Whenever attempting to do any form of project with a group of people, one of the primary concerns is facilitating clear and concise communication. Members of a group need to not only be able to share their ideas with each other but give and receive feedback on each other’s work. Over the course of our research, I intend to analyze the tools of communication that we use and comment on the effectiveness of each one. So far, we use or have attempted to use:

–          Padlet.com

–          Texting

–          Email

–          Evernote

–          Microsoft SharePoint

–          Face to face talking

Microsoft SharePoint is a tool whose usefulness has already run its course with our research team. SharePoint was one of the first tools that we attempted to use, but it was almost instantaneously overtaken and replaced by Google Drive. As a group, we never made the decision to move all our documents from our SharePoint folder to our Google Drive Folder. The process was organic and did not raise any objections. One possible reason that SharePoint was replaced is that members of the group where seemed to have more experience with Drive as a medium than SharePoint. There is a saying that the best type of fitness workout is the type that you will do. Similarly, the most effective form of communication is the kind that people will use.

This week has been the first of many weeks of doing research when the whole team is not in the same location. While Naomi and I have been working together in Grinnell, Celeste has been presenting at a conference in Iowa City and collaborating with us from a distance. Face to face communication was not an option, so we needed ways to question each other directly, stay informed about each other’s daily agendas, and share creative responses. The most effective tools for our needs so far has been texting. Email, while used query other contacts at Grinnell College and in the Grinnell community, has not been a tool of choice among Naomi, Celeste and me. The reason might be that we have favored short and frequent correspondence throughout the week.

As we dig further into our research and remain geographically scattered, I am wondering: how can technology can bring us closer together? If and how will communicating in a digital environment affect our work?