Abstract
Purpose: The interaction between students during online learning is a growing concern of researchers today. Following the principle of educational psychology, a collaborative learning approach incorporates online learning activities to encourage active interaction and to cultivate problem-solving abilities via students’ discussion. This study aims to identify the classification of students’ interaction in the online social collaborative problem-based learning environment and the strategies to enhance online interaction. Methodology: The literature search was performed using the following electronic databases: Elsevier (ScienceDirect), Springer, Google Scholar, IEEE Xplore, SAGE, Emerald Insight, Taylor and Francis, ERIC and Scopus and Wiley Online Library for all papers published between 1989 and 2019. The initial search yielded 129 published articles. After screening and eligibility assessment, 28 articles were included in the review. Main Findings: The types of interaction among students included learner-learner, learner-instructor, learner-content, learner-interface, and learner-self. Less common types of interaction included learner-instruction, learner-environment, and learner-tool. Most researchers focused only on student-student interaction, especially studies between 2017 to 2019. As for improvement strategies, some papers focused on specific learner’s interaction whereas others only outlined the general strategy without specifying the type of learner’s interaction. Applications: Interaction is an important element of online learning. Activities involved in the active interaction among students such as sharing of ideas, discussion, negotiation, and opinion exchanges can improve their knowledge and thinking skills. As the student-centred approach in improving learning experience is gaining popularity, findings from this study can be incorporated into today’s education system to enhance students’ interaction during online learning. Novelty/Originality: The results from this study will contribute to the existing literature on the types of interactions during online learning and strategies to improve students’ interaction. We hope that this study enhances the understanding of the various stakeholders on the importance of effective interaction among students in the online learning environment towards the development of the thinking skills of our students.
Highlights
Many studies have proven that social interactions are a good approach for individual learning and collaborative learning, especially for higher education level (Vuopala, Hyvönen, & Järvelä, 2016)
Students learn better when they are able to interact effectively with teachers, other students, and subject content whether they are in a traditional classroom setting or online learning environment
With technological advancement, the interaction between students and technology has been highlighted in many platforms, especially in an online learning environment
Summary
Many studies have proven that social interactions are a good approach for individual learning and collaborative learning, especially for higher education level (Vuopala, Hyvönen, & Järvelä, 2016). Students learn better when they are able to interact effectively with teachers, other students, and subject content whether they are in a traditional classroom setting or online learning environment. Students in the higher education level are able to improve their communication skills when they work together to solve their group assignment problems. This represents a valuable experience in their education journey (Vuopala et al, 2016). To achieve successful collaborative learning, all of those who are involved need to understand the role and application of effective interaction in the learning process (Vuopala et al, 2016)
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