ERIC Number: EJ1163472
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017-Dec
Pages: 24
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-2472-5749
EISSN: N/A
Online Collaborative Learning Activities: The Perceptions of Culturally Diverse Graduate Students
Kumi-Yeboah, Alex; Yuan, Guangji; Dogbey, James
Online Learning, v21 n4 p5-28 Dec 2017
This exploratory study examined the perceptions of minority graduate students toward online collaborative learning activities. The participants were 20 minority graduate students from diverse cultural backgrounds (10 African Americans, 5 Hispanics, and 5 international students from Africa) enrolled in online graduate instructional technology and special education program at a university located in the Northeastern United States. A qualitative research design using semistructured interviews, focus group interviews, and a non-participant observation were employed to collect the data for the study. The analysis of the data identified six themes on the perceptions of the minority graduate students toward online collaborative learning activities: (a) knowledge building and construction, (b) preference to work in small-group over whole-group activities, (c) opportunities to share and lead discussion in cross-cultural online environment, (d) collaborative activities help meet their learning and communication styles, (e) challenges of dealing with cultural differences, and (f) lack of multicultural inclusion in the curriculum/course content. The findings of the study suggest that instructors who are tasked to teach online courses should take into account the benefits, preferences, and challenges of students from diverse cultural backgrounds as they participate in online collaborative learning activities.
Descriptors: Graduate Students, Minority Group Students, Student Attitudes, Electronic Learning, Online Courses, Cooperative Learning, Educational Technology, Special Education, Qualitative Research, Semi Structured Interviews, Focus Groups, Observation, Preferences, Small Group Instruction, Intercultural Communication, Cognitive Style, Interpersonal Communication, Cultural Differences, Cross Cultural Training, Multicultural Education, Inclusion, Course Content
Online Learning Consortium, Inc. P.O. Box 1238, Newburyport, MA 01950. Tel: 888-898-6209; Fax: 888-898-6209; e-mail: olj@onlinelearning-c.org; Web site: http://onlinelearningconsortium.org/read/online-learning-journal/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Tests/Questionnaires; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A