Week 4 - Collaboration

Group Ideation and Creative Collaboration.

• As a group, define collaboration using one sentence
  
• List the advantages of designer/visual communicator collaboration (10 ideas)
• List the disadvantages designer/visual communicator collaboration (10 ideas)
• How have group members personally used collaboration? Comment briefly on your experiences
• List the qualities that make up a good collaborative team and a bad one (10 each)
• What are your strengths and weaknesses with collaboration? Share one with the group.
  
• Prepare a presentation for the class to share your ideas (5–10 minutes) --be creative!
• Include some type, but mostly art in your presentation
• All group members must speak
  
• Other groups will take notes to compare and contrast findings
  
• HAND IN a copy to the teacher so you earn credit—Include names of group members present

 

Collaboration

While it may seem commonplace, the analysis of collaboration and teamwork is a relatively new filed of study. Employers continue to encourage educators to teach students (tomorrow's leaders) how to collaborate and work as a team. At the same time, though, they also encourage independent thinking, self-direction, and personal creativity and problem-solving.

If you are wondering how to achieve both at the same time, you are not alone. This is the challenge facing individuals, educators, trainers, and employers.

In order to better understand collaboration and teamwork, get into your groups and complete Week 4 Group Work: Collaboration.

Here are some ideas from previous student groups to get your ideas flowing:

Advantages

1. Challenges our views and beliefs
   
2. Offers a variety of view points/opinions
   
3. Each group member comes with different areas of expertise and knowledge
   
4. Gives your finding more credibility—comes form more than one source
   
5. Keeps each other honest
   
6. Teaches us how to work as a team—community based values, respect, value others—much like real life.
   
7. Keeps each other working toward the goal and on-task
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Disadvantages

1. May have to teach members how to collaborate
   
2. People don’t always get along
   
3. Personalities differ greatly—some people can’t work well with others
   
4. May take longer to reach a goal 
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