Are You Information Savvy?: Collaborator
If using technology to collaborate, treat your collaborators as you would if they were in the same room. Be respectful of the work of others.
Savvy Collaborator: What skills and tools can you use effectively work with others?
Why does this matter?
Much of the work you do as a student and in your professional lives will involve collaborating with others. Being a savvy collaborator means having the skills to effectively collaborate, potentially using a variety of collaboration tools.
Scenario:
For your Commerce course, you have a group project that involves your group interviewing an expert on the topic. The expert doesn’t live here so you need to use a communications tool that will allow all of you to be part of the interview. You then need to collaborate on a document to report on your findings. What tools might you use for these tasks?
Tools for Collaborating
| Name of Tool | Description | Uses For Collaborators |
| Doodle | An online scheduling tool | Group members can select their available time slots from the poll options and Doodle will aggregate the responses and indicate which option(s) works best for everyone. |
| Google Drive | A cloud-based storage tool from Google, which allows for synchronizing and sharing files across multiple devices. Includes Google Docs (word processing), Sheets (spreadsheet), and Slides (presentation). | Can be a place to collect downloaded articles, images, or other files for later use. Folders or individual files can be shared with others as long as doing so does not violate copyright restrictions. Also a useful tool for curation and communication. |
| Google Hangouts | An online communications tools from Google that can be used for communicating via text, audio, and / or video. | Can be used to communicate with team members for collaborating on a project. Also a useful tool for communication. |
| OneDrive* | A cloud-based storage tool hosted at the University of Saskatchewan, which allows for synchronizing and sharing files across multiple devices. | Folders or individual files can be shared with others as long as doing so does not violate copyright restrictions. Also good for curation. |
| Padlet | Padlet is an interactive "whiteboard" tool that allows participants to submit short text responses, as well a slinks, images, or videos. | Can be used to collaborate in "face-to-face" settings or in online environments including online courses. |
| Wiki (Confluence supported at USask)* |
A web-based tool which can be used for adding notes, images, and links for individual, group, or public viewing. Can also be used for collaborating with others. Wikipedia is an example of this. |
Can be used to add resources and notes & reflections. Also good for curation and communication. |
*Tools officially supported at the University of Saskatchewan
Resources for Collaborating
Student Learning Services has great resources for effective group work including:
- Getting Going in Group Work: Guide and Template
- Top Picks for Group Work (video)
- Picking Productive Group Members (video)
Do you need a space to work collaboratively at the University Library? Book a group study room.
Group work can be challenging; this video outlines tips for effective collaborations.