Online Collaboration Research Articles

Problematizing platform use in qualitative inquiry: a postdigital, anti/colonial critique

Qualitative inquirers are increasingly exploring the possibilities and promise of web-based research. From re-envisioning the meaning of face-to-face interaction through online collaboration platforms to harvesting organically occurring digital content, these data generation interactions occur on platforms designed for purposes other than inquiry. Researchers who work within these platformed field sites must be clear on the affordances of these imperfect and continually evolving ecosystems. In this article, I engage in a postdigital anti/colonial critique of platforms to outline the contours of their relational-cultural affordances as distinctly colonial and white. From this engagement, I invite a dialogue on the risks researchers take when assuming a platform is universal and, subsequently, our digital research on these platforms are neutral endeavors. I conclude with a series of critically reflexive prompts for researchers to consider when engaging in digital research.

Examining the Role of System Acceptance and Community Feeling in Predicting Nursing Students' Online Learning Satisfaction.

Online learning has transitioned from being optional to a mandatory experience in nursing education. Consequently, it is crucial to understand nursing students' satisfaction and the factors influencing it to create and implement a successful online learning environment. This study aimed to examine the roles of system acceptance and community feeling in predicting nursing students' online learning satisfaction. The sample of the relational and cross-sectional study consisted of 451 nursing students studying online in the two universities in Western Turkey. Data were collected using the Personal Information Form, Online Learning Systems Acceptance, Community Feeling Scale, and Satisfaction Scale. A positive correlation was found between the perceived ease and benefit variables and satisfaction levels of nursing students in the study within the scope of online learning systems acceptance. A positive correlation was found between the actional and affective components of community feeling and satisfaction levels of nursing students in the study. Besides, the affective component was found to be the most significant factor in explaining satisfaction with online learning. The learning environment can be improved by increasing the diversity and interaction of nursing students with methods or instruments such as online collaborative learning approaches and online community building.

Bridging Boundaries to Acquire Research and Professional Skills: Reflecting on the Impact and Experiences of Technology-Enabled Collaborative Cross-Institutional and Transnational Social Work Placement Projects

Worldwide, social work educators’ teaching and learning practices are founded on social justice principles and recognised for their evidence-based, interpersonal, cross-cultural, and problem-solving approaches. Placements are integral to social work education preparing students for practice. Learning experienced on such placements, particularly those involving research, can assist students to develop a broad understanding of diversity, inequality, and anti-oppressive practice in local, national, or international contexts. Technology-enhanced, online research opportunities have revolutionised research placements. This article offers a reflective dialogue on the insights gained from two transnational, technology-enhanced social work research-based placements. The first example reviews three student-led, rural-focused inquiries completed in Australia and Ireland; the second pertains to students physically situated in Ireland and who engaged in collaborative online projects while completing their USA-based social work placements online. The authors reflect on the experiences and the skills the students developed and how the application of technology helped meet an increasing need for environmentally sustainable practices in teaching, learning, and research on placement. Publicly available student reflections on significant knowledge and practice benefits gained from their transnational experiences are considered. The study highlights how reflective practice assisted in the enactment of research in online contexts.

Influence of the COIL methodology on the development of intercultural competence and sustainability in Latin American business students

Purpose This study aims to investigate the impact of an collaborative online international learning (COIL) program on student behavioral satisfaction and community engagement, with a focus on diversity and sustainability. Explore how these changes affect students’ perceptions of the impact of these activities and their motivation to use sustainable practices in their future careers. Design/methodology/approach A combination of research methods combining qualitative and quantitative methods was adopted. Quantitative data were collected through satisfaction surveys that included Likert scale to measure various aspects of the COIL experience. Qualitative data were obtained from students’ open statements and semi-structured interviews. Analysis uses statistical and literary techniques to identify key themes and patterns in the student’s understanding. Findings Results showed overall high student satisfaction with COIL’s activities; this highlighted the positive impact of multicultural leadership and integrating sustainability into the business. Statistical analysis revealed a positive relationship between the relationship quality created by COIL and the perception of safety-related factors. In addition, students have the desire to apply the principles they have learned in their future work. Originality/value This study contributes to the understanding of sustainability education within COIL by examining three critical dimensions: the promotion of sustainable practices in future professional environments, the development of sustainability competencies and the impact of sustainability topics on students’ perceived relationship quality and safety within collaborative international projects. Through this lens, the author investigates how COIL-based activities shape students’ commitment to sustainable practices, enhancing their intercultural competence and readiness for a globalized workforce.

