Using collaboration as an instructional strategy

In our distributed world, where people move from place to place and still communicate with each other and develop work products together, it is necessary to understand how to collaborate productively in a virtual environment. So, there is a pragmatic side to the emphasis in collaboration.

At the same time, it is important to keep in mind that we use Moodle precisely for its structure, which encourages learning from each other. The ability to contribute to glossaries, wikis, and other collaborative activities allows students to contribute knowledge in a way that reinforces and rewards. Thus, it is an instructional strategy that brings together motivation, self-confidence, and curiosity, which creates conditions for learning. It is also a way to reinforce prior knowledge and build on experience as students recall past learning, add to what they already know, and reflect on what others are contributing.

Thus, collaboration can be a very effective...