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A3 Global Virtual Collaboration Transcript

ETEC 565M
Sam Zimmer
Introduction Teamwork skills have always been essential to working effectively. But now,
a growing number of workers are learning to collaborate remotely, often
with people they have never met face to face via a global virtual team or
GVT (Taras et al., 2013). While many workplaces use teleconferencing and
fixed videoconferences, there is increasingly more inclusion of mobile
technologies to facilitate anytime, anywhere collaboration. In fact, this year
about 50% of American workers engaged in some form of remote team
work (Dwahan and Chamorro-Premuzik, 2018).

So how are educators preparing students for this leap to global virtual
collaboration?
About Me Hi, I’m Sam Zimmer, a student in UBC’s Master of Educational Technology
Program. Back in 2014, when I took on my first freelance editing project (of
a blog about work gloves), I had no idea that I was joining the global
workforce of remote workers. Since then, I have completed more than 100
writing and admin projects for major companies like PepsiCo, Hershey’s, and
Johnson & Johnson. I used email, skype, FTPs, and Google’s suite of
programs, to virtually collaborate with stakeholders in different countries
who I have never met in person.

This wealth of experience, in tandem with 4 years of international teaching,


equip me with a unique perspective to assess the changes in global
collaboration appearing on the horizon, and make suggestions as to how
educators can effectively prepare the students of today for the workplace of
tomorrow.

Theoretical Backing Most teachers and employers wouldn’t hesitate to hail collaboration as an
important skillset for students to develop.

From a theoretical perspective, Situated Learning Theory can shed some


light on why collaboration is so importance. Situated Learning Theory
highlights the importance of an activity’s context and culture in the learning
process (Zurita and Baloian, 2015). From this perspective, a learner works as
an information processor, constructing knowledge by making connections
between the patterns, behavior and processes that they observe (Bandura,
1977). In this way each learner is an active participant in their learning,
rather than a passive recipient of knowledge, as if it were an object that
could be handed off (Cobb and Bowers, 1999). In essence, this view suggests
that it is through interaction with peers or a community of practice, that we
construct knowledge and learn.

As if that weren’t enough of an impetus to develop solid collaborative skills,


teams create synergy. Participants bring unique perspectives that can
bounce off of each other, and even solve problems or achieve goals that
would be too complex to tackle individually (Cleaves, 2015). There’s a reason
that we still use the phrase “two heads are better than one.” Synergy from
teamwork can yield creative solutions.
A3 Global Virtual Collaboration Transcript
ETEC 565M
Sam Zimmer

While teamwork isn’t always easy (a conversation I’ve had with more than
one of my students), learning to collaborate effectively is a critical life skill.
The importance of which should not be underestimated.

But it’s the burgeoning demand for global collaboration that is new. As more
teamwork takes place in virtual environments, we need to expand our
skillsets to keep up. Cultural differences that might be obvious when arriving
in another country can be invisible in a virtual environment (Hewling, 2005).
Developing greater intercultural competence through situated learning
experiences can help students to succeed in the GVTs they will one day join
in the workforce.

Forecast Traditionally, teachers have supported collaborative learning by pairing or


grouping students within the classroom environment so they can work
together on a designated task. Educators looking to expand beyond the
classroom might have coordinated a pen pal exchange with another class.

In the face of rapid technological development over the last 10 years, many
innovative teachers have also created class twitter accounts, or used
emerging platforms like ePals to facilitate learning within a broader learning
network.

But where are we going? What affordances might mobile development and
other emerging technologies allow? How might they facilitate situated
learning for global virtual teams?

Suppose a teacher could easily pair up their class with students in another
school, across the country, or across the world. From their mobile devices –
using applications that already exist like IM, file sharing, or discussion
boards, but in an integrated platform, students could communicate with
partners or groups that are geographically distant.

Be it a novel study or a world issues problem solving assignment, mobile


technologies can be used to facilitate meaningful learning experiences with
diverse participants.

Benefits Working in a GVT provides students with an experience for rich, cross-
cultural learning without the time or cost of a physical exchange program
(Taras et al., 2013). No longer will global collaborative projects be reserved
for the wealthy few.

Working across cultures can also yield the benefit of helping to break down
prejudices, whereas a lack of exposure to other groups can lead to conflict
(Taras, et al., 2013). Through experience in GVTs and other collaborations,
students can increase their intercultural competence and learn to interpret
the cues of others, even in more ambiguous virtual environments (Taras et
A3 Global Virtual Collaboration Transcript
ETEC 565M
Sam Zimmer
al., 2013). The result? Productive cognitive conflict, a space where real
situated learning can occur (Cleaves, 2015).

A 2014 study from the University of Oslo carried out a global collaborative
project for high school students from four countries: Canada, Norway,
Sweden, and China (Korsager et al.). Students were put into small groups
and tasked with a number of specific activities related to climate change
(Korsager et al., 2014). The teams identified climate related issues that
impacted all four of the countries, making connections between national
and international contexts (Korsager et al., 2014). The teams engaged in
discussion based brainstorming, planning, and created a shared wiki with
their findings (Korsager et al., 2014). The result? The students who
interacted most with their international peers showed the greatest
conceptual development linking the causes and effects of climate change
(Korsager et al., 2014).

Obstacles As with any activities that involve students sharing data on the internet,
participant security and privacy is of critical concern. How can we ensure
students and their data remain safe and secure as we figuratively knock
down classroom walls?

We must also acknowledge that teamwork on its own is not enough to


guarantee learning (Korsager et al., 2014). GVTs and other collaborative
projects require active participation to yield learning benefits to an
individual (Cobb and Bowers, 1999). While this will often come down to an
individual taking responsibility for their learning, educators can also help to
set GVT projects up for success by tasking students with specific assignments
that yield an interdependent group outcome (Cleaves, 2015). This shared
responsibility should include cooperative decision making to imbue the
process with group accountability (Cleaves, 2015).

Conclusion Moving forward, I predict more partnerships between teachers to facilitate


rich GVT projects for students across geography and cultures. A richer
community of practice for educators could make this process easier. The
tools for global collaboration are already in use, many through mobile
devices and already in classrooms. But an overarching platform that
incorporates all of these functionalities while protecting student safety and
privacy could help to make the benefits of global virtual collaboration more
accessible to all. I expect to see more of these integrated platforms emerge
in the coming years.

This is Sam signing off. Thanks for listening

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