Can't Get Enough of Collaboration!

My background is actually in theater - so collaborative learning, and the way that a librarian can position his/herself in a collaborative learning environment by developing a virtual learning commons, or working with teachers to come up with innovative supplementary projects to enhance learning is particularly exciting to me. More and more, the "official" library code seems to be embracing collaboration. The AASL Guidelines for School Library Media Programs state “Perhaps a better way to think of 21st century learning environments is as the support systems that organize the condition in which humans learn best – systems that accommodate the unique learning needs of every learner and support the positive human relationships needed for effective learning." (emphasis mine). "Effective learning" is tied to collaboration in practical rhetoric, and not just in the writings of Lave et. al.

21st century librarians who work in education, whether it be academic or K-12, need to embrace collaboration in my opinion. The library is the ideal space outside of the classroom for students to collaborate on projects to enhance learning, and apply the knowledge that they've learned in classrooms to "real-life" situations. Librarians themselves can model good collaborative behavior by encouraging teachers to work with them to develop supplemental learning experiences for students.

Online Learning vs. Face-2-Face

There are any number of built in differences between online learning and face-2-face learning including nondirect teacher-student interaction and student-student interaction and presentation of material. One of the major differences I've seen as an online student at San Jose that differs from my face-to-face previous experiences with learning is in assessment. I actually think that in the best scenarios, online learning leads to more in-depth feedback - both from the instructor to the student, and in the student's own self-evaluation. I'm not sure what the "scientific" reason for this is, or even if it's more just been my own personal experience, but perhaps because it's one of the few ways that I get to directly interact with my professor (and vice versa) I find the feedback that I receive from online instructors on my work to be more in-depth and organized around assessment principles. By requiring students to submit their thoughts once a week, and reply to each other's work (which is the case with most online courses I've taken), as an individual I'm forced to think about what I've learned and reflect on it on a regular basis, and as a peer, I'm engaging with my fellow students on their thoughts. This doesn't necessarily happen in a 100-person lecture, or even in a small 15-class seminar.

In addition, the lack of opportunities for traditional "sage on stage" lecturing techniques means that online learning tends to be more constructivist which I feel lends itself to more opportunities to self-evaluate and ponder what we learn, rather than just take in knowledge.

As an online student, I often miss the camaraderie of a physical classroom that develops between teachers and students and between students and students. But on the whole, I've found the online experience to be rewarding as it requires me to have more ownership of my education, which ultimately allows me personally to take in and apply knowledge more.