Contenu en ligne sur la page : http://ebook.coop-tic.eu/english/wakka.php?wiki=EbookSomeCollaborativeToolsForSagiter  .epub

Introducing the Cooptic project


Cooptic is an initiative for innovation transfer funded by the European Commission within the framework of the Leonardo da Vinci project. Four partners specializing in innovative teaching methods - Suprago Florac and Outils-Réseaux (Montpellier), the Cooperation School Aposta from Catalonia and the Regional Centre for Environmental Initiatives (CRIE Mouscron) from Wallonia – joined forces to work on adapting a training tool for collaborative project facilitators.

During the Cooptic project, fifteen people from three countries (Belgium, France and Spain) received training to become trainers of cooperative project and network facilitators, in their respective circles.

Cooptic today has 60 network facilitators forming a real pool in three European countries. This network developed over the course of three years:

image Coopticpresentatio.png


Introducing the team of partners


The Cooptic programme linked four structures:

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Supagro Florac: Agriculture and Environmental Education Institute has been providing training to facilitators of many themes and geographic networks on public agricultural education for many years, as well as providing technical support for them. Recognized nationally for its expertise in education sciences and its experimental teaching activities and for promoting innovative training tools, Supagro Florac shares its knowledge with its partners in this project. It also oversaw the creation and coordination of the whole project.

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The ‘reference’ association in France for networking. Its main mission is to start and accompany cooperative networks and practices using methodological tools and the Internet. In 2010, Outils-Réseaux created the Animacoop training tool for facilitators and professionals working in the fields of cooperation and network facilitation. This Animacoop tool was a part of the European Cooptic project.


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Catalan association: Cooperation school in charge of transfer in Catalonia.



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Walloon association for environmental education in charge of transfer in Wallonia.




These partners brought together the skills of several institutions, universities, researchers, and local actors and groups engaging in participatory development who actively participated in drafting the e-book you have in your hands.

Introduction to the learning tool

The Cooptic learning tool is based on educational principles that aim to accompany trainees along the path to autonomy and building their capacity to carry out informed actions. Trainees are the main focus of the teaching tool. These principles lead to the choice of teaching methods and resources that are articulated around three ideas: the crosscutting nature of knowledge and collaborative skills to be learnt; a link to the professional projects of trainees; and the use of the possibilities offered by digital tools to innovate in teaching practices.

What can be learnt with the Cooptic training?

The training contents favour the development of operational skills linked to the facilitation of cooperative projects: managing information, co-producing resources, starting network dynamics, group facilitation…
These contents are structured around 12 key concepts and 12 crosscutting collaborative skills:

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These collaborative skills are dealt with in parallel at three different levels:
  • at an individual level, training develops the engagement of a person in a collaborative project,
  • at a group level, training deals with understanding group dynamics, networks, groups and skills to manage a group,
  • a third level relating to the environment refers to openness factors and communication “outside” the network.


How is the learning done?

During a training period of 14 weeks, trainees work remotely and on-site following a progression in three parallel itineraries:

  • Individual itinerary:
On-line contents follow the stages in a network’s existence.

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  • Creation of the network: the group is established, a “group of individuals” becomes aware that it is a learning group.
  • The network becomes informed: exchanges on the projects lead to a set of common experiences and problems.
  • The network is transformed: individual and collective events are created in small-group collaborative work.
  • Network outreach: spreading the outcomes of the cooperation works outside the community brings value to it.
  • Network consolidation: this allows for an assessment and a reflexion on how to maintain the dynamics alive and how to open up to others.






  • Collective trainee itinerary :
Trainees produce new contents collectively

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  • Project itinerary :
The creation of a collaborative project by the trainee is a pre-requisite, and the activities refer to this project throughout the training. During the first week, trainees introduce the context and the object of their project, and then test the methods and tools on their project, explaining the whole experience relating to their own personal learning process. At each of the three meetings, an update is given on how the training has contributed so far to the project’s progress. Training actions speed up the project in its professional context and the lessons learnt from the training reciprocally become more “tangible” since they are implicit in the action.

