1. LCN600 – Online tutorial (Week 7) Forming virtual teams and e-moderation ~ How and why ~
Welcome to CL Week 7

2. Week 7 overview Forming virtual teams Purpose & process
Managing virtual teams
Role(s) of e-moderator and team members
Looking ahead to Week 8
Starting your virtual team project
? Questions, concerns?
Here’s an overview of this week’s tutorial

3. Focus for learning and assessment Weeks 7 - 13
Virtual team project
Focus for learning and assessment Weeks
Assignment 2
Note: Item 4 – not assessed in 2017

4. Assignment 2 Requirements
Assignment 2 Requirements
How to submit
Part A. Connected learning resource
Creative application of connected learning principles and strategies
Team assessment
As a member of a virtual team:
Collaboratively research a topic; and design and create a resource on the topic that uses social media to support connected learning (Ito, et al., 2013).
The topic will be related to innovative learning and teaching (any context, any discipline).
According to connected learning principles, the resource will enable learning that is:
Peer supported
Interest powered
Academically oriented learning
(Ito et. al., 2013, pp ).
The resource should creatively enhance the professional learning of your LCN600 peers (and other educators)
by enabling them to:
Extend their knowledge of the topic
Experience connected learning principles applied in an authentic digital context
Part A: Post the URL for the CL resource URL (and any info for accessing it) to the CL Google+ community by
9am on Monday 5 June 2017
Part B. Critical reflection
Individual assessment
Independently:
 a) Assess your contribution to virtual team leadership, project management and resource creation
- About 200 words (Questionnaire, note form)
b) Write a critical reflection about your virtual team experience that:
is centred around 1 critical incident
considers how this experience enhances your learning as connected educator.
- About 500 words (First person scholarly reflective style).
Part B: Use the Assignment 2 template (download from Assessment page of LCN600 Blackboard site)
 Upload your completed Assignment 2 template to the Assessment page of LCN600 Blackboard site by
9 am on Monday 12 June 2017

5. Forming the virtual teams What you need to do in Week 7 … Module 3
Virtual teams project guide
Team strengths quiz
Virtual teams preferences survey (9 am Thursday)
Virtual team lists (after 5pm Thursday)
By early Week 8 (or during the break) …
Make contact with your team - asap – via G+
E-moderators arrange first team meeting
See Module 4 for starting the project
Here’s an outline of key activities for all of you in Week 3:
Carefully read the Virtual teams project guide
View Module 3 on CL Open
Complete Team strengths quiz
Complete Virtual teams preferences survey (by 9 am Thursday)
Check the Virtual teams list (after 5pm Thursday)
Make contact with your team - asap – via G+
E-moderators arrange first team meeting
See Module 4 for starting the project

6. Forming virtual teams ~ Module 3~ Purpose
Purpose of the virtual team project
Until now, we’ve been concentrating on building a connected learning community that embraces all member of the unit
– through G+ community and Diigo and the Collaborate sessions
- sharing interests, ideas, reflections and questions with each other.
Now, with the virtual team project we’re moving into the collaborative/creative phase of the unit – working with small groups within the whole CL community.
As you will know from reading Ito et al.’s report, collaboration, and shared interest and co-production are key aspects of Connected Learning
– so following this pedagogical model, you will work with your virtual team members to develop a web-based learning resource on a topic of common interest
– to support the learning of all the community members in this unit.
The virtual team project is intended to be a stimulating social learning experience, so approach it with an open mind. Be prepared for some interesting challenges and some satisfying problem solving! In particular, aim to:
Explore and experiment – create - share - learn – and have fun 
In this project, the learning process and the product are both important.
Process = teamwork, creative approach, planning and implementation
Product = the connected learning resource

7. Forming virtual teams Process Team formation process
Effective teams depend upon a willingness to work together and to make best advantage of the various capabilities and attributes that each team member brings. So in this unit we follow a scaffolded team formation process with the aim of making the teams as compatible as possible.
Hilary will use the information you provide in the survey to allocate you to teams.
If you don’t complete the survey, I will assume you have no preferences
– and I will allocate you randomly to a team
First, evaluate your teamwork strengths by completing the team strengths quiz – and consider insights you’ve gained about yourself
- Also maybe from other sources, such as MBTI (Myer-Briggs) or workplace performance review. If you’ve already done the quiz, did the results surprise you? Or confirm what you already suspected?
Optional – use the Team member search forum on the G+ community to identify like-minded team mates
By 9 am on Thursday - complete the Team preference survey on Cl Open - indicate:
your team strengths – add more than the quiz results, if you wish, in the comments box
your level of ICT savviness – be honest about if you’re advanced, a novice or in between
interests for a particular topic or context - it’s OK not to specify a topic
Particular people you’d like to work with (or not work with) – check with people and make sure they include your name on their survey If you’re willing to be the first team’s moderator – we encourage you to put your hand up!
If you’re willing to be first e-moderator
Check the team list – posted after 5pm on Thursday on the Assessment page of BB and sent via
Please understand: Team formation usually works well, but it’s not a perfect science
I can’t promise to fit you with a particular interest group – but I’ll do my best!
Forming virtual teams
Process

