Effects of Group Formation on Student Satisfaction and Performance: A Field Experiment

Abstract

This study analyzes the relation of group formation on outcomes of a 4-week online course for prospective students. Group formation was experimentally manipulated based on predefined criteria, personality traits conscientiousness and extraversion. As research questions, groups were considered advantageous if they were formed (a) heterogeneously in extraversion, and (b) homogeneously in conscientiousness. As a result, no uniform outcome was identified. Most variance could be explained on group level, but no significant main effect for experimental grouping was found. Significant interaction between both main effects hint that the results do not provide final answers, but guidance for further research.

Fostering Self-Regulated Learning in Online Environments: Positive Effects of a Web-Based Training With Peer Feedback on Learning Behavior

“…It appears worthwhile to investigate the causes of inter-group differences. One approach may be to improve group formation by considering personality traits when determining the composition of groups ( Bellhäuser et al, 2018 ; Müller et al, 2022 ). Also, technical expertise appears to be a key variable for virtual teams, and group composition should perhaps consider a minimum level of technical expertise for every team.…”

The Big Five and Collaborative Problem Solving: A Narrative Systematic Review

“…The effects of homogeneous/heterogeneous personality grouping and the interaction of group-level traits on performance were considered in two studies. A study conducted in virtual student teams executing three consecutive group assignments showed performance marks to be affected by the interaction of variance in Conscientiousness and Extraversion: The highest performance was achieved by teams that were homogeneous in both traits, and the lowest by teams that were homogeneous in Extraversion and heterogeneous in Conscientiousness (Müller et al, 2021). Statistically significant effects of the interaction between these traits were previously reported in other studies, too (Humphrey et al, 2011), but with a different pattern: Short-term and long-term performance in face-to-face student teams was higher when within-team differences in Extraversion were larger (heterogenous) and variations in Conscientiousness smaller (homogenous).…”

Habilidades cognitivas y sociales en la resolución de problemas matemáticos de forma colaborativa

“…El proceso de asignación aleatoria para conformar el grupo estudiado afectó la relación entre las habilidades sociales y cognitivas en las primeras clases, dada la carencia del conocimiento de las habilidades y conocimientos del par, como también las propias en relación con el otro y en relación con el problema (Müller et al, 2021). Así, al inicio solo aquellas estudiantes que tienen una habilidad social de posicionamiento fuerte fueron capaces de compartir con el resto sus ideas, inclusive imponerlas inicialmente, sin advertir y tomar conciencia de los razonamientos de sus pares.…”