A pedagogy impacted by new technologies

A training ecosystem:
A methodology to move from “network facilitators” to “trainers of network facilitators”
A combination of on-site and distance exchanges using Internet-based tools
Using collaborative tools and methods during the training process.
Moments to exchange practices
Individual work on the trainees’ collaborative projects
Co-generation of knowledge: pedagogical training plans.

The Cooptic ebook

The ebook that you are handling contains the resources used during the CoopTic training session. Some were written specifically for the ebook because the contents were presented orally during training. This book is a state of our knowledge in the field of cooperation and collaboration at the time of writing in late 2013. But this is an area that is just beginning to be studied and we continue to experiment, to imagine, to try, to dream ... To make it short, even if the publication of this ebook is the outcome of the European project Leonardo CoopTic, this is not the end but just the bases of our future projects: a resource center on collaboration? A MOOC? Or perhaps something that does not exist yet!
Enjoy your reading and your "small irreversible cooperation experiences" to come!

They took part in the adventure !


Coordination :
Hélène Laxenaire

Authors :
Gatien Bataille
Jean-Michel Cornu
Antoine Delarue
FNAMI LR
Mathilde Guiné
Claire Herrgott
Emilie Hullo
Corinne Lamarche
Hélène Laxenaire
Heather Marsh
Laurent Marseault
Daniel Mathieu
Outils-réseaux
Jordi Picart i Barrot
Manon Pierrel
Frédéric Renier

Violette Roche
Elzbieta Sanojca
SupAgro Florac
Vincent Tardieu
Laurent Tézenas
Françoise Viala
and the Animacoop trainees.

Drawings :
Eric Grelet

Conception of routes
Claire d'Hauteville
Hélène Laxenaire
Elzbieta Sanojca

Translation in French :
Collaborative translation by members of the group AnimFr (article about stimergy)

Translation in English :
Koinos
Suzy Lewis-Vialar
Abdel Guerdane

Translation in Catalan :
Koinos
Jordi Picart i Barrot

Proofreading (of the French part) :
Caroline Seguin

Standardization of texts :
Cathy Azema
Gatien Bataille
David Delon
Corinne Lamarche
Hélène Laxenaire
Christian Resche
Cécile Trédaniel

Development:
Florian Schmitt

Graphic standards :
Imago design

Settlement and monitoring of the Leonardo project
Guy Levêque
Cathy Azema
Martine Pedulla
Stéphanie Guinard


This work was achieved within the framework of a project of transfer of innovation (TOI) funded by the European Union through the Leonardo Da Vinci program.

All the contents (texts, images, videos) are under Creative Commons BY-SA 3.0 FR license. This means that you can freely distribute, modify and use them in a commercial context. You have two obligations: quote the original authors and the content that you create from ours should be shared in the same conditions under CC-BY-SA .

Dropbox

Card's author : Outils-réseaux et SupAgro Florac
Card's type of licence : Creative Commons BY-SA
To begin with :
  • Dropbox is a backup service to synchronise and share data, it is very simple. You download a programme that only takes up a small space on the task bar. Then you allocate a file on your computer that will be backed up and synchronised on the Internet. You log on and you're set: now, all forms of files, copied or backed up in your Dropbox documents will instantly be sent via the Internet is a safe way.
  • This allows synchronising your data automatically on all computers (desktop, laptop, work) and easily sharing documents with other users. Files are available on the hard disk, meaning you can work with them even without an Internet connection.
  • The free version comes with 2 G of space but the paying version allows you to extend this capacity.
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Official website : http://www.dropbox.com
Tool's boxes : Briefcase
Introduction :
Requirements :
  • Being authorized to install software on a computer
  • It works for all platforms: Linux, Mac Os and Windows
Some practical uses :
  • Synchronising your files automatically on all your computers without issues with versions (Which is the good version? The one on my laptop? The one on my pen drive?)
  • Sharing a file and documents (of all types, office, images…) with one or several people
  • Working on your documents even if you have no access to the Internet
  • Creating a photo gallery visible to all easily
  • Having a public space on the net to upload large files and send files that are too heavy to send via email
  • Having an automatic backup of your files
  • Having access to files from any computer with an internet connection.
Using the tools :
Going further :
Advantages :
  • All files always at hand, from any computer
  • Sharing all supported document formats in real time, automatically and with different people
  • Working on files even if you have no internet connection
  • Backing-up files automatically
  • Dropbox saves the last versions of files, so older versions can be recovered in the event of an error.
Drawbacks :
  • Sharing files doesn't work very well when it's a document that several people are working on at the same time or during the same time period together (i.e. filling in a file to be submitted in two days time, planning for network members) since when two people work on a document at the same time, both versions are saved and then changes to merge the documents must be done manually.
For this kind of use it is preferable to use a tool that allows synchronized changes such as Etherpad or Google Document
  • Having two Drobpox accounts on the same computer is complicated and often causes errors
  • Documents in shared files use space on the 2G allocated.
Licence : Proprietary software, Freemium
Using : Easy
Setting up : Easy

