Collaboration within the education process is important as it enhances the learning and engagement of students. Technology has now provided numerous channels through which collaboration can be enhanced to enrich the education process for online students.
- Communication tools
There are now collaborative communication tools that enable teachers to enhance collaboration among their students. These tools allow students within a course to create content and presentations and post them on a public blackboard. These tools could also be used for guided discussions on specific topics and allow students to actively engage with content and topics from any point in the world. Such communication tools include Wakelet, Microsoft Office 365, and Padlet. These platforms allow educators to engage with their students and allow for peer-to-peer discussions among the students.
- Immersive learning tools
Immersive learning tools include technology that incorporates augmented reality and Virtual Reality. Such tools allow students to visit and observe different spaces all from the comfort of their classrooms or homes. These tools allow the students to record any part of their daily lives including places they have visited or content they have created and present it to their fellow students. Students can therefore craft any story and share their content with the rest of the classroom using these platforms. Some of the immersive learning tools include CoSpacesEDU and MergeEDU which give their students an opportunity and platform for digital storytelling.
- Game-Based learning
Game-based learning is a fun way to create a collaborative space for students. Game-based learning allows students to creatively solve problems in a game-like setting which makes it interesting and fun for the students. The educators can view data from the games in real-time and provide any feedback to their students.
- Learning platforms with designed collaborative features
Finally, there are platforms that have incorporated collaboration within their user design to better engage students and educators. Platforms such as Microsoft Classroom and Google Classroom have effectively tailored their design to allow for greater collaboration. As such, the platforms allow for greater communication between the students and educators as well as their families. These platforms also allow for public discussions and posting content related to specific topics and courses which enhances student engagement and collaboration.
Technology has definitely eased the process of online learning through enhancing collaboration and student engagement. There is now a wide variety of information and technology tools to explore as an educator to enhance collaboration within the classroom.