Do you believe that humans have a basic instinct to “interact and work as a group,” as Rheingold proposed in his discussion of the evolution of Wikipedia as a collectively developed encyclopedia?
Yes, I believe that humans have a basic extinct to interact and communicate. However, unlike Rheingold, I believe that they learn to work in or as groups. As Rheingold mentioned in the video, human interaction and communication has been going on since before the alphabet was invented, so even without written words humans managed to work together in groups. Now, could you imagine having to rely only on oral conversations and your memory? No reminder emails or texts, no alarm clocks, bells, or whistles to alert you that it is time for something to happen. The feeling to work with someone to gain a better outcome is not innately programmed in us, but it is learned by experiences. The experience that a task may become easier to accomplish if I have some help.
Ms Hill,
ReplyDeleteI agree. We do have a basic need to interact. I do think technology has made this much easier. I wonder how people coped before the invention of the telephone. I suspect populations lived in major cities. Today, anyone is able to communicate with an internet connection and even attend college from remote locations. Technology has enhanced collaboration.
Tracy
I responded to Lynda Marshall @
ReplyDeletehttp://lyndamarshallsblogpage.blogspot.com/2013/07/reflect-on-rheingolds-video.html
Wow Lynda,
I think you covered everything I left out. I believe that we all have or share an innate feeling or sense to belong, whether it be a class discussion or a serious relationship. You are naturally drawn to people by things that cannot be explained, but you also take it upon yourself to collaborate with certain people for whatever reason.With all the technologies that are readily available for everyone to use, collaboration is inevitable.
Also Karen Wagoner
@ https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_3106496_1%26url%3D
Very interesting Karen,
ReplyDeleteTechnology has most definitely taken K12 education to the next level with collaboration. It has allowed my students who take me at different times of the day to collaborate and communicate through discussion boards, wikispaces, and online classrooms. Constructive learning theories are built on collaboration and pbls. Since I teach ESL I know that technology is the one thing that unites all students, no matter what language they speak.
Allison,
ReplyDeleteYou make an interesting point about the use of technology and it's impact on working together in groups. Rheingold's use of the mastodon hunt analogy was in many ways about the use of technology as well as working in a group being a need to avoid hunger. The learning I see is that most of our group activity is not tied to 'survival' level needs and this makes some aspects of group work more of an unpalatable choice.
~CeCelia