of concepts exists as we move from a physical space to one that is less than physical. We have a tendency to think of virtual learning experiences as missing something. Perhaps they are not missing something, they are becoming something new. Something more useful in any space - something creative. Creativity through Collaboration and Knowledge Co-Construction. Social media during the pandemic has made us abundantly aware of the perils of ill-timed video conference interruptions. Perhaps it was a family pet, a child or a poorly timed yawn, all of these moments have been shared beyond what 72
Brilliant Labs Magazine Revue Labos Créatifs
once was a comfortable audience size. The benefit of this move to collaboration via video conference is it has reinforced the value of collaboration with individuals in your network with whom you rarely interact. The removal of geographic barriers that prohibited collaboration with distant team members has significantly influenced the creativity of solutions discussed across team members. Yet again, this is knowledge that was already apparent among students in a collaborative learning environment. We might recall the cardboard community model-building project from Grade 3 makers we told you about at the beginning of this
article. Students we interviewed said that this project was the first time that many of them collaborated with their peers on what they felt was a real and complex task. It was thrilling to discover that students understood that it was through their shared conversation and action that they built the model of their community. Each time a fellow classmate presented their idea, their cardboard building they were constructing became more refined. They used their collective experience and the available materials to coconstruct not only their goal but also a representation of their shared knowledge. The discovery of new collaborative
