Collaboration

Things to consider for collaborative learning

When designing collaborative tasks in Microsoft Teams there are some key things to get you started.

1. Explain why you are using Microsoft Teams to teaching staff so they can see how Microsoft Teams supports collaborative learning.
2. Familiarise yourself with Microsoft Teams and its functionality. If you would like targeted training, please visit DTeach / What’s On for a list of training sessions.
3. Create explicit instructions on what skills are being developed by the students.
4. Structure authentic tasks to support collaboration across the trimester. Remember, Microsoft Teams is used extensively in the workplace so industry based projects that mimic this experience will enhance engagement.
5. Articulate how Microsoft Teams will support collaborative learning.
6. Explain why you are using Microsoft Teams and the benefits to students. For example, you can converse with your peers, have conference calls, create artefacts and generate project plans all in the one space.
7. Share resources on how students can access support if required.
8. Consider the structure of the Microsoft Team and how the channels will be set up. For example, the Team can be labelled as the unit; and each group can have a channel. Alternatively, each group can have a Team and determine how their channels are set up. The type of task will impact the set up of your Team. Be mindful of your contribution and how you will manage this interaction.
9. Download the app on your phone to enable you to access the Teams from anywhere at anytime. Be explicit about your availability and when you will be active so students are aware of your availability.