I served as the moderator for this topic titled Learning in Communities, in the newly merged group 7. This discussion made me reflect on the difference between simply dividing work in a group and actually collaborating. I realised that true collaboration is not only about completing a task together, but also about learning from each other, building trust, and developing communication and teamwork skills that are useful beyond the course itself.

One thing I found especially interesting was the focus on group dynamics and the importance of creating a safe and supportive environment from the beginning. As the moderator, I tried to encourage the team members to speak and used some of the tactics we discussed, such as starting with short introductions from all participants because this was a newly formed group. I noticed that these small icebreaking activities helped create a more relaxed atmosphere and made participation easier.

I also reflected on the challenges connected to group work. An important point about free riders was raised and how some students can pass group assignments without contributing equally. This made me think about how difficult it can be to design fair collaborative activities where everyone feels responsible and included. At the same time, the discussion showed that collaboration skills are important for both academic and professional life, so avoiding collaboration completely may also remove valuable learning opportunities.

The team decided to use Miro as our collaborative platform, which helped organise ideas visually and made it easier for everyone to contribute during the discussions. I had never used Miro and was happy to learn  how to use this new tool.

Overall, this topic helped me understand that collaboration requires more than putting students into groups. It needs structure, trust, communication, and guidance from the educator to help students experience the real value of learning together. Below is a link to the Fishbone Diagram in miro that summarised our discussions on the topic.

https://miro.com/app/board/uXjVHfcYkjw=/?share_link_id=469895887724.