- Elliot Soloway
- http://www.imlc.io/
- Arthur F. Thurnau Professor
- Presenter’s NSFRESOURCECENTERS
- University of Michigan, University of North Texas
- Cathie Norris
- http://www.imlc.io/
- Regents Professor
- Presenter’s NSFRESOURCECENTERS
- University of North Texas
Collabrify Suite of Apps
NSF Awards: 1249312
2016 (see original presentation & discussion)
Grades K-6, Grades 6-8
As 1:1 becomes the new normal, and as networks become more robust, classrooms can finally move to places where dialogue, not monologue, is the preferred mode of communication. The Collabrify Suite of “collabrified” apps provides support for students as they engage in conversation while co-creating/co-editing a broad range of artifacts. Collabrify Writer (text editing), Collabrify Map (concept mapping), Collabrify KWL (KWL charting), Collabrify Flipbook (drawing and animating) all support two or more students, working together simultaneously on the same artifact, each on his or her own computing device. The collaborating students may be co-located or not co-located; in the latter case, students use Hangouts to support synchronous conversation. All the Collabrify apps are written in HTML5 and thus are device-agnostic: the apps run in all browsers on virtually all computing devices. The Collabrify apps have been expressly designed to support students in grades 1-8.
In our video, 6th grade students in science at Oxford Middle School (Oxford, MI) and 3rd grade students at Brick Elementary School (Lincolnville, MI) are shown using Collabrify Flipbook and Collabrify Writer, respectively. Over the next 2-3 years, it is easy to predict that all apps and all web pages will become “collabrified”; it is exciting that K-12 students, for once, can be in the vanguard in experiencing the benefits of cutting-edge technology.
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Pati Ruiz
Dean of Studies
What a great way for students to interact with one another as they think through new/difficult concepts! As I watched the video I wondered how the finished videos are shared. Also, how does this learning experience differ from using a shared computer/screen – one screen per group? Is there an added benefit to using one device per person?
Another question I have is how do you group students? Have you had more success with a certain number of students per project?
Elliot Soloway
Arthur F. Thurnau Professor
Thank you! The video portrays the students accurately: when using the collabrified apps, the students are engaged. The benefit of EACH student having a device? Each student now has a voice, each student can add to the conversation – instead of the one person who has the keyboard controlling the conversation. Groupings? GOOOOOOOD question! Some teachers are very explicit about who works with whom; some are less concerned. I wish there was research to guide us here!!! Since the technology to do truly synchronous collaboration is relatively new, no surprise that there isn’t much research to guide educators on grouping issues. So, let’s do the research .. together!! Thank you, again, for your gooood question!
Pati Ruiz
Dean of Studies
Thanks for those answers! I am very curious about synchronous collaboration research!
Elliot Soloway
Arthur F. Thurnau Professor
I really, REALLY think NSF needs to have a full program focused on collaboration research… my strength is building software, not assessing its impact.. teams need to work on this issue!
Brian Drayton
Looks very cool, and I remember the presentation done on MSPNet a few months ago.
I’d be curious what issues the teachers have found in managing the flow of such classrooms. Have you found cases when it’s actually more productive for kids on a team to work solo for a while, and then come back together?
What data are you taking on student and teacher experiences (I am less interested in achievement data than in narratives about growth/experimentation, challenges met, identified, and overcome (or avoided)!
Elliot Soloway
Arthur F. Thurnau Professor
YES!! While we have no systematic data, some teachers like solo work first then come together. We need research on collaboration strategies! Brian, I will be candid: we are not collecting narratives; no funding for that. YET! Care to write a proposal to NSF/Spencer/?. Thank you for your question — it hits home; we must must must figure out how to study these collabrified classrooms!
Jenna Marks
Doctoral Student in Cognitive Studies in Education
I had a similar reaction as Pati, regarding the added benefit of two screens versus the more “typical” collaborative work where two or more individuals work on one device. To me, the more exciting potential of this technology seems to be for both asychronous and synchronous collaboration between NON-co-located individuals. Have your students used this suite for asynchronous work?
Elliot Soloway
Arthur F. Thurnau Professor
Excellent point! We have not seen students using the apps in both sync and async modes… nor have we seen the students using the apps from home to work together. Technologically that non-co-located use is absolutely doable. We just need more experience with teachers and kids using the apps. Hint, Hint… Thank you, again, for your excellent questions!
Avron Barr
Consultant
Thanks Elliot and Cathie. Nice video. Collaboration is an important feature of connected learning that is still under-explored. Where do you go from here? How do you find schools and teachers that are prepared for this kind of activity?
Elliot Soloway
Arthur F. Thurnau Professor
What’s next? ITERATE on the apps themselves.. making them more usable.. even by 1st/2nd graders!! AND, develop out the Blended Learning Platform – make it EASY for teachers to use our apps… Finding schools? HIT NAIL ON THE HEAD, Mr. Avron! I am talking, talking, talking everywhere I can.. spread the word: collaboration is the way to go.
Might I inquire: what do you suggest we do to find schools??
Avron Barr
Consultant
Fair enough, Elliot. I asked about how to find schools that could adopt the platform, but I know that is a huge problem for all ed tech innovators. Partly because there are so many new classroom-focused products for teachers and schools to choose from and absorb. Maybe Jenna’s point about non-co-located students could lead to an alternate marketing strategy: sell to students and let them build their own network of online collaborators.
Elliot Soloway
Arthur F. Thurnau Professor
YES!! Let students find fellow collaborators… Interestingly, about every week the number of users/downloaders from the Chrome Store DOUBLES for Collabrify Flipbook, our collabrified animation app. We are at about 500 users/downloaders… getting to the next order of magnitude… we are in the Chasm, as they say!! Thank you, Avron, for your support and suggestions!
Jane Strohm
This looks like a nice platform for live and dynamic problem solving! What pre-work do you do about digital citizenship and appropriate use of technology?
Elliot Soloway
Arthur F. Thurnau Professor
Thank you for your comment, Jane. And good question. Right now, in the classrooms over which I have some influence, we do precious little about either topic. But, you have given me some interesting food for thought!! Thank you!
Jane Strohm
I understand your conditions and know when you work with engaged students there’s little off-task or disruptive use. But especially if you plan to move into middle school classrooms, this will be important. One value of Google docs, for example, is the revision history so everyone knows who wrote or modified a drawing.
Elliot Soloway
Arthur F. Thurnau Professor
Good point, Jane.. we do NOT have a great deal of experience with using the tech… but we DO see, ahem, boys being destructive (e.g., erasing everything) – our software does enable easy restore, but I am taking your comment most seriously…thank you!
May Jadallah
Children’s collaboration is exciting to see. How do teachers evaluate students’ growth and progress? What benefits do teachers see beyond what was shared in the video? Fascinating!
Elliot Soloway
Arthur F. Thurnau Professor
Thank you for your comment, May… and GOOOOOOD question.. like Mark’s comment below… what IS the value? how DO teachers assess collaboration? We are in early days, but your questions need to drive the next generation of research!
Mark Schlager
Good to see that after 20 years of push asynchronous learning models on K-12 education with no evidence of efficacy, we’ve finally rediscovered the value of synchronous interaction.
Elliot Soloway
Arthur F. Thurnau Professor
Thank you for your comment, Mark… efficacy? high bar, as you know… chortle, chortle… but, if not, then…then… we are indeed seeing value in SYNchronous collaboration… but we need to do some serious studies…
Nancy Gilby
Nice responses from the students, especially the highlighted quote of “building on each others work” !
Further posting is closed as the event has ended.