One of my more engaging projects has been a multi-state endeavor that involves teaching and course redesigns based on the cultural backgrounds and worldviews of a particular diverse group of learners. One of the tools that this community uses is a shared virtual site where individuals may share resources, hold conversations, post questions and observations, and feel a sense of connection to others involved in this shared labor.

Anything There Yet?

One of the challenges of making this virtual group work is to get the timing right for collaborations. After all, much of the work is done in pockets in discrete time segments and on various campuses. Sometimes, a message may be posted without a comment for months. One of the leaders of the program had suggested that an email might be sent to let individuals know that a new resource or message had been posted or that a new forum had been uploaded.

The challenge with using broadcast emails stems from not wanting to send broadcast emails without some new "intelligence" or "value" to that message. A simple reminder seems like small justification. However, that seems necessary in order to use the space. Even if it's used in fits and starts, this would be helpful.

Tying the Face-to-Face Work with those in Absentia

Another useful angle has been the use of online space to unite team members who were not able to attend a shared conference in person. The range of digital resources has been growing, and much print material may be digitized as well.

Project-Based Interactions

Using an LMS for such virtual teaming and online collaborations is helpful. The hard part though is getting busy people to do the work needed to fully use the space. The best scenarios involve the solving of problems and the designing of projects, where the pull of the project guides the interactions and motivates the participants.