"Marco........" " Polo........ " "Marco......."

Group work in an online, distance course is something like this. (hmm... I don't know if Marco Polo is a universal game, or just a North American thing...does everybody know it?)
So, you're in the swimming pool, eyes closed, and you're sending out 'pings'.... " Marco...."
And you wait for your friends to answer   "Polo..."  so that you can try and swim towards them and tag them. Problem is...THEY have their eyes open....and  by the time you get there, they're gone!

"Marco...."

It's a bit like scientists sending radio messages into deep space...and hoping to hit something intelligent enough to send a reply, but not actually knowing what they might be inviting home for dinner.

Shouting into the void........
Waiting for signs of life....intelligent or otherwise..... doesn't matter.....just somebody ANSWER, PLEEEEASE!

It gets lonely.
It gets frustrating.
If you're like me (and apparently I'm in the minority), it makes you hate group work.

I've had a lot of responses to my "I hate group work" rant. And I've had some time to think it over a bit. My new analysis goes like this:

My rational brain can look at group work and see all the benefits. I know that it fosters a sense of community, it allows students to collaborate...moral support, better grades, improved trust, social learning, etc. etc. That's great! In my MIND, I know that.

My gut reaction though, is still hatin'. I can't help it! I KNOW the benefits, and I still hate it. That's the honest reaction. I can't change that. You can change your mind, but you can't change your heart! Your feelings will be your feelings no matter what your mind tells you.

I feel a little schizophrenic about this! Now I'm wondering if I really am some kind of horribly anti-social freak. Since this isn't a problem for the rest of the world, I must conclude that the problem is in me! But if the problem is in me (and I'm willing to go with that), then is the problem in other people too? Surely there must be others out there who feel like me, despite what they know in their skulls. And what do we do with these people? If all the studies, and all the literature, and all the experience tells us that group work = good, then what about those outliers who don't respond well to it? Do we write them off? Do we force them to conform? Do we find another way for them to work, perhaps disrupting classroom plans?

Or, do we just say "Well, we tried...that was last week, this is this week. Let's move on."?  I believe we can learn SOMETHING from ANYTHING, so maybe it doesn't matter anyway.

Besides, I think the aliens are coming. I just heard it......    very far off in the distance......

"Polo....."