Key factors for the success of online collaborative learning in higher education: student’s perceptions
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5944/ried.27.2.39093Keywords:
collaborative learning, higher education, university students, distance education, partial least squares, group interactionsAbstract
Online collaborative learning (CSCL) has expanded considerably following the restrictions imposed during the pandemic, leading to a need to analyse its foundations and the conditions that affect how well it is delivered. The aim of this study was to develop a model in order to analyse the key factors affecting purposeful online collaborative learning. The participants in the study were 799 students in higher education who had experienced this type of methodology. A questionnaire was created, organized into 7 constructs. This was used to produce a research model with reflective variables using the Partial Least Squares (PLS) technique, which demonstrated good predictive ability (R2=0.712). The 10 hypotheses underpinning the model were confirmed. The results indicate that variables such as satisfaction, perceptions of use and enjoyment, and group dynamics had a significant, positive influence on students’ perceptions of online collaborative learning. Mediating variables of interest were also identified, such as intra-group emotional support (R2=0.595)—with its link to perceived enjoyment—and the importance of online tools and group dynamics as fundamental elements for developing proper emotional support within the framework of CSCL processes. Finally, the results are discussed, along with their impact on improving teaching in higher education when implementing CSCL.
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