Insights from Glocal Educators

This study explores the impact of individual dimensions in Internationalisation of Higher Education (IHE) on educational developers in a Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) teacher training program. Focusing on 10 educational developers, the study utilizes narrative interviews to delve into their personal and professional growth. Through storytelling, transformative processes emerge, revealing shifts in perspectives, pedagogical approaches, cultural humility, and professional practices. Using a narrative inquiry approach, the study highlights facets such as cultural humility, global citizenship, and a sense of belonging. Inductive thematic interpretation underscores the course's role as a crucible for understanding internationalisation dynamics. The research contributes valuable insights into educational developers' growth, positioning them as pivotal in the global transformation of higher education.

Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) for Healthcare Studies Students

Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) for Healthcare Studies Students

Transforming IT Education: Envisioning a Distance Learning Future for the Bachelor of Science in Information Technology Program in a Private Higher Education Institution

This study investigates the feasibility of transitioning the Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (BSIT) program at Lyceum of the Philippines University–Batangas (LPUB) to a distance learning format. The IT field’s inherent adaptability positions it well for online education, catering to the growing demand for flexible learning opportunities. The research highlights the need for a meticulous evaluation tailored to the BSIT program’s specific requirements. Key considerations include addressing student needs, designing an engaging online curriculum, providing faculty training, and leveraging technology to create a dynamic learning experience. This shift aims to transcend physical classroom limitations, fostering inclusivity for students from diverse backgrounds and locations. The exploration details the potential challenges and benefits of implementing distance learning. Challenges include ensuring equitable access to technology and support services for students. Conversely, benefits encompass increased accessibility for geographically dispersed students, flexibility for learners with busy schedules, and the potential to enrich the learning experience through multimedia resources and online collaboration tools. The study concludes that a well-planned transition to distance learning offers a promising future for the BSIT program. Recommendations focus on strengthening the technological infrastructure, enhancing faculty preparedness through training and support, and improving student accessibility by expanding support services, addressing technological discrepancies, and raising awareness of available resources. By implementing these recommendations, LPU-Batangas can position its BSIT program as a leader in innovative and accessible IT education, catering to the needs of a diverse student population in the ever-evolving higher education landscape.

Participatory Method to Business Model Innovation for Students

The past few years have been a period of intense transformation. Pandemics, innovative technology like chatbots, and the ever-evolving needs of society serve as a powerful illustration of the world's constant evolution. Equipping students with business model innovation (BMI) skills across disciplines is crucial as it fosters their ability to innovate not just products and processes, but entire businesses, which is essential in an everchanging environment. Furthermore, integrating remote participative modelling (PM) into the curriculum is essential as it enhances students’ online collaboration skills, vital in today's modern team dynamics. A previous study at a research-intensive university explored the usability of online platforms during BMI within a Business Engineering module focused on entrepreneurship and innovation. MURAL, a virtual whiteboard software application, was used in this study to facilitate remote PM sessions utilising the Business Model Canvas (BMC). While this study found that MURAL is easy-to-use within this specific context, a key limitation emerged. The built-in BMC template within MURAL was found to be insufficient for guiding students through a systematic transformation of a traditional business model into a new iteration. To address this limitation, this current study focuses on enhancing a well-established Business Model Development Tool (BMDT), the BMC, within the context of undergraduate engineering education. We propose a method, called EDU-BMI, specifically designed to support students during PM sessions focused on BMI activities within the MURAL platform. Drawing inspiration from PICO, an educational personal ideation companion, EDU-BMI incorporates features that address educational, social, and motivational aspects. The method is embedded within MURAL and validated through a two-group participant study. Observations of the modelling sessions were used to gather valuable insights into the method's effectiveness and will inform future teaching practices. Integrating EDU-BMI into MURAL has the potential to improve the effectiveness of remote PM sessions for students engaged in BMI activities. Accessibility for modellers will also be ensured by leveraging a free, online tool like MURAL. Future research will focus on evaluating the method in an undergraduate engineering education context, refining EDU-BMI based on the feedback received from participants.

Collaborative online learning in higher education—quality of digital interaction and associations with individual and group-related factors

