Salient Features of Deliberation/Discussion

Portfolio

Group Charters: Melissa opened the discussion by underscoring need of a charter, for a group, for better functioning. She was of the opinion that charters did not only provide essential guidelines for the effective functioning of a group, but could also aid in resolving intra-group issues, as rules and norms flow out of these charters. She asserted that not only charters yield norms and rules, but also instruments that facilitate groups in realizing their objectives & resolve internal disputes. According to Judith, team-charters could also be tool for collaboration.
Formation of Groups: Formation, of an effective group, is essential for realizing set objectives. In the discourse, most were of the view that groups must be formed deliberately by keeping in view dynamics of the formed group and ability of the group of being effective in realizing objectives, such as group-assignments, group preparation for exams etc. However, Jasmine was of the view that students must be given the freedom to form their own groups, keeping in consideration their goals. She asserted that group effectiveness, of like-minded people, is high in comparison to the group that has been formed by students of various backgrounds and perspectives.
Transparency & Responsibility: Almost all the participants agreed that when members of the group knew their responsibility, the utility of the group augmented. However, group members must be assigned tasks through a robust and transparent process. Fairness could be a key, as per the discourse, in smooth working of a group. Again, a charter, of a group, can address this challenge and aid in devising systems that facilitate optimal working of group.
Expectations and Outcome: It has also been suggested during the discourse that transparency is closely linked to expectations and outcomes, which are tied to group charter. This again emphasizes on the imperativeness of a charter, especially for a distance group. This also suggests that Expectations and Outcomes can be interpreted as Capability determination of members and Outcomes as expected results from individuals. Therefore, Expectations and Outcomes must be fair and realistic.
Various Instruments for Collaboration: Since this article has been written, new platforms and instruments have been developed for the collaboration. For instance, for informal collaborations, internet-enabled mobile phones can be used. With the evolution of technology, the utility of various platforms, which are used for collaboration, has augmented. This has resulted better cooperation among group members, which directly impacts the optimality of a group. Wiki, Google Docs etc are various instruments that are being extensively used for cooperation and collaboration, allowing members to from the most diverse groups with unique dynamics. However, Ellen was of the view that evolution of Wiki was more unique, putting it in an advantageous position in comparison to Google Docs. However, Kelly suggested that Google and text were more effective and simple instruments of collaboration, which was why she preferred them.
Universal Instrument for Individuals at Different Awareness Levels: From the deliberation, it is evident that there is a need for a universal instrument for collaboration, which can be used by individuals or group members, who are at different level of awareness. We also learn that an ideal instrument of collaboration would be simple and effective, allowing group-members to collaborate with ease and keeping a record of all group activities. Therefore, we see that different members, who expressed their opinion in the discourse, have different preferences when it comes to instruments of collaboration. Some consider Text and Google a more Appropriate Tool, whereas others consider Wiki a more apposite tool for group collaboration. However, it is also apparent that the difference between the two instruments is marginal.