Excellent Collaboration

Today I had the opportunity to work with a colleague and do some collaborative marking. It was an unusually pleasant experience and has allowed me to re-think some of my future assignments.

The experience really showed the importance of clearly communicating expectations/criteria. It was interesting to see what we thought obvious in the assignment was treated with almost complete disregard by the students. The conversation that was centered around outcomes and assessment was personally fulfilling. Sometimes it seems it is not the assignment itself, but the conversation that is created where true learning and understanding occurs. When I reflect on how the two of us were able to get through the marking, while talking, asking questions was quite dynamic and engaging.

What does this mean for me? Learning takes place when students are engaged...Engaged in the assignment and engaged with each other. Hopefully my students move beyond the thought of collaboration as "copying" which too often occurs. My next task....to create an engaging project that allows good collaboration.