It can also provide them with a sense of belonging, a sense of identity within a larger community. Electronic collaboration brings teachers out of isolation Many educators would like to get together to figure out how to teach and reach students more effectively. For example, new curriculum standards require that teachers change the way they teach. Through collaboration, teachers can learn how colleagues are making those changes and reflect on their own practices. Unfortunately, opportunities for collaboration don't always exist within a single school.
Electronic collaboration allows teachers to connect to a new set of colleagues.
Participants can communicate with people who share the same interests and experience the same challenges. Because it allows for the inclusion of many people, electronic collaboration promotes the exchange of a larger range of opinions and resources. For example, whereas traditional workshops and courses typically use lectures or presentations to impart information, online courses allow for an extended on-topic dialogue through electronic discussion groups long after the course has ended. Although teachers return to their classrooms, no longer are they isolated there. The asynchronous nature of electronic collaboration allows participants to contribute to the conversation when it's convenient and to reflect on what others have said before responding.