Key Factors in Online Collaboration and Their Relationship to Teamwork Satisfaction

Online instructors today search for ways to engage students in authentic activities in their courses to create real-world learning experiences. Collaborative grouping is 1 way that instructors promote students’ creativity and productivity during the teamwork process. The present study is an attempt to enhance our understanding of students’ teamwork experiences. The researchers in this study investigated the relationship between collaboration factors and teamwork satisfaction among 46 graduate students. Online survey protocol was used to collect data. Results revealed that the selected collaboration factors jointly accounted for 63% of the variance in online collaboration satisfaction. “Trust among teammates” and “organization practices” were effective factors for explaining online collaboration satisfaction. Recommendations for instructors to improve students’ collaboration experiences are provided.