Etherpad

Card's author : Frédéric Renier, Supagro Florac
Card's type of licence : Creative Commons BY-SA
To begin with : An Etherpad is an online-service which allows several persons to take notes simultaneously. A chat is linked to each page? Etherpad is also a freeware which can be settled on a server.
Official website : http://etherpad.org/
Tool's boxes : Synchronous Communication
Introduction :
Requirements :
  • a good internet connection
Some practical uses :
  • Collaborative note-taking in a meeting. The consequences on dominating relationships are important, this custom contributes to move the lines.
  • Note-taking between remote partners by coupling the pad with a videoconferencing tool. However it is not always easy to share one's attention and screen between two apps.
  • Live control of the meeting's progress, with a possibility to ask questions in the Chat.
Going further : By opening an account on Framapad.org, you create a working space where you can invite users (with a password protected access), create peculiar pads for the group thus created, and have access to management features from your pads : listing, archiving, downloading, deleting. A pad created from an account is therefore only restricted, by default, to the members of the account (private), but it can also be opened to all as all public pads, or else protected by a specific password. Tutorial on the interest and the use of private pads
Advantages :
  • The classic of first irreversible cooperation experiences.
  • So very easy to use, every contribution is directly noticeable by others, many export possibilities, allows a synchronised co-writing, "wysiwyg" (page layout can be done in any word processor).
  • Notes taken are more complete.
Drawbacks :
  • Creating a pad directly from the web browser address toolbar can be a major methodological obstacle.
  • Limited to 16 simultaneous
  • Depending on the internet connection quality, the experience can be totally counterproductive.
Licence : Open sources, Free
Using : Easy
Setting up : Reserved for IT Jedis

Framadate

Card's author : Outils-Réseaux et SupAgro Florac
Card's type of licence : Creative Commons BY-SA
To begin with : Small and simple tool to agree on a date with a group or to create a small survey.
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Official website : http://framadate.org
Tool's boxes : Calendar
Requirements : internet access is needed
Some practical uses :
  • Establish a date for a meeting
  • Choose a logo
  • Choose a name for the group
Using the tools :
Going further :
  • Only suggest dates when the people who are required to attend are available
  • Avoid suggesting too many dates, as this dilutes answers. A possible consequence of this: the date with most votes only represents a small minority within the group.
  • Set a deadline for each survey
  • Pay attention when several Framedates are open: take note of replies
Advantages :
  • It perfectly meets the needs of groups when searching for a common date.
  • The fact that other participants can see the replies of others encourages them to reach a consensus.
  • This tool is extremely easy, using it with beginner groups can be a first stage, a "small and irreversible experience".
  • Free software
  • Hosted by a "Loi 1901" association: data are not kept or resold.
  • It avoids flooding an email account with useless emails when trying to agree on a date among several people.
Drawbacks :
  • This tool does not solve the issue of unavailability.
  • Those replying first have more advantages.
  • Not convenient for confidential meetings or secret choices, since with these surveys participants are visible to everyone.
  • This service is maintained by volunteers: service availability is not guaranteed
Licence : Open sources, Free
Using : Easy
Setting up : No setting up