Collaborative online learning became a necessity for universities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though it is known from research that online collaboration is an effective way of learning, digital interaction can be challenging for learners. Group members have to create a high-quality interaction to ensure the success of the collaborative learning process. Based on a theoretical model of collaborative learning, high-quality interaction can be determined with regard to cognitive group activities (prior knowledge activation, transactivity), meta-cognitive group activities (organization of the work process), and relational group activities (group climate, participation and task-related communication). Our study aims to examine how students manage a self-directed collaborative learning setting, how they perceive the process quality of digital interaction and how the interaction quality is related to self-reported outcomes (learning gain and satisfaction). We use a newly developed questionnaire to assess the quality of digital interaction in terms of the aforementioned dimensions. Furthermore, we focus on associations with the beliefs about web-based learning and the ability of perspective-taking at the individual level as well as the sense of community at the group level. We conducted a quantitative study within online university courses that were implemented asynchronously due to the COVID-19 pandemic. N = 298 undergraduate students in teacher education rated the quality of a digital collaborative learning settings (response rate of 72%). The students worked on collaborative tasks autonomously without any guidance from the teacher. We find differences between (meta-)cognitive and relational factors of interaction quality, and differences in the strength of the associations with outcomes and individual and group-related factors. Our study provides insights into students´ collaborative online learning and examines the relationships between different dimensions of group interaction quality and the input and outcome variables. Limitations and areas for further research are discussed.

Peer- and self-assessment in collaborative online language-learning tasks: the role of modes and phases of regulation of learning

Peer- and self-assessment in collaborative online language-learning tasks: the role of modes and phases of regulation of learning

Bridging Gaps With Experience: Priming Faculty for Successful Online Course Development

This article presents a novel approach to faculty onboarding in the development of online courses through an experiential learning framework, as implemented at the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health. By integrating faculty into a comprehensive, hands-on training process, the initiative aims to bridge common gaps in online course development and facilitate collaborative efforts among faculty and course development teams. The paper details the structured three-phase approach aimed at enhancing faculty's practical understanding of online education terminology, processes, and collaboration with cross-functional teams. The documented outcomes indicate a marked improvement in the efficiency, quality, and overall engagement of faculty in the course development process. They underscore the critical role of hands-on experience coupled with reflective practices in priming faculty for effective collaboration with diverse course development teams, proposing this model as a scalable and adaptable blueprint for faculty development practices.

Exploring a Collaborative Synchronous Online Learning Environment in an Initial Language Teacher Education Program

This qualitative study explores pre-service language teachers’ experiences in a collaborative synchronous online course in language teacher education program in Turkey. A course was designed to equip pre-service language teachers of English with the skills and knowledge necessary to effectively incorporate technology into their teaching and self-learning practices. Adopting a generic qualitative inquiry design, data were collected over 14 weeks from 63 pre-service EFL teachers through weekly reflection papers, online surveys, and face-to-face follow-up semi-structured interviews. The study found that technology-enhanced collaborative online course had a positive influence on participants’ engagement, interaction, and professional development with participants perceiving the course experience positively. The findings suggest that collaborative online courses, when they are effectively taught, can be a valuable professional development opportunity in initial language teacher education programs.

Internationalization of Higher Education: Critical Examination of Virtual Intercultural Exchange Models at Moroccan Universities

This article explores an intercultural and international teaching approach for higher education through the implementation of Collaborative Online Intercultural Learning (COIL) models to bolster cross-cultural communication competence among Moroccan EFL students. In particular, the integration of virtual exchange models aims to internationalize teaching practices and simultaneously equipping undergraduate students with critical skills such as intercultural awareness, intercultural competence, empathy, and global citizenship. These skills are essential for effective communication in diverse cultural contexts. The article underscores the importance of developing students' ability to critically engage with cultural differences, reflect on their own cultural assumptions, and navigate the complexities of intercultural interactions in a globalized world. The COIL approach fosters not only language proficiency but also an ethical understanding of the cultural 'other,' thus preparing students to become active participants in a multicultural and interconnected world. To pursue this endeavor, the study adopted a qualitative research method in order to investigate the role of tele-collaborative projects in Moroccan higher education. The article presents a case study of involving students and teachers from Morocco and the United States, highlighting how the COIL model enhances cross-cultural awareness, promotes dialogue, and deepens understanding of diverse cultures. The findings reveal that incorporating COIL was key to both internationalizing teaching methods and fostering students' intercultural competence, making it a valuable tool in preparing students for global engagement.

A new initiative in synchronous international learning

This paper outlines the initial development and delivery of a Global Classroom (GC) experience using COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning) pedagogy for students studying in health and health sciences, that capitalises on the opportunities for interdisciplinary health humanities experiences using the campus museums and galleries of participating partners at The University of Melbourne, National University of Singapore, and The University of Hong Kong. The goal of the curriculum is to enhance students’ intercultural capabilities, including effective communication and effective teamwork skills, and to develop an understanding of different cultural and global perspectives on healthcare. The innovations of this project relate to the transplantation of museums-based interdisciplinary pedagogy for students studying in health into a virtual learning environment, using digital surrogate objects and collections. Technology-enhanced learning is integral to the project design, in the creation of shared digital collections in synchronous online learning.

