The terms collaboration and participation are used interchangeably by many but in reality the terms are quite different.

 

Collaboration is the the action of working with someone to produce or create something.

 

Whereas 

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Participation the action of taking part in something.

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The key difference is the ‘something’. In collaboration, ‘something’ is created by two or more people working together and therefore combining their knowledge to produce something e.g. developing the design of an Enzo Mari chair as part of a group.

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In participation, ‘something’ has already been created by a person (or persons) and this knowledge is shared with someone else e.g. inviting people to make the Enzo Mari chair after the design has been developed. 

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In both cases knowledge is developed through the act of doing, and both methods have their merits. But, for the purpose of this master:CLASS toolkit, and in considering learning, it is important to differentiate between the two.

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The methods of participation and collaboration have been researched by the Civic University Live Project through two master:Classes in October 2016.