Freeplane

Card's author : Frédéric Renier, Supagro Florac, Outils-Réseaux
Card's type of licence : Creative Commons BY-SA
To begin with :
  • Freeplane is a free software application which can be settled locally on the PC (Mac, Windows and Linux). It allows the creation of mind maps and their html export in a webpage.
  • a heuristic map is a mind map.
Tool's boxes : Mind map
Introduction :
  • To start a mind map, the topic of reflection is placed in the centre. For each new idea linked to the topic, a branch is created and the idea is written in a node. Then the branch is developed by creating secondary branches.? - When all the ideas are on the map, it's time to format it, to add icons, drawings or images, to choose colours for each branch. The more formatted and illustrated, the more understandable and easy to remember it will be.?
  • To translate visually the hierarchy of ideas, we generally go from the general (written large and in the centre) to the specific (written smaller and smaller as we move away from the centre) .
  • With mind maps both cerebral hemispheres work in synergy. Association and imagination process peculiar to thinking can notably be used. Having to locate a concept somewhere on the map forces to think about the other concepts.
  • A mind map to discover mind maps
Requirements : None, this kind of idea's presentation is appreciated or not.
Some practical uses :
Using the tools :
Advantages :
  • It is a tool which enables to show a problem's complexity
  • There are numerous online resources about mind maps (how to use, examples, tricks...)
Drawbacks : Freeplane is a software with numerous functions, which can be difficult to handle.
Licence : Open sources, Free
Using : It could be easier but also more complicated
Setting up : Easy

Google calendar

Card's author : Hélène Laxenaire - SupAgro Florac
Card's type of licence : Creative Commons BY-SA
To begin with : Google Calendar is a tool by Google that allows keeping an on-line calendar (available on a computer or a smartphone) that can be shared or posted on a website. This tool allows sharing an organization's events or meetings calendar, knowing the planning of collaborators and also establishing a planning to book resources (a room, for example).
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Official website : https://www.google.com/calendar/
Tool's boxes : Online Office Automation
Introduction : Google Calendar is an on-line calendar that can be viewed on-line and shared. It can also be posted on a website. Google calendar allows importing other planning (created with Google Calendar or with ICS format) enabling you to visualize several different calendars on a same page. Finally, it allows group members who use Google Calendar to see each other's availability and invite them to a meeting on a given date and at a given time.
Requirements :
  • Having a Google account
Some practical uses :
  • posting upcoming meetings of an association on a website
  • sharing a calendar to determine the arrival times of speakers at an event. Everyone gathering information on arrival times can write them on a same calendar which is then used to see who will be going to pick them up at the station.
  • manage the bookings of a meeting room
Using the tools :
Going further :
Advantages :
  • It allows seeing the availability of all members quickly
  • It allows several people to gather information on timetables
  • Calendars with ICS format can be imported and exported for other software such as Thunderbird, so the calendar can be shared with people who do not have or do not wish to have a Google account.
Drawbacks :
  • It is an on-line calendar, meaning that there are more constraints than using a paper calendar, except if on a smartphone
  • It still belongs to Google!
Licence : Proprietary software, Free
Using : Easy
Setting up : No setting up

Google Documents (Google Drive)

