October 8, 2004

My Little World: Collaborative problem solving in action

Mark Gross won the Internet Innovator Award from National Semiconductor with a project that helped 147 ninth grade students at Evergreen Valley High School demonstrate their knowledge of international relations last year.

The students created their own countries and role-played international conflict scenarios. Students were grouped according to their values and given a country to define and role play. To succeed, they had to work together, reach consensus and divide up the necessary tasks.

The catch? The 25-member groups included students from five different class periods. Using on-line collaborative tools, file-sharing and other technology tools, students learned to work together to create a statement of national interests, a constitution, foreign policy, flag and national anthem. A point reward system ensured that all students participated.

“This collaborative project engaged and interested a variety of student intelligences (interpersonal, linguistic, musical, spatial, etc.),” said Gross. “Some ‘owned’ the collaborative process, others artistic exercises. Political students liked researching, debating and writing constitutions and foreign policies, and some liked presenting to the class and handling questions.”

To learn more about the project, go to the Web at: http://www.mylilworld.org.