![](https://editlib-media.s3.amazonaws.com/sources/irrodl.jpg)
Are online learners frustrated with collaborative learning experiences?
ARTICLE
Neus Capdeferro, Margarida Romero, Elearn Center, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Spain
IRRODL Volume 13, Number 2, ISSN 1492-3831 Publisher: Athabasca University Press
Abstract
Online education increasingly puts emphasis on collaborative learning methods. Despite the pedagogical advantages of collaborative learning, online learners can perceive collaborative learning activities as frustrating experiences. The purpose of this study was to characterize the feelings of frustration as a negative emotion among online learners engaged in online computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) experiences and, moreover, to identify the sources to which the learners attribute their frustration. With this aim, a questionnaire was designed to obtain data from a sample of online learners participating in the Master of ICT and Education program of the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC). Results revealed that frustration is a common feeling among students involved in online collaborative learning experiences. The perception of an asymmetric collaboration among the teammates was identified by the students as the most important source of frustration. Online learners also identified difficulties related to group organization, the lack of shared goals among the team members, the imbalance in the level of commitment and quality of the individual contributions, the excess time spent on the online CSCL tasks, the imbalance between the individual and collective grades, and difficulties in communication, among other factors leading to frustration. The analysis of the students’ sources of frustration in online CSCL is followed by a list of recommendations to the distance education stakeholders, aiming to reduce students’ frustration and improve the quality of their experiences in online CSCL contexts such as the UOC.
Citation
Capdeferro, N. & Romero, M. (2012). Are online learners frustrated with collaborative learning experiences?. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 13(2), 26-44. Athabasca University Press. Retrieved August 9, 2024 from https://www.learntechlib.org/p/49469/.
Keywords
References
View References & Citations Map- Allen, I.E., & Seaman, J. (2007). Online nation: Five years of growth in online learning. Needham, MA: Sloan Consortium.
- Artino, A.R. (2008, March). Understanding satisfaction and continuing motivation in an online course: An extension of social cognitive, control-value theory. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New York, NY. Retrieved from http://www.sp.uconn.edu/~aja05001/comps/Documents/AERA_2008_SEM_Artino_FINAL.pdf
- Artino, A.R., & Stephens, J.M. (2007, October). Bored and frustrated with online learning? Understanding achievement emotions from a social cognitive, control-value perspective. Poster session presented at the annual meeting of the Northeastern Educational Research Association, Rocky Hill, CT. Retrieved from http://www.sp.uconn.edu/~aja05001/comps/documents/NERA-07_AchEmotions_Artino%2BStephens.pdf
- Baltes, B.B., Dickson, M.W., Sherman, M.P., Bauer, C.C., & LaGanke, J.S. (2002). Computer mediated communication and group decision making: A meta-analysis. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 87, 156–179.
- Bessiere, K., Newhagen, J.E., Robinson, J.P., & Shneiderman, B. (2006). A model for computer frustration: The role of instrumental and dispositional factors on incident, session, and post-session frustration and mood. Computers in Human Behavior, 22(6), 941–961.
- Bishop, J.S., & Spake, D.F. (2003). Distance education: A bibliographic review for educational planners and policymakers 1992–2002. Journal of Planning Literature, 17, 372–391.
- Borges, F. (2005). La frustració de l’estudiant en línia. Causes i accions preventives. Digithum [online article]. UOC. Núm. 7. Retrieved from http://www.uoc.edu/Digithum/7/dt/cat/borges.pdf
- Boud, D., Cohen, R., & Sampson, J. (1999). Peer learning and assessment. Assessment& Evaluation in Higher Education, 24(4), 413–426.
- Brindley, J.E., Walti, C., & Blaschke, L.M. (2009). Creating effective collaborative learning groups in an online environment. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 10(3), 1–18.
- Bruffee, K.A. (1999). Collaborative learning: Higher education, interdependence, and the authority of knowledge (2nd ed.). Baltimore, MA: John Hopkins University Press.
- Burdett, J., & Hastie, B. (2009). Predicting satisfaction with groupwork assignments, Journal of University Teaching& Learning Practice, 6(1), 61–71.
- Chapman, K.J., & Van Auken, S. (2001). Creating positive group project experiences: An examination of the role of the instructor on students’ perceptions of group projects. Journal of Marketing Education, 22(2), 117–127.
- Conrad, D.L. (2002). Engagement, excitement, anxiety, and fear: Learners’ experiences of starting an online course. American Journal of Distance Education, 16(4), 205– 226.
