“Whether learning is regarded as occurring through social media, bulletin boards, or in traditional face-to-face settings, figures from Plato through Vygotsky have located either in their theory or their practice the role of dialogue and social interchange as central to learning and development.”
(Friesen & Lowe, 2012)
(Friesen & Lowe, 2012)
Collaboration situated in traditional face to face environments has tremendous value and is responsible for some of the worlds most innovative and creative ideas. So . . . .
- Why should we consider the “digital environment” as an effective means of collaboration?
- Is “virtual” collaboration better than traditional face to face methods?
- What can we gain from seeking out collaborative opportunities on the world wide web?
Although these questions will differ depending on who you ask, digital collaboration is a valuable space that nurtures innovation and creativity. Collaboration in digital environments provides globally connected learning and sharing opportunities, ubiquitous access, and personalized learning scenarios that nurture individual creativity. It appears to be "leading to greater literate participation in a wide range of activities, brought on by the ease of writing, greater linking of ideas and texts, and at least the promise of universal access to knowledge" (Dobson & Willinsky, 2009).
Globally Connected Collaboration
The world wide web is a massive environment full of opportunities. Billions of people access the web daily and when they are online they can connect with people from all over the world. Alexander (2008) believes that when students write and exchange ideas on social networking sites, their work is presented to global audiences and as a result participants reflect and find deeper understanding in the work they share online. In Mizuko Ito’s (2013) research report Connected Learning: An Agenda For Research & Design, a convincing argument is made for the power and importance of “Connected Learning” and the digital environments that nurture creativity and learning in these spaces. In her report, Ito (2013) makes a strong connection between online gaming and the collaborative process. Ito (2013) states that gaming can be a digital space that requires and enhances collaborative skills due to the complexities of web oriented media environments. A fundamental theme of “connected collaboration” is the idea of strength in numbers. If we connect with a large number of diverse people, thoughts and ideas will morph and be manipulated in ways not possible when in smaller homogeneous groups.
The world wide web is a massive environment full of opportunities. Billions of people access the web daily and when they are online they can connect with people from all over the world. Alexander (2008) believes that when students write and exchange ideas on social networking sites, their work is presented to global audiences and as a result participants reflect and find deeper understanding in the work they share online. In Mizuko Ito’s (2013) research report Connected Learning: An Agenda For Research & Design, a convincing argument is made for the power and importance of “Connected Learning” and the digital environments that nurture creativity and learning in these spaces. In her report, Ito (2013) makes a strong connection between online gaming and the collaborative process. Ito (2013) states that gaming can be a digital space that requires and enhances collaborative skills due to the complexities of web oriented media environments. A fundamental theme of “connected collaboration” is the idea of strength in numbers. If we connect with a large number of diverse people, thoughts and ideas will morph and be manipulated in ways not possible when in smaller homogeneous groups.
“The networked and digital world offers expanded access to information, communities of interest, and connections across settings . . . infrastructures that encourage young people to share their work, skill, and knowledge with others across networks, groups, and communities boost learning and social connection.”
Mizuko Ito (Anthropologist)
Mizuko Ito (Anthropologist)
Ubiquitous Access
Technology is everywhere and readily available to everyone through a multitude of devices and platforms. Within our digitally accessible world, open source systems and virtual environments increase "public access to and participation in the production of digital texts of every sort" (Dobson & Willinsky, 2009). It is the mass acceptance and consistent access to digital tools that help define collaboration as fundamental and “natural” in digital environments. Learning and collaboration are nurtured with ease in web environments. Ito (2013) declares that these networks provide unique situations for participants to access a vast amount of knowledge across all settings. It is important that all voices are heard in collaborative settings. The omnipresent nature of the digital world ensures that everyone can contribute as equals in any collaboration process they choose. Digital collaborative environments insist that everyone contributes by bringing a unique set of skills to the experience and this ensures that all participants are engaged because exchange, communication and sharing are natural and reciprocal (Ito, 2013). Digital environments provide great unbiased opportunity for anyone to collaborate in. When people are digitally connected in collaborative spaces, they are free to explore, connect, and borrow knowledge freely and in authentic ways.
