Communicating and Collaborating Online – Module 3

Hi guys! Welcome to the first post on my blog. Why blog? I’m glad you asked –  blogs can be used to express thoughts and opinions, help people going through similar situations, connect with people like you, make a difference, and just to have fun and be creative. I hope you can all take away something useful from this post. Let’s get started!

I know how hard it is to communicate with your peers online when you cannot see them face to face. It can get stressful when you have a group project due but no one knows how to communicate about what needs to be accomplished. Do not worry! I have you covered. I am going to give you the best tips on how to build positive online relationships that will help you get those academic assignments completed in the most efficient manner. First, it’s important to make a good first impression by personalizing emails and taking a few extra minutes to spell check and grammar check everything related to coursework. You should also avoid writing in all capital letters and using sarcasm, since it’s hard to gauge tone through writing. You should provide your email, phone number, groupme or instant messager for them to contact you. The best tip I can give you is to “learn to put personality as well as your intentions into words in order to create a better and clearer relationship” (123). Compensate for not having nonverbal communications with happy emoticons and acronyms. Be patient while awaiting their reply. Ask specific questions about what should happen next and when you will communicate again. Before your next chat, prepare a list of questions to ask, turn off distractions, take notes, and stay focused on the topic.

Many online tools can help facilitate communicating and collaborating online. Use a shared google calendar to keep track of meeting dates and due dates. Use a group chat to communicate and assign group roles and tasks. Google docs are great for collaborating because everyone can see what everyone else is working on. Use separate folders and email accounts to stay organized with your online relationships. Add information regarding the name and file type for any files you attach to emails or discussion boards, and add a personal touch to every message.

An example from this module that I have already put into practice is to take a few extra minutes to proofread my emails and spellcheck and grammar check everything I turn in. It worked out well, since I caught a few sentences explaining something that didn’t make any sense in an email to my lab group about our assignment due next week. I was able to change some words around and now there won’t be any misunderstandings! The advice I have for other students based on what I’ve read is that it’s encouraged to let your personality show and have fun. You are going to get a lot more out of a class if you’re having fun engaging and learning from your peers. You can create positive online relationships in your classes and work together to apply learned information, teach each other and ask questions. The above tips will help you not only communicate and collaborate better with your online peers but will help you communicate more effectively in every other aspect of your life – which is important!

I hope you can use one of these strategies within the next couple of weeks to collaborate and communicate more effectively – comment below and let me know how it goes! 🙂