Card's author : Emilie Hullo, Outils Réseaux and Hélène Laxenaire, SupAgro Florac
Card's type of licence : Creative Commons BY-SA
To begin with : Google Docs is an online and free Office suite. It includes a word processor, a spreadsheet, a presentation software, a software which generates online forms and a drawing software. This suite enables to share office documents (writing protected or not) and to share the writing with others. Since the transition to google Drive, it is also possible to share other kind of documents.
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Official website : https://docs.google.com
Tool's boxes : Online Office Automation
Introduction :
Requirements :
  • Having a google account (to create and share a document : other members do not need to have one)
  • Being able to use an office suite (word processor, spreadsheet, slideshow)
Some practical uses :
  • synchronous and remote note during a phone meeting
  • Creation of an online survey , the results being compiled in a chart (for more information, see the sheet Tool Google Form
  • to prepare their programming, event planners compile in a chart names and coordinates of potential participants, data are then structured and can be treated later as for a mailing
  • for a training schedule, a chart is put online differentiating rights : students can consult the updated chart in real-time to acknowledge their timetable (but can't modify it) and trainers can modify it directly without having to go throuh with an intermediary
  • to part-draft a document which needs layout : report, etc...
  • to set up a slideshow which can be easily inserted in a website
Using the tools :
Going further :
Advantages :
  • Files are online and therefore can be opened from any internet connected computer.
  • Documents can be part-written synchronously (a coloured cursor points out who is writing) or asynchronously (a history enables to know who did what)
  • The « sharing for all users with the link» option allows the sharing of a document and its modification by all users even if they don't have a google account
  • the available document is always the latest updated (which is not the case when documents are sent by email)
  • Modifications are compiled in real-time, there is no problem of version
  • All documents are created and modified with google doc, thus there is no file format problem as when one uses Open Office and Word (doc, docx). Everyone has the same software of the same version.
  • Possibility to chat next to the document when working synchronously but remotely on the document
Drawbacks :
  • If you are not connected to internet you can't get the document.
  • It needs a little time of practice before understanding all the differences in rights to apply to documents. Beware not to transfer the link in the URL bar but the one given via the button Share, once the « sharing for all users with the link » option is ticked, otherwise people will not be able to open the file. You need to be particularly scrupulous to this when you start using google doc within a group because it can be very demotivating if the first sessions end up by « But I can't open your file !»
  • It's Google again, who will index the contents of documents to generate pop-up ads and create consumers profiles.
Licence : Proprietary software, Free
Using : Easy
Setting up : No setting up

YesWiki

Card's author : Outils Réseaux
Card's type of licence : Creative Commons BY-SA
To begin with : YesWiki is a free wiki engine, modular, under GPL licence, which allows to create and manage a website or an intranet. YesWiki is particularly intended for groups wishing to be equipped with an internet-cooperating tool.
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Official website : http://yeswiki.net
Tool's boxes : Wikis
Introduction : Just like its dad Wikini, on which it leans, YesWiki allows with any web browser :
  • the creation, deleting, modifying, commenting of web pages, whatever the number of publishers and of pages.
  • the management of file system permissions to different pages (read, write, comment), by one or a group of users.
  • a visual and intuitive laying out of contents, without IT knowledge.
  • the instantanous publishing of any page creation or modification.
  • the analysis, the management of the site from simple features : site map, list of users, list of the last modified pages, etc.
  • YesWiki is also:
    • templates, adjustable to each site.
    • the generalizing of the wiki principle to the whole site : modification of the title, banner, menus, footer etc. with a simple double-click.
    • a flexible antispam.
    • the ability to join to each page an office or multimedia file with posting or reading of the content for images, sounds, videos, mind maps.
    • a manager of extensions allowing to add new features such as database, key-words, microblog, shared forecast etc.
YesWiki can be set up on a Web server bearing PHP 5 and more and a database MySQL. Once set up, the site is directly operational and everything is managed online with any web browser.?
Requirements :
  • Having a PHP / MySQL web hosting
Some practical uses :
  • it helps to approach existencial matters !
  • it helps to create a potentially collaborative website easily
  • it helps to keep the control on the website
  • it helps to think about the question of power
  • it helps to set up intranets
  • it helps to co-write books
  • it helps to co-build projects
  • and it helps to demonstrate that project that are co-built are feasible and efficient
  • it helps to demystify the internet
  • it helps to do databases even better than a Googleform
  • it helps to point out the people who really want to cooperate (others say that anyone can change their name)
  • it helps to spot the IT specialists who see in cooperation safety weaknesses
  • it helps to remove passwords in order to act
  • it helps to show that Wiki can also rhyme with pretty
  • it helps to increase one's skills for the sake of the whole team
Using the tools :
Going further : Documentation "get on's hand dirty" for the setting up, the configuration, the customization
Advantages :
  • very easy to start writing
  • flexible (extensions of databases, qrcodes, etc...)
  • the new features given by extensions offer multiple cooperative possibilities.
  • easy-to-edit menus
Drawbacks :
  • Need to know the specific wiki syntax
  • the"tools" extensions add complexity: be careful to add them when the group is mature enough.
  • small community of developers.
Licence : Open sources, Free
Using : Easy
Setting up : Reserved for IT Jedis

