Engagement in cloud-supported collaborative learning and student knowledge construction: a modeling study

Noria Saeed Baanqud,Hosam Al-Samarraie,Ahmed Ibrahim Alzahrani,Osama Alfarraj

doi:10.1186/s41239-020-00232-z

Abstract

Many universities, especially in low-income countries, have considered the potential of cloud-supported collaborative learning in planning and managing students’ learning experiences. This is because cloud tools can offer students the necessary skills for collaboration with one another and improving communication between all users. This study examined how cloud tools can help students engage in reflective thinking, knowledge sharing, cognitive engagement, and cognitive presence experiences. The impact of these experiences on students’ functional intellectual ability to construct knowledge was also examined. A quantitative questionnaire was used to collect data from 150 postgraduate students. A reflective–formative hierarchical model was developed to explain students' knowledge construction in the cloud environment. The findings revealed a positive influence of cognitive engagement, knowledge sharing, and reflective thinking on students’ knowledge construction. Outcomes from this study can help decision makers, researchers, and academicians to understand the potential of using cloud-supported collaborative tools in developing individuals’ knowledge construction.

Highlights

Collaborative learning is a social interaction that involves “a community of learners and teachers, where members acquire and share an experience or knowledge” Zhu (2012, p. 128)
This assumption adds to the work of other scholars such as Shukor et al (2014), which recommend that further research should comprehensively explore the influence of different variables on students’ strategies for constructing knowledge with regard to the cognitive engagement level
The results showed a significant relationship between knowledge sharing and knowledge construction in the cloud space

Summary

Introduction

Collaborative learning is a social interaction that involves “a community of learners and teachers, where members acquire and share an experience or knowledge” Zhu (2012, p. 128). Cloud tools for collaborative learning may play a vital role in constructing a positive learning experience for students because its applications are more convenient for chatting, sending queries, recording audio meetings, processing documents, and delivering content (Zhaobin et al 2013). It allows both instructors and students to construct and share knowledge and promote the latter’s advanced thinking (Zeng 2016). The impact of cloud computing tools on the collaborative learning activity should be assessed based on the development in students’ knowledge and understanding in a specific situation (Xue et al 2020)

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion