1. BY
L
Bridges
NOT
FOR
DISTRIBUTION
Collaborative
Projects
across
the
Curriculum
If
we
are
to
examine
the
use
of
ICT
within
the
classroom,
it
can
be
stated
that
the
communication
potentials
that
are
derived
from
its
use
ultimately
expand
the
opportunities
for
interaction
“far
beyond
the
four
walls
of
the
classroom”
(O’Rourke,
2003,
p.
163).
The
use
of
collaborative
learning
projects
is
becoming
a
common
phenomenon
around
the
globe,
with
educators
highlighting
their
enthusiasm
for
the
positive
outcomes
associated
with
its
use.
Abas
(2004)
notes
that
such
a
project
allows
two
or
more
schools
to
work
together
on
the
same
task
through
the
use
of
Internet
facilities.
This
allows
students
to
share
information,
reflect
on
alternative
perspectives,
assist
peers
with
problem
solving
and
collaborate
to
enhance
knowledge,
skills
and
beliefs.
Bandura
(1971,
as
cited
in
Paulus,
2005)
believes
that
in
order
for
meaningful
learning
to
occur,
students
must
be
exposed
to
interaction
and
dialogue
with
their
peers.
Paulus
(2005,
p.
111)
notes
a
main
aim
for
using
collaborative
projects
is
to
have
students
actively
involved
in
collaborative
dialogue
in
order
to
construct
and
develop
new
knowledge.
Harriman
(2003)
believes
that
collaborative
projects
provide
students
with
in-­‐depth
exploration
of
a
specific
topic,
while
Paulus
(2005)
further
notes
that
there
is
a
double
outcome
from
being
involved
in
such
projects.
Students
learn
from
their
peers
while
also
working
together
to
complete
a
set
task.
The
following
document
will
closely
explore
the
benefits
of
using
collaborative
projects
within
the
classroom,
results
from
case
studies
relating
to
integration
of
collaborative
projects
and
possible
reasons
that
some
educators
are
apprehensive
about
including
such
projects
in
their
programs.
In
a
research
project
conducted
in
2001,
results
revealed
that
the
majority
of
teachers
interviewed
used
the
Internet
as
an
“electronic
library”
as
opposed
to
a
communication
tool
(Sackett,
2001,
as
cited
in
Harris,
2002,
p.
2).
Another
study
undertaken
in
1998
stated
that
sixty-­‐eight
per
cent
of
educators
involved
in
the
survey
used
the
Internet
as
merely
an
information
resource,
only
seven
per
cent
had
students
use
e-­‐mail
and
even
less
than
this
engaged
in
collaborative
projects
across
the
curriculum.
In
2002,
Harris
attempted
to
discover
the
reasons
for
the
seemingly
high
hesitation
to
engage
in
collaborative
projects
displayed
by
some
educators.
The
author
concluded
that
activities,
which
Paulus
(2005)
describes
as
“cooperative”,
were
far
more
popular
than
those
that
involved
collaboration.
While
Harris
(2002)
notes
that
cooperation
activities
are
easier
to
implement
as
they
essentially
involve
students
dividing
the
workload
and
completing
tasks
individually,
Paupus
(2005)
stresses
that
when
cooperation
activities
are
used
solely,
opportunities
for
interaction
and,
in
turn,
meaning
making
are
lost.
Schrage
(1990,
as
cited
in
Paulus,
2005,
p.
113)
explains
that
collaboration
is
“a
process
of
shared
creation:
two
or
more
individuals
with
complementary
skills
interacting
to
create
a
shared
understanding
that
none
had
previously
possessed
or
could
have
come
to
on
their
own.”
A
critical
component
of
collaboration
is
the
use
of
dialogue,
which
allows
students
to
see
multiple
perspectives
through
the
sharing
of
thoughts
resulting
in
the
making
of
new
meanings
and
knowledge.
Harris
(2002,
p.5)
feels
that
teachers
steer
away
from
collaborative
projects
as
she
believes
“the
more
that
we
have
to
negotiate
with
others,
what
we
are
and
will
be
doing
during
a
learning
activity,
the
more
challenging
the
activity
is
to
conduct.”
Although
more
time
consuming
and
demanding
for
teachers,
collaborative
projects
expose
students
to
numerous
benefits
that
will
not
be
gained
from
engaging
in
cooperative
activities
alone
(Harris,
2002).
In
order
for
this
to
occur,
Bigum
(2001,
as
cited
in
O’Rourke,
2003)
notes
that
there
needs
to
be
an
overall
shift
in
the
way
educators
view
ICT
within
education.