Skype

Card's author : SupAgro Florac
Card's type of licence : Creative Commons BY-SA
To begin with : Skype is a free internet telephony service which enables to have a discussion between two or more persons (with a Skype account). The service proposes also a service of videoconferencing, a chat, screen and file sharing.
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Official website : http://www.skype.com/
Tool's boxes : Synchronous Communication
Introduction :
Requirements :
  • Creating a Skype account
  • Setting up the program
  • Having a computer and, optionally a webcam
Some practical uses :
  • Telephone meeting - two persons or more - (which can be coupled together with an Etherpad for a shared note-taking)
  • Remote presentation and comment of a slideshow
Using the tools :
Going further :
Advantages :
  • Good audio and video quality
  • Complete tool : audio, video, chat, transfer of files
  • Free communications between Skype users whatever the distance
  • Up to 25 persons in the same phone meeting (!)
Drawbacks :
  • Proprietary software software (Skype's data processing is rather opaque)
  • The use of Skype is forbidden in a number of firms and administrations
  • The computer and webcam configuration is sometimes tricky : check it before starting a Skype meeting
  • Different interface according to platforms : Windows, Linux, Mac, which makes remote repairs difficult
  • Needs some setting up and a little appropriation of the tool that is not needed with a phone!
Licence : Proprietary software, Freemium
Using : Easy
Setting up : Easy

Project accelerators

Card's author : Laurent Tézenas - Montpellier SupAgro
Card's type of licence : Creative Commons BY-SA
Description : To ensure this activity works, it is important to take the method onboard and follow the rules.
There must be three roles:
  • a presenter: the person presenting the situation or problem
  • a facilitator - the guardian of the method: who briefly introduces the methodology, gives a reminder of the rules, and ensures everything runs smoothly.
  • a secretary: the person taking notes (this is shared on Etherpad)

Phase 0: preparation (5 min.)
At the start of the meeting, the group must choose:
  • a person to introduce the situation-problem: they are advised to prepare the question right from the start based on their reflection on what they see as a difficulty in their professional practice.
  • a facilitator (guardian of the exercise)
  • a person to take notes (or a role shared on a pad)

Phase 1 : introducing the problem or the situation (5 min)
The person who has accepted to talk about their problem presents the situation as clearly as possible and explains the background. Then he or she explains how they define the problem. The other members of the team listen.

Phase 2: Clarifying the problem (5 min)
Group members ask any questions they may have to properly understand the situation; during this phase they must stick to questions relating to factual information (to better understand the context, for example). The person who explained the situation then makes the clarifying remarks.

Phase 3: contract - reformulation of the question (1 min)
The person who explained the situation clearly states what he or she expects from the other group members. (I would like the group to help me to....)

Phase 4: reactions, comments, suggestions (20- 30 min)
It is especially the other members of the group who intervene: they give their impressions, reactions, perceptions after assessing and interpreting the situation. They work especially to come up with a different way of looking at the situation, fitting a new framework around it. They can give practical suggestions or give advice.
The person who introduced the situation listens and refrains from intervening. This person is interested in noting down what they thought was important to retain.

Phase 5: Synthesis and action plan (5-10 min)
The person who explained his/her situation takes a few minutes to complete a small action plan with the remarks made by the group members (a personal summary of what he/she retained). During this time, the other participants take notes on the ideas and remarks that may be useful to them in their projects (crosscutting ideas, etc.)
After this time to take notes, the person who explained their situation presents their action plan, indicating how he or she will follow it up. Other members do not discuss the choices of the person or his/her action plan; they simply witness the path this person has decided to take; they can express their support and encouragement. “Crosscutting” ideas noted by other participants are presented after this in a large group.
Phase 6: Evaluation and integrating lessons learnt from the experience (5 -10 min)
To close the meeting correctly, it is convenient to have a recap on what happened. The person who asked for help can explain his or her experience; the group can evaluate how he or she proceeded and, if required, can make corrections for the next meeting. The group is advised to leave some minutes so that each group member can take notes on what he/she has retained from the meeting.

