How Student Teachers Describe the Online Collaborative Learning Experience and Evaluate Its Contribution to Their Learning and Their Future Work as Teachers

Abstract

This study examined student teachers' attitudes toward online collaborative learning (OCL) as related to their satisfaction, learning experience, contribution to personal knowledge, and future teaching. One hundred and four students participated in a program that retrains university graduates to become K–12 teachers. The study combines both qualitative and quantitative research methods. Examination of the students' attitudes found moderate satisfaction with the group activities, very high satisfaction with the instructor's feedback, and high satisfaction with the materials on the course website. Positive correlations were found between the three measures. The students' statements provide qualitative support regarding their satisfaction with the OCL experience and its contribution in terms of recognizing the challenges inherent in learning of this kind, as well as a future teaching model.