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Student Collaboration
Otherwise known as group work! Group work can help students develop skills that are increasingly important in the professional world (Caruso & Woolley, 2008; Mannix & Neale, 2005). Collaborative tools can be integrated directly in Canvas easily.
- Canvas
- Discussion Forums
- Wikis
- Blogs
Collaboration Platforms
Group work exposes students to multiple perspectives while allowing for more complex assignments to be accomplished.
Canvas: Canvas allows for groups to be created in a course: https://keepteaching.ubc.ca/group-work/
You can then set up assignments as requiring group submissions: https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-10107-415254248
UBC Wikis: The UBC Wiki is an online platform for collaborative writing.
UBC Blogs: A number of instructors utilize UBC Blogs as a platform for collaboration utilizing commenting.
Though UBC Blogs does not integrate with Canvas fully, it is easy to link your Canvas course to a Blog: https://lthub.ubc.ca/guides/ubc-blogs-instructor-guide/
Peer Review
Canvas Peer Review: Canvas peer review option allows students to review one or more assignment submissions by other students. Students share their feedback to other students by writing in a comment box, attaching a document, or evaluate using a rubric or a combination of feedback methods. The Canvas Peer Review tool also allows instructors to supervise the feedback process, provide their own comments, see which students have completed their Peer Reviews and reassign or remove assignment reviews.
ComPAIR: ComPAIR is an open-source tool that allows students to answer questions, then assess their peer’s responses according to criteria set out by the instructor. More information is available in the technology tab.
iPeer: iPeer is a group peer review application where instructors can customize and receive students’ evaluations of one another. These anonymized evaluations can then be shared with the evaluated student or kept confidential between the evaluator and instructor. More information is available at the iPeer instructor guide, and the technology tab
Note: There are more tools for peer evaluation and review, check these resources: comparisons of strengths and limitations of each tool; ideas and strategies for peer assessments.
Video Group Presentations
If you have in class group presentations planned, here is the approach we recommend:
- Synchronous Groups Presentations: Set up a meeting in ZOOM and name for each group. Ensure that you change the role of group members presenting from ‘Participant’ to ‘Co-Host’. This will allow them to share their screen or PowerPoint slides. The group members can join remotely and present to just the instructor or the whole class. The presentation can also be recorded to review later.
- Asynchronous Groups Presentations (assignment submission): Instructors will need to create a assignment submission:
- Go into your canvas course
- Select Assignments -> + Assignment
- Fill in your assignment information
- Ensure submission type is ONLINE and TEXT ENTRY.
- Under Group Assignment check ‘This is a Group Assignment’
- Copy and paste the student info below into the description to guide your students to record and upload their videos to Canvas.
Evaluating Collaboration
There is a wide continuum of types of group work, from simply assigning a short assignment to two or more students, to asking students to create shared documents or present as a team.
Consider: What is the purpose of a collaborative assignment? Is it to lighten the load on students in the course? Is it to encourage working through complex concepts? Is it to encourage feedback?
These questions will help nail down the best approach to facilitating collaboration in a course.
References
- Caruso, H.M., & Wooley, A.W. (2008). Harnessing the power of emergent interdependence to promote diverse team collaboration. Diversity and Groups, 11, 245-266.
- Mannix, E., & Neale, M.A. (2005). What differences make a difference? The promise and reality of diverse teams in organizations. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 6(2), 31-55.