Adapted from : PAYETTE, Adrien and CHAMPAGNE, Claude. Le groupe de codéveloppement professionnel. Québec, Canada : Presses de l’université du Québec, 1997. ISBN 2-7605-0981-8.

You may download a simple version, adapted by Laurent Tézenas Download Accelerateur_de_projet.pdf (92.2kB) (in French)

Prezi

Card's author : Outils-Réseaux et SupAgro Florac
Card's type of licence : Creative Commons BY-SA
To begin with : Prezi is an online presentation software. Its peculiarity, compared with classical presentation software such as Impress or Powerpoint, is that the presentation is not linear. The whole of the presentation is on only one space, you reach information by zooming in or zooming out.
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Official website : http://www.prezi.com
Tool's boxes : Animation
Introduction : Example : a lesson about cooperation by Jean-Michel Cornu

Requirements :
  • Creating a Prezi account
  • Being connected to the internet
  • Having a Flashreader software on the computer (for Prezi editing)
Some practical uses :
  • Project presentation, face-to-face or remote
  • Creation of a course notebook or of an online educational software
  • Remote part-creation of a presentation
Using the tools :
Advantages :
  • More dynamic presentations !
  • Well-adapted to a presentation in a logic of attention (I adapt the presentation to the audience's attention). This notion is the opposite of the logic of intention : I bring my audience from A to B
  • Allows to organize yourself in a mindmap way or in a linear way.
  • Downloadable presentation, which means an internet free presentation
  • The downloaded presentation is self run-time, no presentation software is needed on the computer.
  • Access to presentation is possible from any internet connected computer
  • Enables synchronous and asynchronous co-edition
Drawbacks :
  • In its free version, creation can only be done online
  • Beware of motion sickness by abuse of rotating effects
  • English interface
  • In the free version (except for Education) all presentations can be seen online, there is no private space
Licence : Proprietary software, Freemium
Using : Easy
Setting up : No setting up

What we learnt from Cooptic


Hybrid training combining distance and on-site “learning” is an excellent tool for life-long professional development.

However, many conditions are required for this type of training tool to be a real learning ecosystem.
The Cooptic experience has reinforced our convictions regarding certain conditions for training to be successful in the digital era.

Training is no longer a pyramidal transmission of knowledge, where the person that knows passes information down to the person that is learning. It is a co-building of knowledge by networking available information, chosen by the trainers; individual knowledge and experiences that are collectively enriched by reflective exchanges. The training process is rendered explicit by the trainer so that the training provided enables the process of learning to learn.

People are at the centre of the learning process. But these people are easily connected to the world and to others thanks to the new technologies available.
In the training, Cooptic and Animacoop, its French equivalent, we have experienced the construction of learning communities that operate in a similar way to epistemic communities (cf. supra). Trainees publish articles and create training itineraries while gradually becoming active “amateur-experts”. This new quality in people that are training is a real conjunction of intellectual, pedagogical, and even democratic ambitions that really sets the grounds for the pleasure of learning.

The work of trainers changes because it entails several roles in parallel:
  • “Expert” trainer: is the reference for the subjects dealt with and transfers knowledge.
  • accompanist: is the person that structures and accompanies the group’s progression in a learning environment based on communication and exchange.
  • tutor: is the person creating an individualised link with each of the learners helping them to overcome the isolation induced by distance learning.
  • "technician": is the person that makes sure that all technical devices work properly.

These new "roles" fulfilled by one or more trainers require deep changes:
  • reconsidering “distance” as a space and time with multiple possibilities for interaction and learning. It is possible to learn, create links, work together and produce a resource in multiple ways:
    • asynchronous distance contribution based on availability of a space for writing, sharing resources, exchanging via email or a forum,
    • synchronous distance during video-conferences or exchanging practices between groups,
    • on-site and distance at the same time…it is possible to organise a course on video-conference with two groups in parallel at two different sites.
  • making the relationship between trainers, learners and knowledge more horizontal. In the flow of information and exchanges, the trainer is just one element among many others.
  • adopting the "surf method "1 ....accepting uncertainties and being brave enough to experiment during the process. Trainers are the ones guaranteeing the methodology: they create the balance conditions and do not necessarily master the form of co-production outcomes.

