The group has a total of six members including me. The BLACKBOARD chat room is the university’s website where we can discuss group work and share ideas and thoughts. The social learning theory postulates that interaction and dialogue are the key elements of learning (Bandura in Paulus 2005, p. 111). According to the social theory of computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL), learning is a process of knowledge creation rather than knowledge transmission (Paulus 2005, p. 112). Interaction with my teacher and my peers through the discussion boards and blackboard proves the essence of the social theory of CSCL. I looked forward to accessing the discussion boards as I was able to get multiple perspectives on one topic. Not only did the discussion board activities broaden my perspective, but I also improved greatly in my approach to research and the completion of tasks. The regular discussion board activities increased my knowledge and understanding of the topics and motivated me to shell out more information through my research. Each student added a new perspective to the discussion board which made this highly interesting and challenging for me.
As a group, we worked well through the virtual channels. With a clear set of instructions, deadlines in place, and clear roles, we were able to accomplish individual tasks to achieve the common goal. All members of the group added to the overall performance of the PowerPoint presentation which we put up as a team. Every member played an important role in the completion of the assignment. The blackboard and discussion board activities helped us enhance group dynamics so that we were better able to communicate and effectively complete our presentation. The group members shared thoughts and ideas through the common portal. We were able to actively interact with our professor who guided us with his knowledge and skills.
As a group, we had to make a report presented to a case study given to us. We were required to employ our research skills and presentation techniques for the completion of this project. Since we were six of us, including me, we decided to divide the tasks among each of us. We used the cooperative approach for the completion of our task and achieving the final goal. The individual tasks were divided and competed individually through a cooperative approach (Paulus 2005 p. 112). The use of the cooperative approach helped us learn the dynamic of task division such as individual responsibility, division of labor, and task specialization (Paulus 2005 p. 112). Since the cooperative approach is a teacher-structured one, our professor engaged us with systematic instructions to ensure that as a small group of six learners, we worked together towards a common goal. The mechanisms of cooperative learning helped us to interact positively with each other so we learned the dynamic of positive interdependence. The most important lesson learned during the completion of the task is the appropriate division of labor by assigning a specific role to each member of the group. As such, the success of the goal is dependent on the accomplishment of each member of the team.
Reference
Paulus, T 2005. ‘Collaborative and Cooperative Approaches to Online Group Work: The impact of task type’, Distance Education, Vol. 26, No. 1, pp. 111–125. Web.