8. Thinking about (virtual) teamwork
We’ve probably all had more and less positive teamwork experiences in study or work.
You and your team may experience some ups and downs through the project.
This is perfectly normal and shows that you’re learning in an authentic context.
To enable a more positive teamwork experience and outcomes this time around, it’s important to first identify what constitutes effective teamwork – and what are the pitfalls to avoid.
Discussion: From your experience, what contributes to positive teamwork?
And what causes problems in teamwork?
It might help you to understand what’s happening in your team if you compare things against the 5 teamwork stages that Barry Tuckman identified. He noticed that teams often go through a process of forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning.
After the initial forming stage - that we’re going through now – teams need to take time to settle down. So it’s well worth taking time to chat informally, to get to know each other and your interests, and best ways to communicate.
Don’t be tempted to rush into the project
Sometimes the team forming stage is followed by a time of storming.
This can be stimulating and productive and – but problematic if not openly and respectfully dealt with.
For example, individual team members may have different perceptions of the team task or different expectations of intended outcomes, leading to disagreement. If this happens in your team, you may need to renegotiate priorities or responsibilities before proceeding.
In the norming stage the project progresses as team members concentrate on carrying out specific task(s).
In the performing stage the team presents the project outcomes – in this case, your online learning resource.
In the final adjourning stage you will be wrapping up the project – a time for celebration!
Discussion: Let’s consider a fairly common virtual teamwork problem and how you might resolve it. A team member ‘goes quiet’ and doesn’t appear to be contributing.
How do you feel? (eg puzzled, annoyed, let down, concerned)
What could you do? (eg. first find out why – is the person sick, having tech difficulties, doesn’t understand what they’re supposed, intimidated by people, daunted by the task??
e-mod could contact the person; negotiate alternative meeting time or means of communication; seek advice from team adviser; keep the person notified of decisions and expectations; actively encourage them to particpate in discussions; offer advice about technology; etc)
What not to do? (eg assume they don’t care; being critical, aggressive; keep allocating or taking away tasks without discussing with them; etc)
Thinking about (virtual) teamwork
What constitutes effective team work?
Previous team experiences – good? bad? lessons learned?
Typical 5 stages of teamwork (Tuckman)
Problem scenarios ~ avoiding and managing them
Discussion: The quiet team member dilemma

9. eModeration - Leadership: Virtual team Management: Team project
~ Module 4 ~
Role(s) of e-moderator and team members
e-moderation:
promoting human interaction and communication, through the modelling, conveying and building of knowledge and skills …through using the mediation of online environments designed for interaction and collaboration.
(Gilly Salmon, 2011, p. 5)
5 step model of e-moderation
The virtual teams are intended to be self-managing. Everyone plays a vital part in team organisation and project management.
This means that it’s up to you as a team to decide the topic how you will run the project.
The role of e-moderator – or team leader - will rotate each week to ensure that everyone gains experience in this role and also shares the load.
Hilary will act as team adviser. I’ll only intervene if team members ask me to.
Broadly speaking, the e-moderator’s role is to motivate and coordinate rather than direct or censor.
Gilly Salmon (2011, p. 5) describes e-moderating as an active verb, like learning and teaching. And she describes the role of e-moderator as “promoting human interaction and communication, through the modelling, conveying and building of knowledge and skills …Through using the mediation of online environments designed for interaction and collaboration”.
Her five stage model of teaching and learning online offers a useful approach for understanding and undertaking the e-moderation process (2011, p. 32).
You will find this model in Module 3
And detailed step by step guide to e-moderation in the Virtual team project guide.

10. Looking ahead to Week 8 ~ Module 4 ~
Starting your virtual team project
Easter break
Weekly reports
Contribution template (Assessment page on BB)
Team adviser - Hilary
We’ll discuss the actual project in more detail in Week 8 – For now, suffice it to say that:
Each team is responsible for managing their own project. This involves:
determining the topic and project outcomes
developing and implementing strategies to achieve the goals;
and establishing responsibilities for particular tasks.
Please see the Virtual teams project guide for more information 
It includes a suggested timeline for the project
– but your team is free to develop your own timeline and way of working
- as long as you meet the final deadline of having the learning resource available online to the whole LCN600 community by noon on Monday 5 June.
To finish with some friendly advice …
A key to successful teamwork is maintaining harmonious and supportive relationships between team members.
So throughout the team project, try to keep things in perspective.
Respect each other’s differences, communicate openly, keep the focus on learning through problem-solving and working towards shared goals
At the end of the day we’re all educators who want to get best possible learning outcomes from the unit – so it pays to participate fully.
Please be kind to yourselves and each other.
Try to resolve problems within the team, but contact your team adviser (Hilary) if you run into problems that become hard for the team to resolve .

11. Information & Inspiration
Module 3 – video Hilary & Mandy
Virtual team project guide
Assignment 2 criteria – Assessment page on BB
2016 & 2015 projects – Virtual teams page (CL Open)

12. Virtual Team Project
? Questions, concerns?
Questions, Concerns?