There are numerous collaboration tools today, such as using Googledocs, Facebook, Twitter, etc. These may seem like social media, but they are great for communication as well as sharing information and documents. Have to work apart from your group on a project? Send them a document through Facebook, or a link through Twitter. The possibilities are endless. The possibilities may be cut short, however, if not used correctly. Such as a piece of paper, if you decide to fold it into an airplane and throw it across the room at the girl you dislike, well that isn't the best use of a collaborative tool. But, if you are classmates make one document through the use of Googledocs while in separate locations, then you are using technology wisely. So next time when doing a group project, fear not that you can't meet with members of your group. Just jump on Facebook, stay away from farmville, and start chatting about your project!
One last thing, collaboration tools are great, but without using them to COLLABORATE, then they are next to useless. The best tool that you have at your disposal is collaboration itself. Working with a group and gauging each other's ideas, that is what will decide whether something is a success or a failure. Collaboration is the key.
If I haven't convinced you about collaboration tools yet, check this out! It is all about collaboration tools and why we should use them. It even includes Facebook! Among other things, it shares the benefits of collaboration tools.