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Theory Cooperation

Theory: Basics of cooperation

Collaboration Canvas

Canvas

We have prepared a collaboration canvas in PowerPoint that you can use to record your rules for collaboration.

The image titled “Digital Collaboration Canvas” shows a digital collaboration template for organizing and planning team projects such as learning circles. The template is divided into six main areas: interaction, informal communication, professional communication, action, purpose, and documentation. Each area contains specific instructions or questions to promote collaboration and communication within a team.

You can also use the following image as a background for other tools:

The image entitled “Digital Collaboration Canvas” shows a digital collaboration template for organizing and planning team projects such as the learning circle. The template is divided into six main areas: interaction, informal communication, technical communication, action, purpose, and documentation. This blank template is designed to be filled out collaboratively in the learning circle or used as a background for other tools.

As an alternative to the canvas, you can use the following text as a template/idea/suggestion in a tool of your choice:

Rules for our cooperation in the lernOS Circle:

Goal: Our lernOS Circle has the following common goal [formulate goal]

We lay down the following rules for cooperation within the team:

Purpose / Goal

  • What does the world need us for?

  • What do we get up for every morning?

  • Who is our client? (Customer or motivation, e.g. for honorary positions)

  • What is our mission as a team?

Interaction

  • We meet [once a week - duration, rhythm, place, time]. If we use video, we will use [video conferencing tool] as the video conferencing solution for meetings.

  • We will not send the documents to each other by e-mail, but publish and share the links to the documents in our [document library].

Action

  • We will complete our tasks in the time in between and prepare them for the next meeting.

  • We mutually undertake to comply with the cooperation agreement.

Communication, informal (spontaneous, social, fast)

  • In a nutshell: We use [communication tool] for spontaneous, fast social communication.

Communication, technical

  • We are responsible for informing each other about news in our [communication tool] before the next meeting.

  • Constructive: We use [channel in the communication tool] for professional exchange.

Documentation

  • We will use our [OneNote notebook] for all meetings as documentation.

  • We will use [name of tool (e.g. Planner)] to track task status and keep our status and key milestones up to date.

  • We ensure that all work (including documents that are still in progress) is stored in the agreed [document library].

  • Optional: We will use this special [folder/library structure] to organize our team documents.

Deepening:

Idea for developing the rules for teamwork:
Working agreements | Atlassian

"Working together on documents"

Sharing documents in the cloud (example Microsoft365)

  1. Tip: Work on a document together at the same time
    If you want to work together on content in a document, you often had to laboriously consolidate corrections and contributions from individual people piece by piece into one document. As soon as documents are stored in the cloud (e.g. on SharePoint, TeamSites or in OneDrive), it is possible for several people to work on a document at the same time (via sharing via link (see tip 4)). Link to further information & instructions.

  2. Tip: Use automatic versioning in cloud storage
    By storing documents in the Microsoft Cloud, work statuses are automatically saved, and versions of a document are kept track of. If you work on documents together, this function gives everyone the security that documents and work statuses cannot be accidentally deleted/moved and thus lost.
    Link to further information & instructions.

  3. Tip: Track changes
    In addition to automatic versioning, Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents offer the option of tracking changes. This allows everyone to see which content was edited when and by whom. Change tracking can be easily switched on and off in the main menu item "Review".
    Link to further information & instructions.

  4. Tip: Use the comment function in the document
    In Word, Excel and PowerPoint, you can leave specific comments, e.g. on text passages. Everyone who uses the document can read the comments and reply to them. This allows questions, information and answers to the content in a document to be exchanged quickly and easily. Link to further information & instructions.

  5. Tip: Share files via link
    It is advisable to always store files in the cloud storage first (e.g. TeamSite or personal OneDrive) and then share the file via a link in the team channel, a 1:1 chat or group chat. This way, the file remains in the selected storage location. If you simply share a file via drag & drop in a chat, it is automatically stored in the channel folder (Teams Chat) or in the OneDrive of one of the chat group participants. This creates a copy of the original file.

How do I share documents in a chat? (Example M365)

Chat communication is very important for collaboration in a group. There are several options for this in Microsoft Teams: you can use the channels in a team in MS Teams - or create a group chat in the personal chat area. Meeting chats are also often used for group communication. The options are useful for different use cases but differ in important details if you also want to share documents via chat.

Teams channel Group chat Meeting chat
Advantages: Advantages: Advantages:
Shared files are automatically stored on the TeamSite in the corresponding channel folder. All team members (including external persons/guests) automatically have access to files that are shared via the TeamSite and/or directly in the channel. (is also removed again when leaving the team!) When a new person is added to the group chat, you can decide individually whether the history of the chat should be released for viewing in full, in part or not at all. Well suited for chat communication during and shortly after an appointment.
Disadvantages: Disadvantages: Disadvantages:
Non-transparent file storage Non-transparent file storage
No direct integration of persons outside the M365 group possible. Even if all files appear to be organized in the Files tab of the chat, there is no shared file storage. The shared file is stored with the person in OneDrive in the "Microsoft Teams chat files" folder. All files shared by the person in 1:1 chats, group chats and meeting chats using drag & drop are stored there. This storage can therefore quickly become very confusing and take up a lot of storage space. People who are added to the chat later do not automatically have access to the shared files. As soon as an external person (= guests in the M365 tenant used) joins the group chat, files can no longer be shared. Guests cannot access the shared files. Even if all files appear to be organized in the files tab of the chat: there is no shared file storage (for details see description "Group chat"). External persons (= guests in the M365 tenant used) can only see and access shared files if they have a guest account and have also logged into the meeting via this account.

Tool collection

Various tools for joint text creation [GERMAN]