Examining the role of human and technological factors for interactive online collaborative learning

With the increasing usage of digital technologies, online collaborative learning is
becoming popular in institutions. However, comprehensive factors (e.g. technological
factors, collaboration factors and psychological factors) affecting the effectiveness of
online collaborative learning are understudied. Thus, both the online collaboration
learning theory and technology acceptance model were employed to propose a
conceptual framework to explain the effectiveness of online collaborative learning on
student learning outcomes. A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a reliable
online platform in China. We have collected 368 valid responses from Sojump
(http://www.sojump.com) using judgmental sampling method. Participants from China
who had used online collaborative tools for learning in the past three months were
invited to complete an online survey, and data were analyzed by using Partial Least
Square Structural Equation Modelling. The results revealed that technological factors
(i.e. perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use) predict positive attitudes towards
using technology. In addition, collaborative factors (i.e. collaboration with peers and
teacher-student interactions) enable students to be emotionally engaged. When
psychological factors (i.e. emotional engagement and attitudes) are in place, better
student learning outcomes can be achieved. The theoretical contribution of this study
includes extending the theoretical framework of technology acceptance model to
examine factors affecting student learning outcomes by integrating online collaborative
learning theory. The study also offers practical implications to institutes for promoting
online collaborative learning to achieve greater academic success by ensuring
technology support, fostering teacher-student interactions, encouraging peer
collaborations and emotional engagement, as well as developing a positive attitude
towards students