Parma Co-Lab - Constructing Crossroad Environment between Research and Teaching

Some experts and professors at University of Parma spontaneously join together to create a virtual organization to transcend barriers and create invisible bridges between disciplines. Co-Lab aims to meet needs concerning knowledge and learning development, collaboration for education by applying Open Educational and Social Network Resources. Communication and sharing are obtained using different tools and channels, considering targets and context. The problem is not about IT tools, already available to use, but the creation of a mindset and paradigmatic change in methodologies that must include advanced tutoring, coaching and the involvement of all actors. Collaboration and the development of a project ground for everybody might upgrade learning performances inside the University. Data are needed about users, technol-ogies, activities, and expectations. Educational frameworks such as Masters and courses have been reinterpreted as collaboration experiences and methods to gather actors have been designed through an experimental environment. Interviews to teachers and students are used to tune up the type of service needed. Experimental approach is therefore needed in order to develop methods and good practices. Support and tutoring resources can be trained through an “uncourse”, to apply learning tools and research contexts by working on real projects together. Organization, technolo-gy and knowledge are considered as entangled and all necessary to Co-Lab development. Hetero-geneous background of the start up community is an added value. The metaphor of the crossroad represents the multilayered web of creative interactions needed to work and collaborate in a teaching and researching digital environment