- Creswell, J.W. (2003). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approach. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
- Crook, C. (1995). On resourcing a concern for collaboration within peer interactions. Cognition and Instruction, 13(4), 541-547.
- Curtis, D.D., & Lawson, M.J. (2001). Exploring collaborative online learning. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 5(1), 21–34.
- Dillenbourg, P. (1999). What do you mean by collaborative learning? In P. Dillenbourg (Ed.), Collaborative-learning: Cognitive and computational approaches (pp. 1–19). Oxford: Elsevier.
- Dillman, D.A., & Bowker, D.I. (2001). The Web questionnaire challenge to survey methodologists. Retrieved from http://www.websm.org/uploadi/editor/Dillman.pdf Dillman, D.A., Tortora, R., & Bowker, D.I. (2001). Principles for constructing web surveys. Retrieved from http://www.websm.org/uploadi/editor/Dillman_1998_
- Do, S., & Schallert, D. (2004). Emotions and classroom talk: Toward a model of the role of affect in students’ experiences of classroom discussions. Journal of Educational Psychology, 96(4), 619–634.
- Goold, A., Craig, A., & Coldwell, J. (2008). The student experience of working in teams online. Proceedings ascilite Melbourne 2008. Retrieved from http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/melbourne08/procs/goold.pdf
- Grinter, R.E., Herbsleb, J.D., & Perry, D.E. (1999, November). The geography of coordination: Dealing with distance in R & D work. In Proceedings, ACM Conference on Supporting GroupWork (GROUP 99) (pp. 306–315), Phoenix, AZ.
- Handa, Y. (2003). A phenomenological exploration of mathematical engagement: Approaching an old metaphor anew. For the Learning of Mathematics, 23 (1), 22-29.
- Hansen, R.S. (2006). Benefits and problems with student teams: Suggestions for improving team projects. Journal of Education for Business, 82(1), 11–19.
- Hara, N., & Kling, R. (1999). Students’ frustration with a web-based distance education course. First Monday, 4(12). Retrieved from http://firstmonday.org/article/ View/710/620
- Hickey, D.T., Moore, A.L., & Pellegrino, J.W. (2001). The motivational and academic consequences of elementary mathematics environments: Do constructivist innovations and reforms make a difference? American Educational Research Journal, 38, 611–652.
- Hyvönen, P. (2001). Motivation and emotion in CSCL/2:2: Regulation of motivation and emotions. Retrieved from http://knol.google.com/k/1-motivation-and-emotionin-cscl-4#
- Järvenoja, H., & Järvelä, S. (2005). How students describe the sources of their emotional and motivational experiences during the learning process: A qualitative approach. Learning, 15, 465–480.
- Järvenoja, H., & Järvelä, S. (2009). Emotion control in collaborative learning situations: Do students regulate emotions evoked from social challenges? British Journal of Educational Psychology, 79(3), 463–481.
- Johnson, D.W., & Johnson, R.T. (1998). Cooperative learning and social interdependence theory. In R.S. Tindale (Ed.), Theory and research on small groups (pp. 9–35).
- Kariya, S. (2003). Online education expands and evolves. IEEE Spectrum, 40(5), 49-54.
- Kerr, N.L., & Bruun, S.E. (1983). Dispensability of member effort and group motivation losses: Free rider effects. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 44, 78–94.
- Kreijns, K., Kirschner, P.A., & Jochems, W. (2002).The sociability of computer-supported collaborative learning environments. Journal of Education Technology& Society, 5(1), 822.
- Kreijns, K., Kirschner, P.A., Jochems, W., & Buuren, H. (2004). Determining sociability, social space, and social presence in (a)synchronous collaborative groups. Cyberpsychology & Behavior, 7(2), 155-172.
- Kuenzi, J.F. (2005). The postsecondary education student population: CRS report for congress (2005). Retrieved from http://congressionalresearch.com/RL31441/ Document.php?study=The+Postsecondary+Education+Student+Population.
- Larsen, R.J., & Fredrickson, B.L. (1999). Measurement issues in emotion research. In D. Kahneman, E. Diener, & N. Schwarz (Eds.), Well-being: Foundations of hedonic psychology (pp. 40–60). New York: Russell Sage.
- Lazar, J., Jones, A., Bessiere, K., Ceaparu, I., & Shneiderman, B. (2004). User frustration with technology in the workplace. AMCIS 2003 Proceedings. Paper 283. Retrieved from http://aisel.aisnet.org/amcis2003/283 Lizzio, A., & Wilson, K. (2005). Self-managed learning groups in higher education: Students’ perceptions of process and outcomes. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 75, 373–390.
