Multicultural virtual peer feedback and peer evaluation

Multicultural virtual learning has meant that new methods for teacher´s professional development has been developed. Benchmarking is considered as a one method which seems to be working. Benchmarking is defined as a formal process of comparison and the same time it´s a way of generating ideas for improvement. Benchmarking aims for further development, and it can be called also as benchlearning. Benchmarking supports the opportunity to learn from personal and others’ experience. Peer learning encourages reflection and analysis of teaching practices. Reflection means that personal thinking and practice is examined. Benchmarking integrates individual and collective reflection.

The virtual benchmarking saves time when no travelling for meetings is required. Virtual learning communities provide an opportunity for individuals to come together. Giving feedback virtually is though challenging, since there is an attempt to harmony and teachers still feel that criticism, feedback and constructive comparisons must be given. Cultural differences might lead to coordination difficulties and create obstacles to effective communication. Also delays in feedback because of the asynchronous communication might cause ineffectivity.

Relationship building, cohesion, and trust are fundamental processes for effectiveness, and virtual teams have difficulties in achieving those. Trust development in virtual teams is especially challenging, since there is no f2f meeting which is usually the way to assess teammates’ trustworthiness. Research has found that short-lived teams are able to develop trust, and in that case team members just assume that others are trustworthy and begin working with that assumption. Training has been found to help for building trust. Early training can help for team building and individual satisfaction. Addition to early and uniform training, it has also been suggested to consider open education resources (OERs), which are created by diverse groups of scholars, since they can promote multiculturalism among the virtual learners.

Online team members are expected to engage interactively in online discussions and virtual teamwork. They must be able to build and display trust. That means that they must trust in themselves, in others, in the technology, and in the team process.  When committing to virtual team support and helping each other in a team, a virtual team can experience that working together can add value to their own learning. The projects created by virtual teams can be more expansive than what might otherwise be offered.  

 

Referencies:

Khalsa, D. K. (2010a). Virtual teamwork in the online classroom: Social and cultural characteristics and influences. Part 1. DE Oracle @ UMUC. An Online Learning Magazine for UMUC Faculty. Retrieved from http://deoracle.org/university-showcase/papers-studies/virtual-teamwork.html

 

Khalsa, D. K. (2010b). Virtual Teamwork in the Online Classroom: Guidelines for Instructor and Student Success - Part II. DE Oracle @ UMUC. An Online Learning Magazine for UMUC Faculty.Retrieved from

http://deoracle.org/online-pedagogy/teaching-strategies/virtual-teamwork-part-2.html

Leppisaari, I., Vainio, L. & Herrington, J. (2009). Virtual benchmarking as professional development: Peer learning in authentic learning environments. In Same places, different spaces. Proceedings ascilite Auckland 2009. Retrieved 3.7.2013 from http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/auckland09/procs/leppisaari.pdf

Leppisaari, I., Herrington, J., Im, Y. & Vainio, L. (2011). Creating an e-Benchmarking Model for Authentic Learning: Reflections on the Challenges of an International Virtual Project. Educational Technology International 12 (1), 21–46. PDF

 

Tcherepashenets, N.  (2010). Book Review of R. Goodfellow &  M-N. Lamy. (2009). Learning Cultures in Online Education.  IRRODL, The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning 11(2). Retrieved 22.7.2013 from http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/824/1540