Group Work, Engagement and Dialogue in Online Learning Groups and Communities

Professor David McConnell, Caledonian Academy, Glasgow Caledonian University

Student learning in groups and teams is considered important in developing transferable skills useful for future employment. Within the area of online learning many practitioners plan group activities for their students, often citing the development of online learning groups as an important aim on their courses. This is now a key area of interest to e-learning practitioners and researchers. In sustaining online learning groups and communities, dialogue and engagement are key factors, along with collaborative learning, all of which offer opportunities for learners to work together, share their knowledge and develop new knowledge through collaborative learning processes. Yet research in this area shows mixed results in achieving student engagement and quality learning processes. The careful design and facilitation of such courses and learning events is important in order to ensure students do successfully work together, and to ensure the maximum possible benefits to each learner and to the groups and communities as a whole. In this presentation I will draw on my experience as an online practitioner and researcher to address the following types of questions: What impact does the organisation of students into e-learning groups and communities have in supporting dialogue and engagement? How can we design courses to bring about dialogue and engagement and to foster student collaboration in ways that enhance the learning process and which lead to quality learning outcomes? How do students experience working in e-groups and communities?

McConnell, D (2006) "E-Learning Groups and Communities" (Maidenhead: Open University Press).