Sharing documents, participating in forums, or completing group assignments does not necessarily lead to genuine collaborative learning. The difference between a team that merely divides up tasks and one that builds knowledge collectively may lie in less visible factors: trust, mutual commitment, satisfaction, and the ability to support one another when difficulties arise.
This human dimension of digital collaboration is one of the central themes of the article “Key Factors for the Success of Online Collaborative Learning in Higher Education: Students’ Perceptions,” published in RIED – Revista Iberoamericana de Educación a Distancia by Pablo César Muñoz-Carril, Núria Hernández-Sellés, and Mercedes González-Sanmamed. The study examines how technological, organizational, social, and emotional factors interact to shape the experience of learning with others in virtual university environments.
Drawing on responses from 799 master's students, the researchers developed a seven-dimensional structural equation model that explained 71.2% of the variance in students' perceptions of online collaborative learning. All ten proposed hypotheses received statistical support, but one of the most interesting findings concerns the role of emotional support among peers.
Positive group dynamics are significantly associated with emotional support (β = 0.587), which, in turn, is strongly associated with enjoyment of the learning experience (β = 0.551). Satisfaction, enjoyment, and group dynamics also show positive relationships with perceived learning. Digital tools matter as well, particularly because of their contribution to team organization and interpersonal relationships. Together, these findings reveal a network of connections in which the quality of social and emotional interactions is closely linked to how students evaluate their own learning.
The implications for university teaching go beyond selecting effective platforms or assigning group activities. Collaboration requires intentional instructional design: helping students get to know one another, establishing agreements on responsibilities and deadlines, encouraging frequent communication, anticipating conflicts, and providing ongoing teacher guidance throughout the process. The study highlights the importance of considering not only academic outcomes but also the social and emotional conditions in which collaborative work takes place.
Although the findings are based on students' perceptions within a single degree program and cannot establish causal improvements in academic performance, they offer valuable guidance for digital higher education. Online collaboration is not simply about connecting students, but about creating the conditions for those connections to develop into meaningful learning relationships.
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How to Cite: Muñoz-Carril, P. C., Hernández-Sellés, N., & González-Sanmamed, M. (2024). Key factors for the success of online collaborative learning in higher education: student’s perceptions. RIED-Revista Iberoamericana de Educación a Distancia, 27(2), 103–126. https://doi.org/10.5944/ried.27.2.39093
