Importance and forms of collaboration

Collaboration among students is one of the key elements of modern higher education because it fosters a deeper understanding of content, develops critical thinking, and prepares students to work in teams in real professional environments. Through structured forms of collaboration, students develop communication skills, such as expressing opinions, negotiating, and giving feedback, as well as social skills important for interpersonal dynamics, such as empathy, active listening, and tolerance.

Forms of collaboration in education can be very different, and often depend on the teaching context, the objectives of the activity and the available technologies. Collaboration can take place live, in the classroom, where students communicate directly and solve tasks together, or online, through digital tools that enable the exchange of information and the coordination of teamwork. Within the online environment, collaboration is further divided into synchronous and asynchronous, depending on whether it takes place simultaneously or with a time lag between the participants.

Group work is a valuable opportunity to foster all of the above skills. By participating in teamwork, students learn to express themselves clearly, listen to others with understanding, argue, make joint decisions, and take responsibility for a common outcome. These skills are an important foundation for successful interpersonal communication and professional work. Group work also contributes to the development of tolerance, respect for different opinions, and strengthening the ability to work in diverse teams.

Online group work reveals different advantages and challenges. In-person work allows for direct interaction and easier relationship building, but can be limited by the availability of space and time. Online work offers greater flexibility and accessibility, but requires more careful structuring of tasks and communication channels. It is particularly important to provide clear instructions and role allocation so that all group members are actively involved.

Synchronous collaboration in an online environment, such as through video conferencing or virtual classrooms, allows for real-time interaction, which is conducive to shared decision-making and exchange of ideas. Asynchronous collaboration, through forums, shared documents, and other tools that enable time-independent participation, offers students more space for reflection and flexible engagement in tasks. Each format has its advantages and limitations, and a combination of them often yields the best results.

To encourage the development of communication and social skills, it is important to choose working methods that include active collaboration, exchange of ideas, and joint decision-making. Carefully designed group activities contribute not only to the acquisition of knowledge, but also to the comprehensive professional development of students.

Student engagement in online higher education is fundamental to the quality of the learning process, academic success, and overall satisfaction with the educational experience. The term student engagement has been extensively researched in the distance and online learning literature over the past few decades. Newmann, Wehlage, and Lamborn (1992) define engagement as “the psychological investment and effort directed by a student toward learning, understanding, or mastering the knowledge, skills, and competencies that the academic work is intended to foster.”

In an online environment, where opportunities for spontaneous interaction are often limited, the need to create a system that enables multiple forms of engagement becomes particularly important (Banna, Lin, Stewart & Fialkowski, 2015 ). Accordingly, various guidelines for designing effective online courses have been developed (Roblyer & Ekhaml, 2000), including active learning methods, collaborative work, assistance with student presentations and discussions, sharing resources, and the use of case studies and reflective tasks.

Engagement has been identified as a key factor in preventing feelings of isolation, increasing retention (meaning lower dropout rates) and achievement in distance education. Authors such as Meyer (2014), Banne et al. (2015) and Britt (2015) emphasize that student engagement is an indicator of cognitive investment and knowledge creation, which ultimately leads to high levels of academic success.