Collaboration is a powerfully engaging way to learn in academic research and in the classroom. Students in higher education have seen a rise in collaborative learning opportunities in coursework as instructors implement active learning strategies to enhance student engagement. Academic Reading Circles (ARC) and Online Collaborative Assignments (OCAs) have been implemented in organic chemistry courses in order to introduce collaborative learning. The benefits of collaboration, however, are not limited to students, but also the faculty that are involved in the implementation of these inter-classroom experiences. The International Network for Chemistry Language Development (INCLD) was developed as a new collaboration between faculty at Mount Royal University in Canada, University of Illinois Springfield, and Augsburg University. In an effort to better understand the motivations, logistics and challenges of involving students in online collaborative learning through a joint collaboration, interviews were conducted with the participating faculty members. The interviews were coded using thematic analysis and a set of common themes was generated. These established themes include barriers, collaboration, relationships, impact, and technology, each with relevant subthemes to help further differentiate commonalities between the three interviews. The result of this work should inform faculty that are considering involving their students in online collaborative learning projects.

Faculty perspectives of facilitating an online collaborative learning experience

2019 Fall National Meeting

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.