Objective 4.3 - Network Collaboration
Description of Objective 4.3 – Network Collaboration
Knowing how to collaborate in a network is a skill that is increasingly requested, both in the labour market and in higher education.
This objective requires that students work in collaboration with other team members using online tools and that each member contributes to attaining common objectives aimed at carrying out a joint project. Note that this objective normally requires Remote Communications (objective 4.1) and Content Sharing (objective 4.2).
Students must first identify the objectives and context of the collaboration to better understand the task that needs to be accomplished and then select an appropriate collaborative environment. They must anticipate the organizational and technical requirements to ensure the success of the required actions. They must also be able to use the features of the collaborative environment correctly to contribute to the project. Finally, they need to apply good practices in relation to the collaboration activities and to save the product of the work completed in a group.
4.3.1 – Specify the nature and context of network collaboration
This task consists of describing collaborative network activities according to the needs required for a given assignment.
In order to adequately identify the objectives and context of the collaboration, students and those who are collaborating with them are invited to identify the needs and goals to be attained as well as all aspects that are susceptible to influence their choices and mode of operation.
4.3.2 – Select the appropriate collaborative environment
This task consists of selecting appropriate tools that will provide the technological environment that best suits the needs of the collaborative work to be carried out.
In order to adequately select the collaborative environment that will best suit the team, it is important to take into account the type of product that is required, the tasks to be carried out, the features and characteristics that the tools must have, as well as the context in which the work will be carried out.
4.3.3 – Anticipate organizational and technical aspects of collaboration
This task consists of anticipating all requirements related to the organization of work and to take into account the technical requirements linked to the collaborative environment. This step provides the best return on real group work, ensures the success of the required actions and completes the work with no complications.
To accomplish this, students and their collaborators prepare the group’s work and online communications environment, plan how activities will take place, identify the materials required and specify the mode of operations by carrying out checks and the activities required.
4.3.4 – Contribute to the completion of the project
This task requires that all team members use the tools’ features for the collaborative environment correctly.
In order to attain the team’s objectives and to contribute to the completion of the project, students must be able to carry out several operations specific to network collaboration.
4.3.5 – Apply best practices in network collaboration
At this stage, students must be able to apply good practices in collaboration activities.
This task consists of respecting the rules of team work, editing, sharing content and communications in an online collaboration context.
4.3.6 – Save the result of the collaborative work
This task consists of taking the required steps so that all team members have access to the content produced during the collaborative work, whether it be draft or final documents.
