group assignment

Thank goodness we got through our assignment - was wondering whether we were able to reach a consensus about content and presentation - we eventually did but it was an interesting process to go through!!! In hindsight - the process itself was the learning curve - how things managed to come together with four total strangers in separate learning and living environments was a minor miracle!!! So much depended on online communication and the co-ordination of wikis, neatchat, skype, google docs, microsoft powerpoint, csu interact, all over powering individual work!!! At one stage I felt very powerless and not in control of anything - the 'group' seemed to have a cyberlife ot its own and once we went to skype personalities revealed themselves through oral communication!! We tried to interact as pairs one night as it was not working as a foursome - but then it was impossible to know what the other pair was planning so we had to resume as a foursome. There were all sorts of communication problems - Chenelle was in WA with a different time frame and not always able to connect to skype. Jess and Kate seemed to understand each other and I seemed out on a limb!!! However, once I got used to skype and the power of the voice - and once I decided that I would need to do some work on my own as presentation seemed more important to me than anyone else - things slowly came together. It was a real celebration when we handed in the powerpoint and such a relief!!! i think I went through the gamut of emotions doing this assignment and learnt so much about 'consensus' versus ' compromise' and 'collaboration' versus 'control'.