Center for Medical Education and Clinical Training, Shinshu University, 3-1-1 Asahi, Matsumoto, 3908621, Japan.
Medical Education Centre, Jichi Medical University, 3311-1 Yakushiji, Shimotsuke-shi, Tochigi, Japan.
BMC Med Educ. 2022 Jul 23;22(1):567. doi: 10.1186/s12909-022-03633-y.
Collaborative learning is a group learning approach in which positive social interdependence within a group is key to better learning performance and future attitudes toward team practice. Recent attempts to replace a face-to-face environment with an online one have been developed using information communication technology. However, this raises the concern that online collaborative learning (OCL) may reduce positive social interdependence. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the degree of social interdependence in OCL with face-to-face environments and clarify aspects that affect social interdependence in OCL.
We conducted a crossover study comparing online and face-to-face collaborative learning environments in a clinical reasoning class using team-based learning for medical students (n = 124) in 2021. The participants were randomly assigned to two cohorts: Cohort A began in an online environment, while Cohort B began in a face-to-face environment. At the study's midpoint, the two cohorts exchanged the environments as a washout. The participants completed surveys using the social interdependence in collaborative learning scale (SOCS) to measure their perceived positive social interdependence before and after the class. Changes in the mean SOCS scores were compared using paired t-tests. Qualitative data related to the characteristics of the online environment were obtained from the focus groups and coded using thematic analysis.
The matched-pair tests of SOCS showed significant progression between pre- and post-program scores in the online and face-to-face groups. There were no significant differences in overall SOCS scores between the two groups. Sub-analysis by subcategory showed significant improvement in boundary (discontinuities among individuals) and means interdependence (resources, roles, and tasks) in both groups, but outcome interdependence (goals and rewards) improved significantly only in the online group. Qualitative analysis revealed four major themes affecting social interdependence in OCL: communication, task-sharing process, perception of other groups, and working facilities.
There is a difference in the communication styles of students in face-to-face and online environments, and these various influences equalize the social interdependence in a face-to-face and online environment.
协作学习是一种小组学习方法，其中小组内的积极社会相互依存关系是提高学习成绩和未来团队实践态度的关键。最近，人们试图利用信息通信技术将面对面的环境转变为在线环境。然而，这引发了人们的担忧，即在线协作学习（OCL）可能会降低积极的社会相互依存关系。因此，本研究旨在比较 OCL 与面对面环境中的社会相互依存程度，并阐明影响 OCL 中社会相互依存关系的因素。
我们在 2021 年进行了一项交叉研究，比较了医学生临床推理课程中基于团队的学习的在线和面对面协作学习环境（n=124）。参与者被随机分配到两个队列：队列 A 从在线环境开始，而队列 B 从面对面环境开始。在研究的中点，两个队列作为冲洗交换了环境。参与者在课程前后使用协作学习中的社会相互依存关系量表（SOCS）完成调查，以衡量他们对积极社会相互依存关系的感知。使用配对 t 检验比较 SOCS 平均得分的变化。从焦点小组获得与在线环境特征相关的定性数据，并使用主题分析对其进行编码。
SOCS 的匹配对检验显示，在线组和面对面组的课程前后 SOCS 得分均有显著进展。两组的 SOCS 总分无显著差异。亚类别的分析显示，两组的边界（个体之间的不连续性）和手段相互依存（资源、角色和任务）都有显著改善，但仅在线组的结果相互依存（目标和奖励）有显著改善。定性分析揭示了影响 OCL 中社会相互依存关系的四个主要主题：沟通、任务分担过程、对其他群体的看法和工作设施。
面对面和在线环境中学生的沟通方式不同，这些不同的影响使面对面和在线环境中的社会相互依存关系均等化。