Enhancing intercultural competence of Chinese English majors through AI-enabled Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) in the digital era

Enhancing intercultural competence of Chinese English majors through AI-enabled Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) in the digital era

Hear Me Out: Supporting Citizens to Create Comprehensible Contributions on Urban Participation Platforms

Urbanization has increased societal tensions and led to the growth of citizen participation in urban planning, which is often conducted in computer-supported environments and progressively online to include a high number of citizens. Past projects have shown that digital participation creates new challenges and that collaborative online discussions do not achieve the quality of on-site scenarios, as the interactions, in-depth exchange of opinions, and quality of contributions vary. Within a design science research project, we examine how to support citizens in creating comprehensible contributions on urban participation platforms. We identify issues, formulate meta-requirements, and derive design principles to implement feasible prototypes that we evaluated in focus groups. Our findings extend the existing research about urban participation platforms in civic tech, urban informatics, and planning, with validated design principles that specify AI-based feedback and further features to increase interactions and support citizens in producing more specific contributions.

How offline meetings affect online activities: the case of Wikipedia

As open-source communities and other peer production projects face the challenge of sustaining themselves over time, the role of offline gatherings in fostering community resilience becomes a vital question. This study centres on the potential of offline social interactions as a means to mitigate declines within such communities, using Wikipedia as a case example. Using a comprehensive dataset spanning informal meetups within the German-language Wikipedia community from 2001 to 2020 and combining it with large scale online activity data, this study investigates the relationship between offline gatherings and online contribution behaviour. Results show that attending meetups has a positive effect on contributing towards Wikipedia both in the short and long term. By shedding light on the significance of offline social interactions in bolstering online communities, this study offers valuable insights into potential strategies for sustaining collaborative online environments amidst broader declines and further shows how offline and online activities intertwine.

Commentary: Revisiting developmental science research practices during a global crisis.

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on adolescents were extensive, touching aspects of their lives such as those reviewed in this Special Section : school experiences, family relationships, peer relationships, and civic engagement. In parallel with these effects on individuals, the fields of developmental and psychological science were shaken up by this global crisis. The accelerated transition to online data collection and collaboration presented opportunities to expand research on adolescence, breaking down many physical and social barriers to participation and sparking methodological innovation. Yet, this crisis also shed light on the global digital divides and the uneven impacts of the pandemic across the research community. This commentary reflects on the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the methods and methodologies of developmental science, the challenges and opportunities it surfaced, and the populations included and omitted in this period of research. We integrate reflections on how the pandemic shaped our own research and on how the pandemic has shaped the future of developmental science.

Exploring third spaces during pre‐service teacher online intercultural conversations

AbstractWe examined intercultural conversations in English between South African and Dutch pre‐service teachers during a Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) project. Unlike traditional COIL research, which emphasizes good practices and professional development, our approach explored the significance of everyday conversations in finding common ground. Through video analysis, we explored instances when common ground fostered a third space—a hybrid, in‐between space—with the potential to promote equity and inclusivity. Results highlight how intercultural, professional, and personal conversations created temporary moments of third space. The role of “connection” in a COIL project shows how specific snapshots of intercultural communication and personal and normative conversations give alternative insights into pre‐service teacher professional development. These dynamics suggest the importance of a more humanistic approach through descriptions of small, everyday conversational snapshots. Results in this study confirm that a North‐South COIL project using English as a lingua franca is an effective way to promote inclusion and mutual understanding.

Advancing autonomy in Tunisian higher education: Exploring the role of technology in empowering learners

This study explores technology-based learner autonomy in Tunisian higher education, focusing on the Raqqada English department. It examines student engagement with technology-driven learning and the challenges faced by educators, highlighting a gap between students' theoretical readiness for self-directed learning and their actual use of digital tools. Utilising a mixed-methods approach, quantitative data were collected from 102 English students via questionnaires, and qualitative data from interviews with 25 educators. Findings reveal that while 80% of students engage in autonomous learning outside the classroom, in-class technology usage is significantly lower, indicating a disconnect with existing infrastructure. Furthermore, 76% of students acknowledge technology's role in supporting diverse learning styles, and 67% link smart classrooms to increased motivation. However, challenges such as limited digital literacy, inadequate training, and poor infrastructure hinder effective technology integration. Educators expressed concerns about rigid teaching methods and insufficient autonomy at earlier educational levels, suggesting that autonomy is better developed at the master's level. The study concludes that enhancing infrastructure, training, and digital resource availability is crucial for advancing learner autonomy. Recommendations include fostering intercultural collaboration through programs like Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) and implementing varied assessment methods to evaluate learner autonomy better. Additionally, professional development programs for educators and students are necessary to promote autonomy and active learning strategies.