Challenges facing group work online
Abstract
Online group work can be complicated because of its asynchronous characteristics and lack of physical presence, and its requirements for skills in handling technology, human relationships, and content-related tasks. This study focuses on the administrative, logistical and relationship-related challenges in online group work. Challenges in areas such as commitment/responsibility, communication/coordination, structure/management, and leadership are discussed; strategies for how to streamline the management of online group work, how to decrease unnecessary logistical load and extra layers of structure, and how to improve online group work through the design of the syllabus are presented. The study suggests that instructors split group work into individual portions, use peer evaluation, establish guidelines for communication, use tools such as Google Drive to streamline duplicate works, monitor the process of the group work, and give group members freedom, ownership, and autonomy in their group work.
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Challenges in communication can create issues for group dynamics in asynchronous learning environments.
“As such, challenges in communication can create issues for group dynamics in asynchronous learning environments.”
From Exploring the experiences of social loafing in group work among online psychology students (2025) · cites this paper as Chang & Kang, 2016
Cites
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“Collaborative group work is usually completed together by group members with shared thoughts and joint and coordinated actions (eg, Bruffee, 1999; Henri & Rigault, 1996; Roschelle & Teasley, 1995; Schrage, 1990; Siemens, 2002).”
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Challenges Faced by Adult Learners in Online Distance Education: A Literature Review
Kara, M., Erdoğdu, F., Kokoç, M., & Cagiltay, K. (2019) · Open Praxis · doi:10.5944/openpraxis.11.1.929 · Cited by 265 · see citing works
Brannen, S. F., Beauchamp, D., Cartwright, N., Liddle, D., Tishinsky, J., Newton, G., & Monk, J. (2021) · International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning · doi:10.20429/ijsotl.2021.150205 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
“…process to optimize the student learning experience. https://doi.org/10.20429/ijsotl.2021.150205 zones leading to increased difficulty in setting deadlines, while concomitantly increasing the anonymity of group members and consequently decreasing their sense of accountability (Chang & Kang, 2016).”
BackgroundInfluentialExploring the experiences of social loafing in group work among online psychology students
Puccini, O., & Newell, S. (2025) · Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice · doi:10.53761/dqvkp589 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
“Increasing task visibility through real-time collaborative tools (like Google Docs) can reduce uncertainty around individual contributions and promote accountability (Chang & Kang, 2016; Gikandi et al., 2011).”
- Authors
- Chang, B., & Kang, H.
- Affiliations
- Ball State University (US)
- Kansas State University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Chang, Bo
- Venue
- Distance Education
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2016-01-02
- Volume
- 37
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 73-88
- ISSN
- 0158-7919 (ISSN-L)
- 1475-0198
- OpenAlex
- W2328895633
- Cited by
- 119
- References
- 4
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 15 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 26 · 2022: 16 · 2021: 19 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 1
- FWCI
- 23.68
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Distance Education (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- N/A
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Education › Online and Blended Learning
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Team Dynamics and Performance
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Innovative Teaching and Learning Methods
- Keywords
- online group work, asynchronous collaboration, group leadership, communication and coordination, syllabus design, peer assessment, group autonomy, Google Drive
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