What is Collaboration?

1. What is Collaboration? Diane Chapman NC State University ELI 2009 Online Fall Focus Session

2. Who Me, A Collaborator? • Two or more people • Sharing knowledge • Common goals • Sharing authority, accountability, resources and rewards “If I could solve all the problems myself, I would.” ~ Thomas Edison, when asked why he had a team of 21 assistants.

3. Changing Landscape • Flattened • Fast • Connected • Thrifty

4. Colleen Aalsburg Wiessner

5. Successful Collaboration • Needs to planned • Benefits all • Powerful • Unlimited potential • Leverages diversity and uniqueness • Results in learning “In the long history of humankind (and animal kind, too) those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed”~ Charles Darwin

6. Theory • Adult Learning • Active Learning • Transformative Learning “Collaboration equals innovation.” ~ Michael Dell (Founder, Dell Computers)

7. Opportunities (not Challenges) • Diversity within the group • Communication styles • Learning styles • Cultural differences • Technology • Assessment • Maintaining our individuality • Bumps in the road

8. What We Know • Environment • History of collaboration or cooperation • Legitimacy • Favorable political and social climate • Membership • Mutual respect, understanding, and trust • Diversity • Members see collaboration in their self-interest • The ability to compromise • Process and Structure • Share a stake in process and outcome • Flexibility/adaptability in both structure and methods • Clear roles and policy guidelines • Appropriate pace • Communication • Open and frequent • Informal and formal • Purpose • Clear attainable goals and objective • Shared vision but unique purpose • Resources • Sufficient funds, staff, materials, and time • Skilled leadership From Mattessich, P. W. (2001) Collaboration: What makes it work (2nd Edition) A review of research and literature on factors Influencing successful collaboration, Wilder Publishing.

9. Questions/Comments?

10. Communication • Time • Respect for differences • Learning styles • Continuous • Freedom for difference of opinion • Flexibility "Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much” ~ Helen Keller

11. Time • To reflect • To build relationships • To use technology • To work Musicals are plays, but the last collaborator is your audience, so you've got to wait 'til the last collaborator comes in before you can complete the collaboration. ~ Stephen Sondheim (Composer and Lyricist )

12. Reflection • Learning styles • Adult learning theory • Transformative learning theory • Part of the process • Alone and together “The greater our knowledge increases the more our ignorance unfolds.” ~ John F. Kennedy

13. Structure • Personalities • Diversity • Technologies • Roles • Expectations, purpose, goals • Ground rules “If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants.” ~ Isaac Newton

14. Facilitation/Modeling • Fostering the belief • Empowering • Guiding not leading • Focus • Modeling behaviors • Ongoing I think there should be collaboration, but under my thumb. ~ Elia Kazan (Film Director and Producer)

15. Buy-In • An Ethic • Benefits • Learning more together than individually • I am MORE because of the experience Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. ~Margaret Meade (Anthropologist)

16. Creative Freedom • New perspectives • Unlimited possibilities • Full potentials • Different ways of knowing • Creativity ≠ chaos • Creativity = productivity “I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.” ~ Albert Einstein

17. Ask these Questions… • Is there flexibility in the ways that participants communicate? • Is there enough planned reflection time? • Is this collaboration structured to succeed? • Am I guiding and not leading? • What is each participant getting out of this? • Have I unleashed creative expression?

18. Questions/Comments?