Challenges and Successes of Online Collaborative Learning

Lauren Le

Dr. Farmer

ETEC 695

22 February 2022
Challenges and Successes of Online Collaborative Learning

Collaboration has been an essential tool in education as it helps promote learning while

increasing student engagement. Collaborative learning requires at least two students working

together to achieve a learning outcome or goal. Students have the ability to learn from one

another and work together to achieve learning objectives. There are technological tools to

support educators and students in an online learning environment. Web 2.0 tools is an umbrella

term where users are allowed to interact and create content with other users. There has been a

shift in education ever since students were forced to learn online because of the Covid-19 global

pandemic. While planning for learning during or after the pandemic, it is crucial for educators to

be cognizant of how learning has shifted. Accessibility, empathy, simplicity, and flexibility are

items to be mindful of when teaching online (Locke, 2020). This will help create a more

meaningful collaborative online experience.

The articles that were chosen for this literature review are within the last three years. The

global pandemic started almost two years ago. Therefore, the articles will help provide a better

understanding of how to better incorporate collaboration in a virtual classroom. Keywords such

as collaborative learning online, cooperative learning, online learning, Web 2.0 tools, and

distance learning were used to help find articles. All of the articles were found through ERIC’s

database and Google Scholar.

This literature review discusses the parameters of what virtual collaborative learning

looks like now. Whether it be collaborative or cooperative learning, this literature review strives

to discuss the main ways collaborative learning is done virtually with the use of Web 2.0 tools,

the challenges of online collaborative learning, and the successes of collaborative learning. One
may use this literature review to plan and implement new strategies of online collaborative

learning in their own educational setting.

Web 2.0 Tools and Online Collaborative Learning

It would be hard to discuss collaborative learning without Web 2.0 tools as these are the

tools that are built for collaboration in a virtual world. Web 2.0 tools involve social media

platforms, but also websites that allow users to express their individuality. In an educational

realm, social media may still be used. However, there is a bigger emphasis on learning

management platforms, wikis, and platforms that allow students to create media (podcasts,

videos, digital art, etc.). With being forced to teach online, teachers have been given the tools to

allow students to navigate their own learning. Instead of consumers, users of Web 2.0 tools are

also producers.

There were a series of Web 2.0 technologies used by a sample group of twelve teachers

that were categorized by themes: content sharing, creating visuals and books, teaching,

communication, and assessment as a study shows. Although there are a number of technologies

that help distance learning, Sahin-Topalcengiz and Yildrim argue that teachers do not do it

effectively enough as they are digital immigrants (2020). Digital immigrants are often labeled as

people who were not born into the generation that has technology (Boyd, 2014). Sahin-

Topalcengiz and Yildrim used the term “digital immigrants” in a harmful way. Boyd critically

analyzes the same term and believes that it is oversimplified. Therefore, it would be interesting

to see how much of being a digital immigrant is responsible for teachers not using Web 2.0 tools.

Although Web 2.0 tools have their perks, teachers find that there are barriers such as taking away

from social interaction and that it is not suitable for every lesson goal (Sahin-Topalcengiz and
Yildrim, 2020). However, one could argue that teachers are not being educated enough on how

helpful the Web 2.0 tools can be to promote social needs.

Web 2.0 tools can be more effective if taken into account students’ learning styles. In a

study of 83 6th grade students, researchers aimed to determine how learning styles with the use

of Web 2.0 tools affect academic achievement, online cooperative learning attitude level, and

computer thinking skill level (Purbudak & Usta, 2021). To make the study more significant,

there should also be a category on how much experience students have with technology to see if

using Web 2.0 tools is equal for all students. Learning styles and students’ technology skills

must be taken into consideration when assessing the types of Web 2.0 tools to use in a

collaborative online environment.

Challenges of Online Collaborative Learning

There are a variety of tools for teachers to teach creatively and support students’ social

needs, there are also its challenges. Collaboration requires the interaction of at least two people.

It is necessary for students to be able to communicate and socialize in a collaborative learning

environment. However, where the “students are either unable to create high-quality shared

knowledge or are unable to communicate with each other, or the online discourse leads to

misunderstandings and formation of ideas, and the mutual dependency is negative” is a result of

online collaborative learning (Magen-Nagar & Shonfeld, 2018). Once students have created a

poor connection with their classmates because of the difficulty of communicating online, they

may simply give up on learning. Teachers will then see that and also steer away from

collaborative learning online as their attitude towards it shifts. The medium to teach online using

collaboration can be simply misunderstood as students are unable to navigate it well.

