Don't Get Stuck! - Sample Guidelines/References for Frugal Innovation thru Small Group Collaboration

Many factors important to the success of small mixed collaborative groups are not immutable characteristics of the group.  
These factors can, quite usefully, be treated as options or decisions.  For example, 

• the identification and role of leader/facilitators, 
• the consistency or flexibility of group structure (meeting frequency, meeting duration, ...)
• the familiarity of participants with the structure and procedures (resist or encourage new patterns?)

From Sample Guidelines from Working Draft tlt.gs/SGCguide See More:  "Guidelines/References for Frugal Innovation thru Small Group Collaboration:  Working draft from TLTG Annual Online Symposium 2011" tlt.gs/SGCguide

These Guidelines & References are based on the work of the TLT Group's 4th Annual Online Symposium on Frugal Innovation and Collaborative Change: YOU ARE NOT ALONE! SMALL MIXED GROUP COLLABORATION (August, 2011). Registration was free to TLT Group members. See the homebase Web pages for each of the 3 online sessions:

Session 1    Session 2    Session 3

TLT Group Members are also invited to participate in a "small mixed collaborative group" to continue developing these resources in academic 2011-12!

To join this working group, send email to Rebecca Kurtz:

kurtz@tltgroup.org

The Symposium strongly influences the TLT Group's agenda for our weekly FridayLive! online sessions. Our 2011-12 "season" begins on September 9, 2pm Eastern with a recap and  extension of this summer's work on Small Mixed Collaborative Groups. In the Symposium, guest presenters discussed specific kinds of successful small-group collaboration:

• Student-Faculty - Session 3, Elon University et al.
• Faculty-Faculty - Sessions 1, 2, 3 - Temple University, Miami University of Oho, Elon University et al.
• Faculty-Librarian - Sessions 2, 3 - Miami University of Ohio et al.
• Faculty-Faculty Development, and Faculty-Tech. Participants - Sessions 1, 2, 3 - Temple University, Miami University of Oho, Elon University et al.

We welcome all in higher education - faculty, librarians, faculty developers, administrators, and students; but we especially encourage small groups of colleagues from the same institution.

We believe that focusing on small, realistic steps will lead to more widespread, long-lasting meaningful changes. In fact, in these especially challenging times, small steps may be the ONLY way to keep moving - in the right direction.

IMAGE
Photo of "A train blocked by snowdrifts in Southern Minnesota, USA, 29 March 1881" by Elmer and Tenney "Snow blockade, Southern Minnesota Division, Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway" Photograph Collection, Stereograph 3/29/1881 Location no. HE6.43 r18 Negative no. 4289
Original image from the Minnesota Historical Society Elmer and Tenney
Permission (Reusing this file)  Licensing

This media file is in the public domain in the United States. This applies to U.S. works where the copyright has expired, often because its first publication occurred prior to January 1, 1923.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Train_stuck_in_snow.jpg
By Elmer and Tenney [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons from Wikimedia Commons