Collaboration has become a buzzword in education; it has become something that is to be valued, and so any initiative or endeavor undertaken by educators is described as a project that “requires collaboration.” In many cases, advocates for the initiative conflate working together with collaboration. Other endeavors are truly collaborative as seen in several characteristics:
- The knowledge and perspective of each individual is valued and incorporated.
- Interaction is focused to find connections between the knowledge individuals bring to the work and the new information and ideas.
- The collaboration results in a product that would not be possible by individuals working alone.