No
longer
are
teachers
to
look
at
the
Internet
as
a
mere
information
provider
but
rather
as
a
tool
to
enhance
1

2. BY
L
Bridges
NOT
FOR
DISTRIBUTION
learning
experiences.
Harriman
(2003,
p.
3)
claims,
“it
is
not
the
technology
that
makes
the
difference,
but
rather
the
way
it
is
used.”
Heppell
(2007)
furthers
this
by
noting
that
educators
need
to
look
at
the
value
that
computers
can
bring
to
a
learning
experience
rather
than
just
using
them
to
deliver
the
curriculum.
Soloway,
Norris,
Blumenfeld,
Fishman,
Krajcik
and
Marx
(2000)
discuss
four
types
of
discourse
that
are
beneficial
to
student
learning
but
ultimately
difficult
to
incorporate
without
ICT.
The
authors
note
that
students
appreciate
having
an
audience
not
only
to
view
but
also
critique
their
work;
they
respond
to
working
in
teams
with
their
peers
and
often
benefit
from
peer
tutoring.
All
these
elements
are
offered
through
the
use
of
collaborative
projects.
As
seen
in
the
ivideo,
there
are
a
number
of
benefits
that
can
be
gained
from
engaging
in
online
collaborative
projects.
The
ivideo
shows
how
students
think
and
feel
about
working
with
other
students
across
the
nation
and
the
globe
in
order
to
complete
projects.
Jackson
(1999)
highlights
the
numerous
skills
her
class
has
gained
from
engaging
in
online
collaborative
learning
projects.
Such
skills
include
analytical
and
descriptive
writing,
visual
design,
critical
thinking,
online
research
and
constructive
dialogue.
Harriman
(2003)
discussed
with
students
from
two
schools
in
Sydney,
their
feelings
towards
collaborative
projects
after
being
involved
in
an
online
simulation
project.
Students
commented
on
their
experience
explaining
that
they
enjoyed
weighing
up
ideas,
being
able
to
direct
the
action,
develop
their
negotiating
skills
and
think
strategically.
The
teacher
also
commented
on
the
overall
increase
in
motivation
and
engagement
she
witnessed
across
the
year
group.
Students
were
so
engrossed
in
the
project
that
they
spent
much
of
their
free
time
conducting
additional
research
and
discussing
ways
to
solve
the
problems
they
encountered
(Harriman,
2003).
The
author
stated
that
students
valued
working
with
peers
from
other
schools,
as
they
found
they
were
less
likely
to
be
swayed
or
influenced
by
friends
and
could
put
forth
their
opinions
honestly
in
a
safe
and
non-­‐threatening
environment.
Jackson
(1999)
noted
that
her
students
thrived
on
the
opportunity
to
work
with
a
class
from
another
state,
sharing
research
and
offering
reactions
and
feedback
to
each
other’s
work.
Jackson
(1999)
believes
that
there
are
a
number
of
positive
outcomes
from
working
with
others,
not
only
do
collaborative
projects
help
to
strengthen
relationships
between
peers,
but
also
amongst
the
staff
involved
in
the
projects.
Harriman
(2003)
highlights,
that
it
is
through
this
type
of
work
that
students
are
able
to
see
situations
from
alternative
perspectives,
which
is
an
essential
life
skill.
It
is
important
to
note
that
Harriman
(2003)
explains
that
involvement
in
such
projects
does
not,
in
fact,
enhance
students
computing
skills.
This
is
not
necessarily
a
negative
outcome,
it
only
displays
that
the
technology
has
been
used
in
a
way
to
enhance
the
learning
experience
and
is
not
just
a
separate
tool
disengaged
from
the
learning.
O’Rourke
(2003)
did
note,
however,
that
many
students
struggled
to
use
their
time
efficiently
when
left
to
work
on
computers
and
some
found
working
within
a
team
quite
challenging.
There
are
a
number
of
ways
in
which
educators
can
undergo
implementing
collaborative
projects
into
their
teaching.
Reading
the
blogs
posted
by
Shields
(2009)
highlights
how
she
was
able
to
easily
make
contact
with
schools
in
Taiwan,
Uganda
and
Australia
through
Skype
in
school
and
the
‘online
projects
for
teachers’
website.
From
this
experience,
Shields
(2009)
noted
that
her
students
were
captivated
by
the
prospect
of
making
contact
with
people
from
all
over
the
world
and
enjoyed
hearing
their
thoughts
and
ideas.
