Good idea this brainstorming.
I have a couple of experiences to throw into the pot. I'm currently in
grad school (at a "mature" age) and in a few classes over the last several
years I've had to collaborate with classmastes on a project.
The first was in 3D design. We were given an epic poem and asked to create
something to present to the rest of the class. We were also asked to pay
attention to our responses as we worked together and discuss these after
the presentation. This was the most interesting and useful of the
collaborations. I watched myself bargain about design ideas--both
internally and externally--making compromises that I would not have had to
consider if I were working alone. The reporting was very informative.
The other collaborations have required private reporting (on paper
directly to professor), much less, or no reporting.
What I find most interesting is that, as far as I can tell, all of these
efforts were isolated. The instructor initiated the effort and used the
results for his/her work. None of this was at the department or school
level.
So--my first idea is to initiate ways of encouraging conscious responses
and discussion about collaborative efforts--and making this a thread
through the whole program so that this is an overarching effort thru all
classes--and understood to be so.
Anne Tyler
University of New Mexico
--anne r tylerds <tylerar@unm.edu>
Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>