Week 10

Another class checked off the list. WHEW!~

Suz

Week 9

It was interesting to read the feedback on our paper, but the lack of constructive critique was just what I expect from our class culture at this point. I would prefer more expert insight from everyone involved in the assessment. I dont' feel like I am getting anything out of this that will make me a better writer in this area of study, and that is a major disappointment.

Week 8, Paper is in.

This week we wrapped our paper. It was great to see how well a wiki can work in experienced hands. However, bringing up rear in the editing position was a challenge. The flow of logic and style consistency across five contributors can be a prose nightmare. Overall, I was more satisfied with the process and product than in previous projects, but this still had a long way to go to meet my standards.

Week 7

Top three steps to building community

1. Choose tools that every can use or learn to use comfortably and rapidly
2. Have a motivating reason to connect
3. Be an example of frequency, tone, and content

Our writing process is going fairly well. it certainly is better than in previous courses. i think we are all learning better strategies for unpacking a task and completing it successfully. It is really exciting to be a part of a process that is noticably improving.

Week 6 Blog

Write notes related to your online course audience, communication barriers and the context, conditions and consequences that may occur.

My audience is international, and our biggest barrier is language. Our organization tends ot be ethnocentric, causing further conflict and resentment. I do my best to respect the contexts and needs of my leaners by being sensitive to their local practices and using simple syntax. Paying attention to these issues makes my distant Subject Matter Experts more cooperative because they feel respected. I think the learners also notice when someone from thier American employer has considered their needs when designing online courses. I also get to learn a lot about toher cultures, and I value the opportunity tremendously!

Week 4: Group Norming and Bonded Behaviors

Our readings this week and outside materials helped me to reflect on the value of cohesion to task oriented interactivity. What I am realizing is that through my conversations with Clarice, I am gaining a sense of her as a person. This is a wonderful connection, and I am far less likely to do the minimum when collaborating with her or to 'let her down' with the quality or timeliness of my contributions. Although I normed somewhat with my other group members in previous classes, I now believe, the introduction process needs to be repeated for each group. The bonds were easy to break, and we did not maintain them. Our OTL program has no sense of continuous community! This is an important part of the collaborative timeline that designers should not overlook. Opening up the groups and requiring team guidelines, as the first activity does not do the trick, I am finding. Even icebreakers only result in thinly bridged communication and behavior. The genuine connections or strong motivations bringing groups together organically are most powerful at affecting the success of the collaboration product.

On Consensus

Coming to agreements online has advantages and disadvantages. While the asynchronous and automatically archived environment allows participants with a variety of conpeting demands an opportunity to have an equally weighted voice in making choices, groups with varied backgrounds and cultural norms may have divergent expectations. Further, without a norming period to expose the intrests and abilities of the group members, drawing on expertise or creating motivating project frameworks is difficult.