I haven’t had a LOT of group work since I started this Master’s program – maybe 2 or 3. But when I have, its always been difficult to find meeting times.
I know everyone has crazy schedules, but as a mom you also have to juggle your kids’ schedules too. And since it take almost an hour to get to campus from my house, I have a hard time finding good meeting times.
Do for me, wikis have been a lifesaver. Personally I like Wetpaint, but any wiki service will do. I usually set it up with the assignment details, and create pages for a rough draft, brainstorming, and resources. (Wetpaint has a template set up already for education projects!).
The best part is that we can all work on a document together, and we don’t have to email revised versions back and forth. Email is great, but its not a great filing cabinet. On a wiki you can keep all your research articles, links, images, and anything else all together, and everyone can access them.
The wiki also helps keep people on track with participating – it can show you the number of times group members have logged in and contributed… a plus when you’ve got a less than enthusiastic partner!
There is still a lot to be said for meeting in person, and wikis don’t necessarily replace that. But they make a great compliment.