Technology is everywhere and readily available to everyone through a multitude of devices and platforms. Within our digitally accessible world, open source systems and virtual environments increase "public access to and participation in the production of digital texts of every sort" (Dobson & Willinsky, 2009). It is the mass acceptance and consistent access to digital tools that help define collaboration as fundamental and “natural” in digital environments. Learning and collaboration are nurtured with ease in web environments. Ito (2013) declares that these networks provide unique situations for participants to access a vast amount of knowledge across all settings. It is important that all voices are heard in collaborative settings. The omnipresent nature of the digital world ensures that everyone can contribute as equals in any collaboration process they choose. Digital collaborative environments insist that everyone contributes by bringing a unique set of skills to the experience and this ensures that all participants are engaged because exchange, communication and sharing are natural and reciprocal (Ito, 2013). Digital environments provide great unbiased opportunity for anyone to collaborate in. When people are digitally connected in collaborative spaces, they are free to explore, connect, and borrow knowledge freely and in authentic ways.
“The open terms of access to online services and the practices of open source software development, for example, render these services and tools inherently ‘democratic’ in nature. They therefore ‘empower’.”
(Friesen & Lowe, 2012)
(Friesen & Lowe, 2012)
Creativity & Personalized Learning
In a recent TED talk presentation, Ken Robinson states that creativity is just as important as literacy but that within our education system, it is not nurtured or encouraged to be brought to it’s full potential in our students (Robinson, 2007). Kids and all learners need to be allowed to work and collaborate in environments that not only allow for freedom to explore the creativity process, but also provide students with opportunities to engage in learning scenarios that are valued by each individual. Digital environments provide participants with an unprecedented amount of opportunities and tools to explore and collaborate in. The open source nature of the web has enabled the user to acquire knowledge, combine it with previous learning, and re-create it as a new idea. Rice University Professor Richard Baraniuk describes a web phenomenon that uses creativity and collaboration to produce new works with the potential of revolutionizing the textbook. Baraniuk (2007) describes an online creative environment that participates in a “create - rip - mix - burn” process where entities are created, borrowed, altered, and then re- distributed as a new work, and he insists that this online collaborative environment is a vibrant interactive community that is current, connected, and innovative. We know that “original ideas” always come from something else but are influenced by trends in culture and current technologies. This is evident in Steve Jobs’ creation of the iPod. Even though the iPod is essentially a walkman, it’s inception stems from a remixing, using technology of the time based on what society desires. This spirit of borrowing and reshaping, speaks to the digital collaboration process at its core. Ito (2013) declares that working in digital environments, nurtures creativity and personalized learning by allowing the user to reframe, sample , and remix. This process is a valuable and necessary step towards creativity.
In a recent TED talk presentation, Ken Robinson states that creativity is just as important as literacy but that within our education system, it is not nurtured or encouraged to be brought to it’s full potential in our students (Robinson, 2007). Kids and all learners need to be allowed to work and collaborate in environments that not only allow for freedom to explore the creativity process, but also provide students with opportunities to engage in learning scenarios that are valued by each individual. Digital environments provide participants with an unprecedented amount of opportunities and tools to explore and collaborate in. The open source nature of the web has enabled the user to acquire knowledge, combine it with previous learning, and re-create it as a new idea. Rice University Professor Richard Baraniuk describes a web phenomenon that uses creativity and collaboration to produce new works with the potential of revolutionizing the textbook. Baraniuk (2007) describes an online creative environment that participates in a “create - rip - mix - burn” process where entities are created, borrowed, altered, and then re- distributed as a new work, and he insists that this online collaborative environment is a vibrant interactive community that is current, connected, and innovative. We know that “original ideas” always come from something else but are influenced by trends in culture and current technologies. This is evident in Steve Jobs’ creation of the iPod. Even though the iPod is essentially a walkman, it’s inception stems from a remixing, using technology of the time based on what society desires. This spirit of borrowing and reshaping, speaks to the digital collaboration process at its core. Ito (2013) declares that working in digital environments, nurtures creativity and personalized learning by allowing the user to reframe, sample , and remix. This process is a valuable and necessary step towards creativity.
“Digital content isn’t just about viewing and consumption . . . actively creating, making, producing, experimenting, remixing, decoding, performing, and designing is engaging and resilient. These are activities when learning becomes tied to self-expression and identity, supported in a group context.”
Mizuko Ito (Anthropologist)
Mizuko Ito (Anthropologist)
Three Pillars of Collaborative Digital Enviroments