The use of technology in group-work: A situational analysis of students' reflective writing

Article type: Research Article

Authors: McKinney, Pamela^* | Sen, Barbara

Affiliations: University of Sheffield Information School, Sheffield, UK

Correspondence: [*] Corresponding author: Pamela McKinney, University of Sheffield Information School, Sheffield, UK. E-mail:[email protected]

Abstract: Group work is a powerful constructivist pedagogy for facilitating students' personal and professional development, but it can be difficult for students to work together in an academic context. The assessed reflective writings of undergraduate students studying Information Management are used as data in this exploration of the group work situation and what matters to students in terms of ensuring success. Situational Analysis provides the methodological framework and a number of mapping techniques are used to interrogate the data. Students reflect on the importance of communication for group work and identify the convivial tools they use when arranging meetings, working collaboratively and producing outputs. Students valued the instant communication facilitated by smart phones, but despite the immediacy of electronic communication, face-to-face meetings are still highly valued. Silences in the data reveal the lack of engagement with the Virtual Learning Environment as a tool for group collaboration. Implications for educators in supporting group work are identified.

Keywords: Group-work, collaboration, situational analysis, technology, inquiry-based learning

DOI: 10.3233/EFI-160983

Journal: Education for Information, vol. 32, no. 4, pp. 375-396, 2016