Another
way
teachers
can
implement
collaborative
projects
is
through
iEARN
(International
Education
and
Resource
2

3. BY
L
Bridges
NOT
FOR
DISTRIBUTION
Network),
which
is
a
non-­‐profit
global
network
that
aids
teachers
in
using
the
Internet
and
other
technologies
to
collaborate
on
projects
that
enhance
learning
(International
Education
and
Resource
Network,
2011).
iEARN
projects
use
a
variety
of
ICT,
including
newsgroups,
email,
web
pages
and
video-­‐conferencing.
iEarn
recommends
that
teachers
consider
how
their
chosen
project
will
assist
with
curriculum
aims
and
stresses
that
teachers
do
not
need
to
be
highly
proficient
with
technology
in
order
for
projects
to
be
successful
(Carter,
2011).
In
the
demanding
world
of
the
21st
Century,
any
opportunity
to
enhance
student
learning
should
be
seized.
Collaborative
projects
offer
one
avenue
and,
due
to
the
positive
outcomes
associated
with
this
form
of
education,
should
be
considered
more
closely
by
teachers
when
designing
learning
programs.
After
engaging
in
this
research
project,
I
was
able
to
see
the
enormous
benefits
that
can
be
gained
from
having
students
complete
collaborative
projects
across
the
curriculum.
While
I
do
acknowledge
that
such
projects
are
time
consuming,
there
are
many
programs
in
place
that
support
teachers
when
implementing
collaborative
projects
into
their
classrooms.
In
creating
the
ivideo
on
collaborative
projects,
I
hope
to
highlight
to
teachers
how
beneficial
such
projects
can
be
to
all
students
involved.
Reference
List
Abas,
Z.W.
(2004).
For
collaborative
online
learning.
New
Straits
Times,
Retrieved
February
17,
2011,
from
ProQuest
Database
http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.lib.uts.edu.au/docview/271837436/12DAFE08DB541
DA123E/6?accountid=17095
Carter,
B.
(2011).
iEARN
projects:
what
are
collaborative
projects.
Retrieved
February
16,
2011,
from
iEARN
Australia
http://www.iearn.org.au/projects.htm
Harriman,
S.
(2003).
Project-­‐based
learning
meets
the
Internet:
students’
experiences
of
online
projects.
Paper
presented
to
the
NZARE/AARE
joint
conference,
Auckland,
New
Zealand.
Harris,
J.
(2002).
Wherefore
art
thou,
telecollaboration?
Retrieved
February
14,
2011,
from
http://virtual-­‐architecture.wm.edu/Foundation/Articles/WhereforeTelecollab.pdf
Heppell,
S.
(2007).
Assessment
and
new
technology:
new
straightjackets
or
new
opportunities?
Retrieved
February
16,
2011,
from
Stephen
Heppell’s
Weblog
http://www.heppell.net/weblog/stephen/
International
Education
and
Resource
Network.
(2011).
iEarn:
learning
with
the
world,
not
just
about
it.
Retrieved
February
18,
2011,
from
International
Education
and
Resource
Network
http://www.iearn.org/
Jackson,
B.
(1999).
Flex
your
classroom’s
collaborative
muscles
(Electronic
version).
Multimedia
and
Internet
at
Schools,
6
(4),
44-­‐49.
O’Rourke,
M.E.
(2003).
Technology
and
educational
change:
making
the
links.
Retrieved
February
18,
2001,
from
Victoria
University
http://eprints.vu.edu.au/237/
3

4. BY
L
Bridges
NOT
FOR
DISTRIBUTION
Paulus,
T.M.
(2005).
Collaborative
and
cooperative
approaches
to
online
group
work:
the
impact
of
task
type
(Electronic
version).
Distance
Education,
26
(1),
111-­‐125.
Shields,
K.
(2009).
What
do
elephant
grass,
budgies
and
the
beatles
have
in
common?
Retrieved
February
18,
2011,
from
http://ripplingpond.wordpress.com/2009/04/07/what-­‐do-­‐
elephant-­‐grass-­‐budgies-­‐and-­‐the-­‐beatles-­‐have-­‐in-­‐common/
Soloway,
E.,
Norris,
C.,
Blumenfeld,
P.,
Fishman,
B.,
Krajcik,
J.
&
Marx,
R.
(2000).
K-­‐12
and
the
Internet
(Electronic
version).
Communications
of
the
ACM,
43
(1),
19-­‐23.
4