Trust represents one of the most critical issues facing online collaborative groups (OCG). The growth of online courses and programs and the growth of collaborative learning pedagogical strategies through the text-based online environment can make trust issues more salient. This paper examines trust issues in the OCG from a psychodynamic view;…

The use of collaborative learning strategies continues to grow in online environments. The ability to collaborate may, therefore, present epistemic challenges for the students and hinder their capacity to trust their own and their fellow students' ability to help them learn, and the capacity of the group (as a whole) to grow and develop. The…

This chapter describes online consensus group work, a form of collaborative learning. It discusses collaborative learning, small group work, and consensus learning, with recommendations for their use in online contexts.

The online environment represents one of the fastest growing contexts for adult learning. The first online programs resembled electronic versions of old correspondence study programs. As problems of low motivation, alienation, dissatisfaction, and attrition within these programs mounted, practitioners and scholars recommended more emphasis on…

This qualitative cross-case study explored the experiences that learners describe within online collaborative groups. The study context was a fully online graduate course on adult learning. The findings suggest that the small online groups demonstrated dynamics and process that are characteristic of individual growth and development and group…