Digital Collaboration
Digital collaboration is the ability to take part in digital teams and working groups to meet specific goals, using shared tools and media. The capacity to participate in digital teams and working groups; to collaborate effectively using shared digital tools and media; to work towards shared objectives; to produce shared materials; to use shared calendars and task lists and other project management applications; to work effectively across cultural, social and linguistic boundaries.
Use the below guiding questions and resources to design and plan your assessment and learning resources/activities to support student development of digital collaboration capabilities.
Student learning outcome examples
- Collaborate effectively across digital platforms reaching shared goals
- Work in a respectful manner across diverse teams
- Use shared calendars, task lists and other project management applications effectively
- Use shared file storage effectively
- Use shared documents effectively
- Assist others to collaborate effectively
- Lead digital teams
Assessment design
Example assessment types may include:
- Use appropriate digital tools including artificial intelligence to create accurate meeting summaries (eg. minutes)
- Evaluate the affordances and limitations of a range of digital tools to support teamwork
- Reflect on the effectiveness of digital tools in supporting team collaboration
- Use document sharing to collaborate on a team project and digitally record individual student contributions
- Use shared digital tools to document progress and completion of milestones in a team project
Capability development case examples
Digital charter creation
- Separate the students into groups and ask them to create a group work digital charter which demonstrates how they will communicate, i.e. with respect, and what strategies will they use online to maximise their collaboration – this might include tools and platforms.
- Ask each group to share their charter with the class. Show them other charters such as this one.
- Finally, have each group finalise their charter together and sign it.
Digital tools
- Ask your tutorial to provide all the digital collaboration tools they use at home, at university and in practice as health professionals (if online – students can populate the whiteboard themselves).
- Separate students into groups and give them a technology suggested on the board. Ask the students to assess the technology for its advantages, disadvantages, risks, tone and appropriateness for different contexts. Have them present their answers to the class.
Resources:
- 30 of the best digital collaboration tools for students(Teach Thought, website)
- Collaborative learning in the digital space(Times Higher Education, website)
- Share Your Calendar in Outlook(Microsoft, website)
- 18 Online Collaboration Tools You Haven’t Heard Of (Biteable, YouTube video)
