Monday 17 March 2014

Distance Learning Tips for Online Group Work Success

In online courses, students are required to virtually participate in group projects with three to five students in their teams. Even in a face to face class, usually team members will need to collaborate in a virtual environment in order to share documents and exchange ideas . I came across a nice resource on how to successfully accomplish a group project in a virtual environment.
Some excerpts from this resource:
"Distance learning group work is often a challenging task for many online learners. Reasons abound for the complexity associated with this type of online learning assignment; however, group projects are manageable even with all the stories you may have heard from others. The key to success boils down to one basic principle – communication. This leads to building a bond or sense of community with other members in a group.
Besides communication, successful completion of distance learning group assignments and projects requires a proactive mind-set on your part. Once an online learning group project is assigned and group members are identified, it is essential to contact other members immediately to begin building a community within the group. Positive group dynamics is important to building a successful community relationship."
Remember 'Last minute contribution by a group member is a leading contributor of group failure' .
Read the whole article by David R. Wetzel on how to successfully contribute virtually in a group  project at: 

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