Online group learning confidently
provides an ideal environment in which interaction among students impact on
learning processes. There are many challenges which one encounters with online
group studying. Some of these challenges include; student hatred towards group
work, the diversity and selection of groups, the one student known as the free-
rider, and the lack of critical groupwork skills among students,
Student Hatred towards group work-
Majority of students prefer working alone as they feel that they work best on
their own. Students adopt a don’t care mentality when asked to work in a group
and this impacts on the learning process largely. Students may also
underestimate others within the group and think of them as less capable. Online
studying requires time, online group learning requires a lot more time.
Students may feel that they can not spare the time to meet and communicate with
others. The solution to this problem
would be to educate students on the benefits of online group learning as many
are ignorant towards the benefits. Some of the benefits include; improving on
negotiating skills, developing a relationship with others, coping with
stressful situation, building teamwork expertise, and building a framework for
online group learning.
Diversity and selection of
groups. The difficulty arises when it comes to the arrangement of groups. Out
of schedule sessions become a problem when students commitments coincide. The
size and complexity of the task surely does determine the size of the group.
Large online groups may not always work well together. Students may choose to
be with friends, and this may hinder the end goal from being achieved. It is
extremely important to select groups with a diversity of age, gender and
cultural backgrounds. To solve this problem, the lecturer would have to select
random heterogenous groups. Students will deliver best if exposed to diversity.
Lack of critical group skills.
Group work is hard work, both emotionally and physically. Instructors need to
foster students group skills over time and prepare students for online group
work. Students will have a poor unproductive experience with online group
studying if they aren’t prepped adequately. The solution to this problem is to
ensure that students are motivated, enthusiastic and aware of the skills and
resources needed for online group learning at the introduction of the course.
Some of the skills that need to be stressed at the introduction of the course
are; group facilitation, teamwork, responsibilities and time management.
There is always that “free-rider”
when it comes to online group learning. The free rider is a common term used
when one or more students in the group does little or no work. This decreases
the group’s ability to perform at optimal capacity. It is frustrating when the
task falls on one or two students to do the bulk of it and everyone is credited
for work that was not completed in their capacity. The solution to this problem
would be for the instructor to exert pressure on those students who fall
back. It is vital for lectures to
implement assessment rules prior to the group work. Lecturers need to delegate
roles themselves to students and monitor progress to ensure that all students
contribute equally.
The above article aids to
identify and solve challenges encountered through online group learning.
Roberts, T. S., & McInnerney, J. M.
(2007). Seven Problems of Online Group Learning (and Their Solutions). Educational
Technology & Society,
10 (4), 257-268.
Roberts, T. S., & McInnerney,
J. M. (2007). Seven Problems of Online Group Learning (and Their Solutions).
Educational Technology & Society, 10 (4), 257-268.
