Collaborative Learning in Small Groups in an Online Course – A Case Study

Abstract

Background: The ability to learn collaboratively and work in teams is an essential competency in both educational and healthcare settings, and collaborative student activities are acknowledged as being an important part of the pedagogical approach in higher education and teaching. The course that was the focus of this research, a 15-ECTS-credit online course in the philosophy of science and methods, was offered online as part of 11 master’s-level health programmes at a university in Norway. Collaborative learning in combination with digital teaching tools, was the preferred pedagogical approach in the online course. The aim of the study was to explore, describe and discuss factors influencing small group learning in this online course.Methods: We performed a qualitative case study, collecting data through both individual and focus group interviews between February 2018 and May 2019 of master’s-level students who had participated in the online course. We performed six focus-group and 13 individual interviews, and a total of 30 master’s students participated in the study. Data were analysed using content analysis.Results: The results showed that three different processes were used to facilitate completion of students’ course assignments and learning outcomes. These three working processes were not dynamic, with different groups changing working processes throughout the course, but static and constant. The names of the different working processes reflect the main characteristics of each one: 1. joint responsibility – flexible organization; 2. individual responsibility – flexible organization; and 3. individual responsibility – unorganized.Conclusions: Planning online learning requires a focus on how students collaborate and learn online, so that they can gain in-depth knowledge and understanding. This study shows that even if contextual factors are the same (e.g., group size, relevant assignments, and student autonomy in terms of group organization), the way in which students collaborate and work together differs. Although the identified working processes promoted collaboration and learning, the first process (joint responsibility, with flexible organization) was the only working process found to promote in-depth learning. Future online teaching might require an even stronger focus on students’ internal motivation for learning and the importance of teacher presence and teachers’ ability to facilitate online learning.