Personality traits are believed to affect both learner ability and group dynamics and cohesion. Another central element influencing how individuals perform in group settings stems from their motivation to collaborate. This article explores the relationship between personality traits, motivation for collaboration and participation of university students from Taiwan (n = 78) engaged in an online Japan-Taiwan digital exchange. Personality types are measured using the Big Five Inventory (BFI), motivation is assessed via the Collaborative-Inquiry Based Questionnaire (CIPQ), and participation is gauged through the Facebook Participation Rating Scale (FBPRS). Correlations and Poisson regression are used to analyze the quantitative data. Qualitative data from three (high, medium and low participation) students was collected and learner profiles are presented. The results show that extraverts were more likely to both participate in the exchange and to collaborate with group members. Task learning correlated with participation and extravert personality type, suggesting engagement in the task or perceived importance of the task was an important driver of student involvement. Further, during the course of the eight-week exchange, students developed a sense of agency through their perceived social interaction, enjoyed the autonomy afforded by the activities, and valued the use of English as a lingua franca in their communication.