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Week 4 Overview, Reading and Resources

Mini-sessions - Introduction

1. Team in Trouble (Facilitating Online Teams)

Based on real situations that occur in collaborative learning, this week’s case study highlights some of the issues that can arise in online teams. Through analysis of the conflict between team members in this case example (extrapolated from email records), you’ll have an opportunity to identify the group dynamics involved and propose responses.

Goals of this mini-session:

  • Analyze a detailed case study and make recommendations to resolve and prevent team conflict going forward.
  • Propose different solutions or strategies to work effectively with diverse student groups online.

Tasks for participants

  • Review the case study documents.
  • Identify the critical issues and concerns (team dynamics and mitigation strategies).
  • Discuss options to resolve (improve) the situation (drawing on readings or other relevant resources).
  • Provide constructive feedback (in the Feedback forum) when the session is complete.

Tasks for facilitator(s)

  • Lead the participants through this process (how / where) within the time allowed (Mon-Fri).
  • Remind participants to provide feedback at end of the session
  • Complete the FLIF (final reflective survey)

2. Facilitation Techniques & Strategies 

The challenges in this mini-session are to identify appropriate levels of instructor presence and suggest ways to improve online discussion in terms of focus, direction, deeper learning, building student confidence and ability to think critically and engage with the course topics. Participants are asked to draw on their own experiences, and the readings and resources for this week to identify specific strategies.

Goals of this mini-session:

  • Identify specific facilitator strategies to deepen learning or engage learners in online discussions.
  • Create a list of facilitator strategies and how (where?) they might be used to deepen learning or engage students

Tasks for participants

  • Review the readings and resources; reflect on experiences.
  • Discuss potential strategies to engage students and/or deepen learning.
  • List / map / compile / a list of facilitator strategies for discussions.
  • Provide constructive feedback (in the Feedback forum) when the session is complete

Tasks for facilitator(s)

  • Lead the participants through this process (how / where) within the time allowed (Mon-Fri).
  • Remind participants to provide feedback at end of the session
  • Complete the FLIF (final reflective survey)