Post #5: Collaboration in the Humanities

The blog post, Examples of Collaborative Digital Humanities Projects, reiterated some thoughts explored in the composition pedagogy course I am currently taking. In this course we explored tenants of collaborative learning, discussing how collaboration allows students to create their own knowledge by contributing their individual perspectives and experiences to a group. Collaborative writing projects coincide with the aforementioned blog post's discussion of co-authorship. Personally, I have a hard time working collaboratively on a single piece of writing. However, as the blog post suggests, collaborative writing does not necessarily mean co-authorship, but incorporates research from others, those who ultimately publish the work, and those who potentially read it. The "limits of our own knowledge," expressed in the blog, is a critical notion. , in order to overcome the limitations of working alone, no matter what medium they employ, lone writers should use research, others' opinions, workshops of their work by other peers and professionals, and consider their readership while composing and editing.

I feel that the "lone scholar," may be more comfortable expressing his or her ideas without the immediate input and perhaps judgement of collaborators. Thus, sometimes it is good to have "lone scholars," who honestly and frankly express their thoughts, and later submit them to the collaborative public for commentary, expansion, and improvement.

I think technology is helpful in allowing the "lone scholar," to easily communicate his or her thoughts without feeling the immediate presence of the collaborative public, but still having their presence available. Google, and other collaboratively constructed tools allow "lone scholars" to participate in a collaborative environment, while still feeling in control of their own projects and ideas.