Collaborative group work in an online learning environment and students’ academic performance: Perspectives of higher education students in Guyana

This research delved into the issue of higher education students’ dissatisfaction with collaborative group work activities in an online setting. Higher education students’ perspectives on collaborative group work with emphasis on group dynamics in an online learning environment are highlighted. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of collaborative group work in an online setting in higher education. The findings of this research served to answer the research questions: What are the pros and cons of collaborative group work in an online learning environment? To what extent does collaborative group work contribute to academic performance? What can be done to improve the structure of collaborative group work in an online learning environment? A quantitative approach with a descriptive survey design was utilized, while a convenience non-probability sampling method was implemented to provide the sample of the research. A total of 40 recent higher education graduates formed the sample of the research. The results revealed many pros and cons of collaborative group work in an online learning environment. Eighty five percent (85%) of the students indicated that individual assignments contributed to higher academic performance than collaborative group assignments. While 90 % of the students are in agreement that there will be greater collaboration if students are allowed to choose their group members. Hence, students felt that collaborative group work as a concept is great, but if it is not structured when applied, it can be very stressful and does not contribute to higher academic performance.