As teachers our ultimate goal is to equip our students with the "tools" they need to live successfully as adults.  In an interview with David Chrislip of the National Civic League (Flowers) several examples were cited of failing communities achieving great success through a collaborative approach to problem solving.  Mr. Chrislip stated that, "If you bring the appropriate people together in constructive ways with good information, they will create authentic visions and strategies for addressing the shared concerns of the organization and community."  If great success is attained by adults this way then students should also experience creating original solutions to problems, or discovering unique answers to real life dilemmas through a similar collaborative process.

In a classroom setting students could be grouped together to work on a project oriented task, with the entire Internet as their source of "good" information.  Such a project provides students with a "holistic educational pathway", and can lead to the development of real problem solving skills. (Collaborative Internet Learning)  Publishing project results on the Internet, for example, can also supply the motivation often necessary for conscientious work, give students a sense of ownership, and supply real life situations from which to work. (Learning Activities)

As an example of how such a collaborative project can be implemented in a science classroom, I have briefly outlined the steps followed using the STS (Science/Technology/Society) approach to teaching an ecology unit.  This information can be found in much greater detail in the June, 1999 issue of Phi Delta Kappan, in an article by Jeffrey Weld entitled, "Achieving Equitable Science Education."

1.  Individuals share ecological topics of interest in a brainstorming session.
2.  Students team up to learn more about a common topic of interest.
3.  Teams assign roles for various aspects of data gathering; contacting local experts, designing experiments, literature searches, Internet searches, etc.  And roles are assigned for whatever mode of presentation is chosen:  brochure production, multimedia presentation, Web Page construction, etc.
4.  Daily team meetings are held to discuss and sort findings, problems, and review experiments.
5.  Then all data and findings are compiled into an appropriate format for presenting to the class.
6.  The presentation is expected to generate more questions (initiating further investigations), or help to expose flaws in conclusions or experimental design which can be corrected by further inquiry.

Throughout such a project the teacher must facilitate discussions, guide students to appropriate resources,  make suggestions for possible experiments, and assist with technological needs, while the students learn and progress within a framework where they are the initiators.  Projects like this give the students a far clearer and complete knowledge of ecology than they would have learned in a conventional classroom setting, they understand how to design experiments that withstand critique, they gain valuable social skills through the experiences of working closely with others, and they realize that science class actually deals with the real world. (Weld, p 757)

Such a collaborative project based method of learning also addresses many of the fundamental goals of education expressed in the Essential Academic Learning Requirements of Washington State (see [Benchmarks Addressed]).  Also, in a study of 12 middle school classrooms, some using a text-driven teaching approach and some a project-based approach, "scores on attitude measures were significantly higher for all students who experienced the STS approach. Moreover, as measured by the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills, content scores also showed improvement for both boys and girls." (Weld, p. 758)

While libraries still provide a major source of knowledge, our students do have access to the vast resources of the Internet, and should use it.  But to use it wisely and to its full potential in teaching, educators must proceed with caution.  Jamie McKenzie warns, in the article, "Grazing the Net", in the September, '98 issue of Phi Delta Kappan, that, "Conducting the old-fashioned topical research by means of electronic information is a bit like pedaling a tricycle on the interstate.  To mix metaphors, classic school research projects are too much like shooting at sitting ducks.  In an age of information abundance (or glut), they may be quasi-suicidal for teachers.  Be ready for hundred-page research papers that have been downloaded and pasted together with relatively little reading, thought, or synthesis on the part of the student."  He even refers to such topical research as "the enemy of thought," and proposes that to avoid this pitfall teachers "pose questions that require fresh though, so our students must make answers, not simply gather them." (McKenzie, p 28)

Looking back at a collaborative research project as outlined by Weld with this warning in mind, using the Internet would truly benefit students in many other ways.  This rapid means of communication provides students with a potential network of expert contacts outside school boundaries, easily accessible through several "ask and expert" web sites.  Ease of communication through email, chat rooms, and discussion forums enables students to make first hand inquiries and to survey populations worldwide, and could extend the collaborative "team" to include students not only in other cities, but other countries as well.

In addition, if the research team chose to publish their results on a Web Page, not only could they receive feedback from innumerable sources, but their "message" could be shared worldwide rather than just by a teacher or a few classmates.  This in itself would give motivation and value to the project.  The students would work hard to create something others would enjoy, they would strive to make sure the grammar as well as the facts were correct, and they would choose a topic that really concerned them, because they would know their voice would be heard.

Students who learn to learn and grow through collaboration using the vast resources of the Internet will be well equipped to continue increasing their knowledge when they are beyond the guidance of a teacher.  They will have developed the skills necessary to work with others in seeking intelligent and workable answers to family, community and world problems.