Enhancing Student Participation in Online Collaborative Learning Groups, Using a Design Framework and Accessible Technologies

Covid-19 breakout forced many ELT teachers in Vietnam to adopt online classes. One common complaint about online classes was challenges to implement group work and increase student participation, especially in English-medium classes. This action research study aimed to implement an innovation to address this issue. It was conducted with a group of 25 postgraduate students on a Vietnam English-medium course, using a design framework to facilitate collaboration in online groups (FCOG) and locally accessible technologies for effective group work. Students were asked to complete two types of group work, asynchronous and synchronous. Data were collected from students’ work, reflection notes, and an evaluation survey via 12 online sessions. Findings revealed that the students had positive attitudes toward these innovative activities. Some benefits reported were personal development (communication and collaborative skills), academic gains (critical thinking, understanding), and social support (peer support, motivation). They, however, reported some challenges in time management, technical glitches, participation, group harmony, work allocation, and task difficulty. Implications are provided for future teaching and research in similar contexts.