Karen Severn*
September 1998
Topics to Include Working in a group that meets asynchronously can be quite challenging and unnerving
at times. In a traditional class, you will have contact with group members each time
the class meets. In an asynchronous setting, you may never "see" your collaborators.
Therefore, spontaneous comments and information may not occur. Also, administrative
decisions about apportioning the work and due dates may become unreal. The following sections will assist you in examining the possible areas you may
include in your group learning contract. I. Membership: Each member will post a short biography in our space in FirstClass.
The title of the article should be your name. Information included in the bio will
include: name, previous degrees; present degree program and department; current job;
town in which you live; email address(es); phone number(s); and familiarity with
computer conferencing and FirstClass. Please indicate whether phone numbers and email
addresses are for home or work and whether other members may contact you at work.
At the end of the section, you may also include other information you wish to share
with the group.
For the past five years, I have worked on numerous group projects at a distance,
both in graduate school and at work. The scope and complexity of the projects has
ranged from a short group presentation to designing and planning a national conference.
While enrolled in EDTC 618 in the Spring 1998 semester, I made several non-scientific
observations about the group process and also consulted a book about learning contracts.
In our class, we had four work groups and were able to observe how others managed
their work. Through real-time chats and a threaded message board on the Web, we could
also observe the participation and comments of others. Each group assumed its own
style in terms of communication methods and cohesion. Some groups ran into minor
difficulties
because the members did not have similar expectations of one another or failed to
establish firm lines of communication. Hopefully, your group will avoid negative
consequences through proactive measures.
In his book, Boak (1998) examines the role of learning contracts in business and
industry. The majority of his examples referred to relationships where an employer
and employee make a contract that specifies the specific learning that will take
place, including a time frame. After reading the book, I felt that many of the benefits
of these contracts could apply either to the dyadic relationship between student
and professor or to the relationship among group members. In fact, your graduate
degree plan forms part of your contract between you, your committee and the university.
This 'contract' assures the university that you will meet minimum standards for earning
your degree while providing some protection to you in meeting the requirements.
Boak defines a learning contract as "a formal, written agreement between a learner
and a tutor... about what the learner will learn and how that learning will be measured."
To this definition can be added the processes through which objectives will be met
and methods of conflict resolution, should they be necessary. He also notes that
flexibility and assessment are key elements in developing a good contract.
Topics to Include in the Contract
I. Who are we?
Consider learning more about each other. In most groups, the members live in distant
locations, have different types of jobs, be of varied ages and experiences, and have
a private life. Differences and similarities help create a vibrant group. Some types
of information are important to the group, while other types are nonessential. What
types of information will you share? For example:
1. Degree program and progress
2. Hometown (where do you currently live)
3. Employment (what are your job responsibilities, do you travel)
4. Constraints on participation (do you work long hours, can you be contacted at
work, do you coach your sonís baseball team)
5. Familiarity with telecommunications (are you a novice or experienced, can you
use telecommunications at the office)
6. Where and how you access email and the Internet (how often do you access, do
you like email or hate it)
Any other types of information can be shared as comfort and necessity dictate. The
more you know about each other the better the possibility of the group working (e.g.,
Iím a compulsive organizer or procrastinator, Iím a self-starter, I need to be told
my job before I participate).
II. How shall we communicate?
In this course, you will use various forms of communication, including email, computer
conferencing, message boards, and live chats. At your option you could use the plain
old telephone system (POTS), transmit faxes, have face-to-face meetings, send snail
mail or experiment with other options. Communication with each other is vital in
the learning process. Your main option in asynchronous communication is FirstClass.
Synchronous
communication options include FirstClass chats, Net Meeting, Instant Messenger, and
the telephone.
In your contract, you should specify the primary method of communication and the
frequency of communication. Below are three scenarios describing different groups.
Consider potential outcomes when assessing your communications style. We will assume
that all groups will use FirstClass to exchange information and refine their product.
A. Members check FirstClass at least three times per week to examine the work of
group members. Responses are posted in FirstClass and meetings are scheduled through
FirstClass.
B. Members check FirstClass at least three times per week on specified days. If
they wish to schedule a chat or a F2F meeting, they send messages to group members.
When posting information in FirstClass, they use their respective conferences to
post their messages. They can also copy the message to the other group members.
C. Members see one another F2F on a regular basis (they may be taking other classes
on campus) and use the telephone to alert others when a stage of work is completed
in FirstClass.
Each scenario has drawbacks and will not work for all groups. It is important to
create your framework, but remain flexible and adapt to new situations. Some students
are less comfortable with the asynchronous environment of this class, but most become
comfortable in two or three weeks.
III. Decision-making
Collaborative group work is difficult with three or more collaborators. All have
their personal working styles and opinions. Creating an approach, setting group deadlines,
and sharing information are priorities. At this point you may not have enough information
to make all of your decisions. However, include a statement about future actions
and how they will be recorded. If you use FirstClass chat to make group decisions,
you should save the chat and post it in your group workspace. Then, one member can
sum up the decisions and post them in the group workspace for the group members.
You may wish to include a statement about solving a problem. Solutions could be asking
Dr. Murphy or another trusted impartial party to join the discussion.
IV. Emergencies
During the semester, you may notice that a group member is not responding or fulfilling
his/her commitments. Hopefully, through good communication and planning this will
not occur. However, make a contingency plan. For instance, suppose that your group
decides that logging into FirstClass and participating in group work three times
per week should be the minimum expectation. During the course of the week, one member
(Missing) does not respond to requests for information and does not post new information
in FirstClass. Your plan indicates that you should poll the other members to determine
if they have heard from "Missing." If no one has information about Missing,
one member will attempt to contact Missing via telephone. If this is unsuccessful,
you contact Dr. Murphy for advice. This plan underscores the need for each member
to transmit information to the group about absences or constraints.
You are now ready to design your initial contract. Throughout the semester you will
assess your own contributions to the group by periodically reviewing the contract.
Revisions of the contract may include making individual assignments for the group
project, revising the communications plan, or suggesting changes that increase group
effectiveness.
Below is a sample contract.Sample Contract
II. Communication: Group members will log into FirstClass at least three times per
week. The telephone can also be used, but no member will be phoned at home after
8:30 p.m. Unless indicated, members will not be contacted at work via telephone.
When messages contain questions, the recipients should respond in some fashion so
that the senders feel that they are being heard. When uploading documents to FirstClass,
conformity in software is important. By a given date, members will decide which word
processing program to utilize and which format to save files in.
All members agree to notify the group if they will be unable to participate for any
extended period of time. For instance, if you will attend a conference in the second
week of the semester, send a message to the group workspace in FirstClass, copy the
members and Dr. Murphy and inform them of your absence.
III. Decision-making: Decisions will be made via vote when necessary. The input
of each member is important and will be seriously evaluated. Meetings will be scheduled
in FirstClass and will indicate the time frame, method of communication, and purpose
of meeting. When important assignments or deadlines are established, these will be
posted in FirstClass for future reference.
Should a tie vote occur, one member will make a concise statement of the issue and
possible solutions. Each member will have the opportunity to make further comments
before an outside facilitator is asked to join the discussion. The facilitator will
offer advice and observations, but the group will make the final decision.
IV. Emergencies: Should a member go missing or be unresponsive, another member will
attempt to contact him/her via telephone. Should this prove unsuccessful, Dr. Murphy
will be asked for advice. Conversely, should any member experience difficulties in
utilizing telecommunications software or other problems, s/he will contact the other
members for advice and help. All members agree to share their wisdom and strengths.