- Lushyn, P., & Kennedy, D. (2000). The psychodynamics of community of inquiry and educational reform: Across-cultural perspective. Thinking, 15(4), 9–16.
- Mandler, G. (1975). Mind and emotion. New York: Wiley.
- McConnell, D. (2000). Implementing computer-supported cooperative learning (2nd ed.). London: Kogan Page
- McManus, M.M., & Aiken, R.M. (1995). Monitoring computer based collaborative problem solving. International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education, 6(4), 308–336.
- Melrose, S., & Bergeron, K. (2006). Online graduate study of healthcare learners’ perceptions of instructional immediacy. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 7(1).
- Millis, B.J., & Cottell, P.G., Jr. (1998). Cooperative learning for higher education faculty. Phoenix, AZ: Oryx Press.
- Mills, P. (2003). Group project work with undergraduate veterinary science students. Assessment& Evaluation in Higher Education, 28, 527–538.
- Ng, K.C. (2001). Using e-mail to foster collaboration in distance education. Open Learning, 16(2), 191–200.
- Panitz, T. (2001). The case for student-centered instruction via collaborative learning paradigms. Retrieved from http://home.capecod.net/~tpanitz/tedsarticles/coopbenefits.htm
- Payne, B.K., & Monk-Turner, E. (2006). Students’ perceptions of group projects: The role of race, age, and slacking. College Student Journal, 40(1), 132–139.
- Pekrun, R., Goetz, T., Titz, W., & Perry, R.P. (2002). Academic emotions in students’ selfregulated learning and achievement: A program of qualitative and quantitative research. Educational Psychologist, 37(2), 91–105.
- Ragoonaden, K., & Bordeleau, P. (2000). Collaborative learning via the Internet. Educational Technology& Society, 3(3), 361–369.
- Rettie, R. (2003). Connectedness, awareness, and social presence. Paper presented at the 6th International Presence Workshop, Aalborg, Denmark.
- Roberts, T.S. (2005). Computer-supported collaborative learning in higher education: An introduction. In T.S. Roberts (Ed.), Computer-supported collaborative learning in higher education (pp. 2–3). Hershey, PA.: Information Science Publishing.
- Roberts, T.S., & McInnerney, J.M. (2007). Seven problems of online group learning (and their solutions). Educational Technology& Society, 10(4), 257–268.
- Romero, M. (2006). Relevance of planning strategies and self-perception of learning difficulties in CSCL. Paper presented at the second meeting of the EARLI SIG. 16: Metacognition, University of Cambridge, UK.
- Romero, M. (2010). Gestion du temps dans les Activités Projet Médiatisées à Distance (Doctoral dissertation). Université de Toulouse (CLLE-LTC UMR CNRS 5263) & Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (SINTE SGR 2009 134). Sarrebruck: Editions Européenes Universitaires.
- Sallnäs, E. (2004). The effect of modality on social presence, presence and performance in collaborative virtual environments (Unpublished doctoral thesis). KTH, Stockholm, Sweden.
- Sangrà, A. (2002). A new learning model for the information and knowledge society: The case of the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), Spain. International Review Of Research In Open And Distance Learning, 2(2). Retrieved from http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/55
- Saunders, C., Van Slyke, C., & Vogel, D.R. (2004). My time or yours? Managing time visions in global virtual teams. Academy of Management Executive, 18(1), 19–31.
- Sharp, S. (2006). Deriving individual student marks from a instructor’s assessment of groupwork. Assessment& Evaluation in Higher Education, 31, 329–343.
- Shih, M., Feng, J., & Tsai, C.-C. (2008). Research and trends in the field of e-learning from 2001 to 2005: A content analysis of cognitive studies in selected journals. Computers& Education, 51(2), 955–967.
- Slavin, R.E. (1989). Research on cooperative learning: Consensus and controversy. Educational Leadership, 47, 52–54.
- Stahl, G., Koschmann, T., & Suthers, D. (2006). Computer-supported collaborative learning: An historical perspective. In R.K. Sawyer (Ed.), Cambridge handbook of the learning sciences (pp. 409–426). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
- Tideswell, C. (2004). A student perspective on the use of team-based assessment to achieve the requirement to be creative: A study of entrepreneurship students. Journal of Teaching in Travel& Tourism, 4(4), 1–22.
