Exploration of Factors in the Early Collaboration Phase Affecting Virtual Groups’ Overall Collaborative Learning Experiences

Collaboration skills have become a critical competency for health care providers. This study aims to understand how individual student characteristics and group process in the early phase of group development are associated with students’ perception of their overall collaborative learning experience. The study was conducted in two consecutive semesters with a total of 86 health sciences undergraduate students participating. The results show that quality communication in the beginning phase of group development and health-care work experiences are two major factors associated with students’ perception of overall collaborative learning. The findings confirm the importance of the initial phase of collaboration. Faculty should deliberately design collaborative learning experiences that offer orientation in enhancing the interactions among group members and allow quality communication to proliferate.