Complete all content lessons. They include embedded process steps to develop collaborative learners.
Post all profile material, including a photo early. Use the teacher's guidelines, icebreaker post and profile as models. Keep the tone friendly, not casual. Team members need to know that you have a friendly manner and will be pleasant to work with. They also need to know you have a serious attitude about the learning tasks and can be counted on to do your part.
Comment positively on two or more profiles to begin to build a strong group identity. Say what you like about the posts. When you connect in an authentic positive way, others will want to collaborate with you.
Post early and frequently on discussion boards. Say what you learned from another's post. Then "add on." Support points with research or text-based analysis. Ask for feedback. In this way, you build reciprocity, which is essential to successful collaboration.
Engage in all online chats. Suggest discussion topics for unassigned chats. Be friendly. Don't multi-task or leave early. Others will know you have gone and may interpret your absence as disinterest or lack of commitment to the learning group.
Comment on the content posted, not on the person posting. Avoid personality clashes.
Get to know your team. Review profiles. Check posts that describe teammates' learning styles and personality types. Learning styles include visual, auditory and kinesthetic. Many online students take the Meyers-Briggs test, a personality identification test that classifies personalities as introverts or extroverts and as sensing, thinking, feeling and intuiting. Learning style and personality type affect communication styles and group building skills.
Use a contract to design the project. Clear, specific guidelines forestall conflict. Don't be original. Use teacher guidelines.
Put a timeline, member responsibilities, communication guidelines and etiquette, learning outcomes and conflict resolution steps in the contract.
Identify your safety net. Find out if your teacher monitors interaction content and frequency. Check class guidelines or ask your teacher for protocols for conflict resolution and teacher intervention.
Discuss the contract in chat rooms and on boards. Post it on a Wiki so group members can highlight what they like and make add-on suggestions. "Sign," post and abide by your contract.
Remind a non-participating member that he or she has contract obligations to the learning community. Use email to ask to chat privately. Be specific about missing tasks.
Work together to solve the problem. Remove obstacles to participation. Reach agreement.
Keep the matter private.
Start a discussion thread to publicly remind the non-participating member of missed obligations if problem solving fails. Others will join the conflict resolution.
Ask your teacher to help if the conflict continues.