- Vonderwell, S. (2003). An examination of asynchronous communication experiences and perspectives of students in an online course: A case study. Internet and Higher Education, 6(1), 77–90.
- Wheelan, S. (1994). Group processes: A developmental perspective. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon. 44 Are Online Learners Frustrated with Collaborative Learning Experiences?Capdeferro and RomeroVol 13 | No 2 Research Articles April 2012
These references have been extracted automatically and may have some errors. Signed in users can suggest corrections to these mistakes.
Suggest Corrections to ReferencesCited By
View References & Citations Map-
Computer-supported collaborative learning: An analysis of the relationship between interaction, emotional support and online collaborative tools
Nuria Hernández-Sellés, Vice dean of , Spain; Pablo-César Muñoz-Carril, Professor in the Pedagogy and Didactics Department and Teacher Training Faculty at the University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain; Mercedes González-Sanmamed, Full Professor in the Pedagogy and Didactics Department of the Faculty of Education Sciences at the University of A Coruña, Spain
Computers & Education Vol. 138, No. 1 (September 2019) pp. 1–12
-
Designing and Improving a Blended Synchronous Learning Environment: An Educational Design Research
Qiyun Wang & Choon Quek, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University; Xiaoyong Hu, 2School of Educational Information Technology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning Vol. 18, No. 3 (May 12, 2017)
-
Coordinated Implicitly? An Empirical Study on the Role of Social Media in Collaborative Learning
Xi Zhang & Hui Chen, College of Management and Economics, Tianjin University; Patricia Ordez de Pablos, Department of Business Administration, University of Oviedo; Miltiadis Lytras, Deree College, The American College of Greece; Yongqiang Sun
The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning Vol. 17, No. 6 (Dec 06, 2016)
-
Exploring change in graduate students’ perceptions of web-based education throughout an asynchronous course
Maria Mama Timotheou, Cyprus Ministry of Education and Culture, Cyprus
E-Learn: World Conference on E-Learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare, and Higher Education 2016 (Nov 14, 2016) pp. 1391–1404
-
From Presences to Linked Influences Within Communities of Inquiry
Susi Peacock, Queen Margaret University; John Cowan, Professor emeritus, Herriot Watt University
The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning Vol. 17, No. 5 (Sep 26, 2016)
-
Evaluation of Intelligent Grouping Based on Learners’ Collaboration Competence Level in Online Collaborative Learning Environment
Maina Muuro, Kenyatta University; Robert Oboko & Peter Wagacha, University of Nairobi
The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning Vol. 17, No. 2 (Mar 01, 2016)
-
What is wrong with online class discussions? An examination of the current research regarding the effect of instructor intervention techniques on the quality of student responses
Jaclyn Krause, Central Washington University, United States; Jan Tucker, Columbia Southern University, United States; Stephanie YoungGonzaga, Ashford University, United States
E-Learn: World Conference on E-Learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare, and Higher Education 2015 (Oct 19, 2015) pp. 831–836
-
The Use of Yammer in Higher Education: An Exploratory Study
Mary Beth Pinto
Journal of Educators Online Vol. 11, No. 1 (January 2014)
-
On-line teaching and assessment with videos and podcasts
Kim Livengood, Lesley Casarez & Mary McGlamery, Angelo State University, United States
E-Learn: World Conference on E-Learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare, and Higher Education 2014 (Oct 27, 2014) pp. 1211–1215
-
Providing a Meaningful Online Collaborative Learning Experience: Facilitating Collaboration Process in Online Graduate Courses
Noha Altowairiki, University of Calgary, Canada
E-Learn: World Conference on E-Learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare, and Higher Education 2014 (Oct 27, 2014) pp. 77–84
-
Online Collaborative Learning: Checking our Assumptions
Jennifer Lock, University of Calgary, Canada
Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2014 (Mar 17, 2014) pp. 2145–2149
-
Failure to Communicate? Online learning and Collaborative Work
Kathy Boudreau-Henry, Middle Tennessee State Univ, United States
Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2014 (Mar 17, 2014) pp. 234–239
-
Collaborative Annotated Bibliographies: An Online Strategy to Foster Student Collaboration and Understanding
Mitchell Parkes, Gail Hawkes & Brian Landrigan, University of New England, Australia
EdMedia + Innovate Learning 2013 (Jun 24, 2013) pp. 2205–2211
These links are based on references which have been extracted automatically and may have some errors. If you see a mistake, please contact info@learntechlib.org.