Proactive behaviour may lead to failure in virtual project-based collaborative learning

This paper argues that proactive behaviour, caused by high engagement and motivation of the learners, may lead to failure of collaborative learning. By examining empirical data from real-world text-only virtual negotiations between dispersed participants engaged in project-based collaborative learning, we discover that volunteering self-initiated activities promotes the participants’ individualistic behaviour. Also, the technology made it easy for participants to include their own statements in new contributions and deconstruct the statements of others, permitting few opportunities for others to influence proposals. Categories and Subject Descriptors K.3.1 [Computers and Education]: - Computer Uses in education – collaborative learning, distance learning. General Terms Documentation, Experimentation, Human Factors. Keywords Virtual teams, negotiation, project work, collaborative learning.

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2005
• Where: GROUP
• Authors: Pernille Bjørn, Morten Hertzum
• Keywords: Collaborative Learning, GROUP 2005, Project-based Collaborative Learning, Text-only Virtual Negotiations