Innovation elements and the effects they have on the training tool and the cooperative learning

How Cooptic innovates The effect on training The effect on cooperative learning
Choosing a wiki as a training platform Technical device that is easy to use with an intuitive configuration and carefully designed graphics. The trainer tries to minimize any possible technical difficulties. Reduces difficulties for participation. Generates trust in the tools. Creates a feeling of pleasure. Encourages trainees to publish on the NET.
A common space and individual spaces The wiki platform enables creating personal spaces that are easily linked to a collective support. Belonging to the learning group is natural (common spaces). Individualised learning is possible (personal space).
Open contents Courses are posted on-line and are accessible to all outside training times. Freedom to refer to the courses at all times. Greater availability for activities and exchanges.
Learning contents that extend beyond those in the courses Posting the course on-line “frees” time to accompany trainees along the process of acquiring skills. Knowledge acquisition: "learning to learn" and "learning to work with others".
Modular structure Contents are divided into units (granulated). The general itinerary is defined, but it can be modified during the training. Building a more personal itinerary is possible.
Systematic approach Contents are selected so they correspond to the activity as a whole, the collaborative network and to the different levels (individual, group, environment). Acquisition of global perspective. Relatively complete study of the collaborative processes.
A multiplicity of structured itineraries Modular course itineraries (the life of a network). Group activities itinerary (learning community). "professional project” itinerary (collaborative environment). Multiple opportunities to deal with issues on cooperation and collaboration; put them into practice, facilitate them. Analysis of the collaborative process.
Gradual change in the size of work groups Activities are programmed based on progression: individual exercise, work in pairs, in groups of 4 to 8 Practice on epistemic communities. Exercise on ephemeral groups (change in scale).
Networking and exchanging practices The activity is conceived as a knowledge aggregator. The trainer provides the methodology. Valuing experiences as a source of knowledge (reflective practitioner). A particular form of professionalisation (based on the experiences of others). Reinforcing self-esteem.
Co-production of contents An evolutionary platform: everyone can add pages and text. The trainer accompanies the process and ensures it is consistent. Active stance towards knowledge. The sense of creating a “common good”.
Notion of "presence" from a distance A fine-tuned articulation of distance and on-site times. The effort of accompanying is placed on interaction between participants. “Distance” accompanying is systematized (fixed points with the trainers). The effect of distance decreases or even transformed. Removing project and culture proximity methods.


For further information: epistemic communities

Epistemic communities can be defined as a (small) group of representatives who share a common cognitive aim to create knowledge and a common structure that enables a shared understanding. They are heterogeneous groups. Therefore, one of the first tasks for its members is to create a codebook, a form of "code of conduct", defining the aims of the community and the means to achieve these aims, as well as the rules of collective behaviour. Therefore, what distinguishes an epistemic community is, first and foremost, the procedural authority, that ensures progress towards the established aim while allowing participants a certain degree of autonomy.
The production of knowledge is done based on the synergy of individual specificities. This requires that the knowledge that flows within the community is made explicit. This is done by converting tacit individual knowledge into explicit and collective knowledge: the members of epistemic communities are united by their responsibilities to value a particular set of different knowledge. The aim of the assessment is therefore related to the individual contribution of effort towards a collective aim that is to be achieved, and the validation of the cognitive activity (production of knowledge) of each member is done by their peers based on the criteria established by the procedural authority. The same applies to the recruitment of new members in this type of groups: it is done by the peers, following the pre-established rules regarding the potential in new members to achieve the community’s aim.

Bibliography
Cohendet, P., Créplet, F. et Dupouët, O., (2003), Innovation organisationnelle, communautés de pratique et communautés épistémiques : le cas de Linux. Revue française de gestion, n° 146, 99-121.


  • 1 Rosnay, Joël. Surfer la vie : vers la société fluide. Paris : Les liens qui libèrent, 2012