 A research study sought to understand how student teachers viewed online collaborative

learning. Student teachers saw that students had trouble coordinating online discussions

themselves because some groups were unable to distribute tasks to their group members. The

student teachers also saw that students had a tough time introducing themselves to their peers.

They mentioned that students were concerned with how they may be perceived by strangers in

their class (Margallot, Gorev, & Vaisman, 2018). Although collaboration is set to have students

work together, it is harder to do so when a relationship has not been created prior to the virtual

learning experience. To add, as students are not interacting in these collaborative learning

communities, they then do not feel a part of the community and will not want to participate

(Ozkara & Cakir, 2020). The lack of interaction is a fault of online collaborative learning.

Successes of Online Collaborative Learning

Interaction is vital to the success of an online collaborative learning environment.

Creating relationships with peers will help increase engagement and academic achievement in

the class. Although there is difficulty creating relationships in an online environment, there are

also successes with online collaborative learning. In an online university class of 200 students, a

professor had to creatively design the course to engage learners with their peers and the

curriculum. It is easy for learners to disengage as there are many students in the classroom.

However, two instructional designs were created to ensure that students were agents in their

learning. The class used QA’s, or discussion board, that required students to post questions and

respond to one another. The other design was group papers where students had to work together

to answer a question and then peer review another group’s paper anonymously (Yang, Ghislandi,

& Dellantonio, 2018). The research saw success in these two methods as it held students

accountable and forced students to interact with their peers.

 A strategy that will help with students’ academic success is having the instructor model

the expectations. For example, modeling the first online discussions will provide an opportunity

for students to learn how questions should be asked so that they may use it as a blueprint for

when it is their turn to facilitate an online discussion. Instructors should also be present by

“publishing regular announcements, connecting with each group collaboration to touch base,

participate in weekly discussions, provide virtual hours, and to provide feedback” (Altowairiki,

2021). Although an instructor may ensure that these actions are occurring, the study did not

mention students’ attentiveness to their instructor’s facilitation. The need for a virtually present

instructor is vital in the success of a collaborative online learning community because students

need guidance and someone to model the learning expectations.

Conclusion

Collaborative online learning is an environment that requires technology tools and

interaction amongst peers and instructors. The use of Web 2.0 tools, or technology that allows

users to become producers of content, has recently been more readily approached by instructors

and learners. Collaborative online learning will look completely different without Web 2.0 tools.

Collaboration requires the interaction of two or more peers. In an online environment,

that is quite challenging. Students do not feel that they are a part of a community as they fear

creating relationships with other classmates without having met them. Students also have trouble

properly communicating in a virtual world. These challenges may discourage those from

participating in collaborative learning online. If the instructional design is done correctly,

teachers and students will see success. Creating discussion forums and group assignments that

force students to interact will help. Instructors modeling the expectations also help students

clearly see what is required of them.

 It is recommended that educators understand the challenges and successes of the

collaborative learning environment. When designing their online class, educators must be aware

that virtual classes take away from the interaction. However, it is their responsibility to ensure

that there is interaction amongst students to help engage students into a learning community, but

also to promote academic success. It is also highly recommended that Web 2.0 tools be used in

collaborative online learning. Technology is now integrated into education. Creating

collaborative environments is an important part this type of education now.

 References

Altowairiki, N. (2021). Online collaborative learning: Analyzing the process through living the
experience. International Journal of Technology in Education, 4(3), 413–427.
Boyd, d. (2014). Are today’s youth digital natives? In it’s complicated: The social lives of
networked teens. Yale University Press.

Lockee, B. (2020). Designing forward: Instructional design considerations for online learning in
the COVID-19 context. Journal of Applied Instructional Design, 9(3).
https://dx.doi.org/10.51869/93bl
Magen-Nagar, N., & Shonfeld, M. (2018). Attitudes, openness to multiculturalism, and
integration of online collaborative learning. Educational Technology & Society, 21(3), 1–
11.
Margaliot, A., Gorev, D., & Vaisman, T. (2018). How student teachers describe the online
collaborative learning experience and evaluate its contribution to their learning and their
future work as teachers. Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education, 34(2), 88–
102.
Ozkara, B. O., & Cakir, H. (2020). Comparison of collaborative and individual learning in
online learning. Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology - TOJET, 19(4), 66–
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Pürbudak, A., & Usta, E. (2021). Collaborative group activities in the context of learning
styles on web 2.0 environments: An experimental study. Participatory Educational
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Sahin-Topalcengiz, E., & Yildirim, B. (2020). Teachers’ opinions about distance web 2.0 tools
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