Benefits of Collaboration

Collaboration is when two or more people work together to complete a task. It involves things like having a shared goal, making a joint effort, effective communication, mutual respect, and shared responsibility. Collaboration in a digital environment adds additional benefits towards the working process. Digital collaboration allows for increased accessibility and flexibility, better communication and information sharing, improved file management, and increased productivity.

Synchronous vs Asynchronous Collaboration

Digital collaboration allows for people to work together in a variety of ways. For example, they could be working on the same thing at the same time; this is called synchronous communication. Synchronous communication usually involves utilizing a chat feature or voice/video calling while working on the project together. If the people involved are working on the project at different times, but still contributing to the work, this is called asynchronous communication. Forms of asynchronous communication include utilizing comments on documents, email, and forums to discuss information. Asynchronous collaboration is typically a slower process since you have to wait before hearing back from the other people about the work.

Collaborative Tools

Whether you’re working synchronously or asynchronously, different online tools are helpful in your digital collaboration process. Online document editors like Google Drive are helpful for sharing files and creating documents, slideshows, and spreadsheets together. The comment tool allows for communication between people and work sessions, and it also tracks edits to the files so people can see who is doing what. This is probably what you will use for school projects. Larger project management tools like Asana are used in professional spaces to manage collaboration within a large company. If you want to work synchronously with the other people on your project, try getting into a Zoom Meeting or Google Meet. Mix and match what works for you when you work with others online.