Last update at http://inet.nttam.com : Fri May 19 17:20:11 1995


                               COLLABORATORY


margit misangyi watts
University of Hawai'i at Manoa


     Collaboratory is an international initiative which brings
together students of all ages, museum staff, corporate staff, and
members of charitable organizations in the search for the meaning
of community.  It is set up on two very basic educational
principles.  First of all, if one of the goals of education is to
develop self-sufficient, curious human beings, we must teach to
the value of each individual.  We must design our palette of
educational opportunities and experiences in such a way that it
fits each person's taste, ability, and needs.  We must,
therefore, know what the students bring to us.  Thus, we should
make students the center of gravity within the development of
programs, projects, and classes.
     Another philosophical premise which s at the core of
Collaboratory is the notion that education is neither a time or
place.  It is a process.  We all seem to believe in life long
learning as a goal of education; however, we don't often teach in
a manner that 'walks our talk'.  In today's society students
desperately cling to the hope that college will give them a
ticket to a better future.  However, if we ignore the importance
of enabling students to make connections across the curriculum
and more importantly to their lives, we fail miserably in our
mission to educate.  Not only have we ignored the real need of
students to see their education as a commodity to be traded for a
better life, but we have undermined our own ability to foster the
intellectual engagement that is at the foundation of higher
learning.
     The world is changing rapidly.  In fact, change is the one
constant we know and thus we are faced with the task of preparing
our students for the challenges of the 21st century.  Diversity,
not commonality, has become the guiding vision.  New ways of
teaching and learning are being developed.  And those involved in
higher education are faced with finding the answer to two very
important questions, one following the other.  What is the
mission of higher education?  And if the answer to this question
is--to define for society an education person, the next question
surely follows.  What is an educated person?  Part of the answer
is that there is no single answer.  There must be as many answers
as there is diversity among us in our natural endowments and
world views.
     Certainly, most in higher education would agree to a few
basic standards that would inform the definition of this educated
person.  One would expect that there would be an understanding
and respect for all peoples, a spirit of inquiry, and an openness
to new ideas.  Additionally, this person would have the ability
to address problems and issues through creative and critical
thinking.  They would have hones their communication and research
skills.  There would be a breadth and depth of knowledge, content
that would serve as a base for further discovery.  We would hope
this educated person would acquire lasting intellectual and
cultural interests, and hope that self knowledge would be gained
as well as the ability to make informed judgments.
     Another pivotal question that must be asked is whether the
function of higher education is to weed out our students or
cultivate those we accept?  It seems to me that we need to learn
how to work collaboratively, integrate information, and give our
students a voice.  In fact, a passion for learning should not be
something we inspire in our students; it is something we must
keep from extinguishing.  Seymour Papert, in his book The
Children's Machine suggests that a group of teachers from 1895
could visit a classroom today and not see much change.  He
suggests that they would recognize most of what transpired.  How
sad.
     Technology is certainly no substitute for great teachers,
but it is an essential way to extend their reach and motivation
as well as magnify their effectiveness.  We should create fully
interactive and exploratory educational environments.  This is
where we will have the opportunities to pay attention to our
students, learn who they are, and build a sense of community
which will perhaps lead to the emergence of a global village of
learners.
     The Rainbow Advantage Program at the University of Hawai'i
at Manoa is a learning community which focuses on building
community on all levels.  The students (over 100 of them) spend a
year together, taking the same courses, are involved in team
research, link with neighbor island high schools, and link with
the rest of the world by participating in an international
initiative, Collaboratory.  
     This project is a partnership among university and high
school students, museums, corporations and charitable
organizations.  The hub of activity is on Walden Pond, a MOO
especially created for the collaboration, conversation, and the
sharing of perspectives and project designs.  Teams of students
work on their own interpretations of culture by creating museum
exhibits and displaying these in a local museum.  They also share
their work on Walden Pond, and eventually will create Web pages.
     An example from this past year is a high school class in
Chicago working with the staff of the Museum of Science and
Industry on programming the U-505, an actual submarine in the
museum, onto Walden Pond.  All 22 rooms are available to be
discovered in text form.  It is a lovely sight to log on and see
these high school students giving a tour of the sub to students
from Alaska, Canada and Hawai'i.
     In Hawai'i there were five research teams this year, each
working on a different project and sharing the process on the
MOO.  These exhibits went on display at the Bishop Museum in
Honolulu on May 2, 1995 and ranged from the creation of a 1960's
bedroom, complete with bell bottoms and a blacklight, to a
display of native dwellings which included a 12 foot tepee and a
melted igloo.  These exhibits were the cooperative effort of the
UH students, Bishop Museum staff, and high school students from
the neighboring islands.
     Another focus of the MOO as well as the entire program is
the understanding of community.  It is necessary for all involved
in the project to participate in some form of community service
within their own local communities.  Ideas about these projects
are shared on the MOO.  Corporations who support this initiative
are also encouraged to participate on the MOO; they are given
their own spaces in which they can share their ideas about the
environment, community, and let Pond Dwellers know more about
what they might be doing across the world in various community
service efforts.
     All in all, the purpose of Collaboratory is to further the
experience of discovery and sharing.  It is a project designed to
help students explore their own learning styles as well as
interests; it is a project which will ultimately help them
understand who they are in the wider global community in which
they must learn to live and for which they must assume
responsibility.