Through this, teachers can use the cards to conduct multiple-choice style games with their students. This style of participation still allows for competition to exist in either a peer vs. peer activity or working to better personal bests.

https://plickers.com/

Kahoot
Kaboot is another app that allows for in-class gameification using individual or team participation on a large class scale. With Kahoot, you can create quizzes that your student as can take using the app, with fastest correct answers getting the highest points. This direct peer vs. peer competition is both exciting and provides the kind of motivation that gameification can provide.

Student: https://kahoot.it/#/ Teacher: https://getkahoot.com/how-it-works

RAZ Kids
RAZ Kids is another web-based program where students can read, listen to, and take quizzes on books to work towards improving their English literacy. Additionally, through this reading, listening, and quiz taking, they gain stars or points that they can spend on updating or improving their personalized avatar for their account. By pricing this incentive of reward, the students are competing against the system of the program itself to get high scores on the quizzes to gain more stars. This type of program can also be modified, as I have done in the past, to reflect a style of “reading race” with classes, grades or student competing against each other to read that most books. Using a program like RAZ Kids allows students to participate at school, at home, or wherever they may be as the whole programs library of books is available online.

https://www.raz-kids.com/

These example show how technology is a powerful tool to use to assist educators in promoting positive competitive spirit in their classrooms p, as well as making these competitions relative and accessible to today’s learners.

Competition In Human Groups—Impact On Group Cohesion, Perceived Stress and Outcome Satisfaction

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Boos, M., Franiel, X., & Belz, M. (2015). Competition in human groups—Impact on group cohesion, perceived stress and outcome satisfaction. Behavioural Processes, 120, 64-68. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.beproc.2015.07.011

 

When investigating my topic of competition, it is vital to take a look at the counter arguments to my position. Competition is, and rightfully so, am extremely controversial concept. This article discusses how competition influences groups of humans, both in their cohesion and individual mindsets. In research of a group’s personal outcome satisfaction, stress, calmness, and interdependence, and their ability to “flock together”, the study concluded that while competition provides some short terms gains in areas like time necessary to complete a task or motivation, it can have severe long term effects on a broad range of issues. First, in competitive environments, group cohesion decreases as people work more towards self benefit or individual reward situations. Additionally, and probably most striking, is the role competition plays in increased stress in the short terms and even the development of depression in the long term. The very thing that competition strives to do, increase motivation, in fact reduces the participants willingness to participate.

 

This is often referred to when discussing the downsides of competitiveness and they are not wrong. Competition can, and I will repeat that, can have negative effects on those involved. However, are these possible negative emotions a certainty? No. It is all about how, when, and with whom competition is implemented. So with this in mind, I will return to my original inquiry question: How can implement POSITIVE competition in our classrooms?