Date of Award
2004
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Fischler Graduate School of Education and Human Services
Advisor
Penelope Brown
Committee Member
A. Jared Bucker
Committee Member
Barbara Packer
Keywords
collaboration, distance education, distance learning, Experimental Group, group collaboration, group dynamics, Group Solution Acceptance, Group Styles Inventory, hybrid distance-learning, instructional design, Kingdomality, problem based learning, quasi-experimental analysis, qualitative research, team building, team training, teamwork, triangulation
Abstract
This research examined to what extent the implementation of team training in the problem-based hybrid distance-learning environment impacts group collaboration. This empirical study was primarily a quasi-experimental analysis and showed the level of improvement of group collaboration following implementation of team-building exercises and associated team training in a problem-based distance learning environment. Qualitative research was also employed to understand the complexities of group dynamics. Through triangulation, the original quantitative data was cleansed to be congruent with the qualitative results.
This study followed two groups of hybrid Distance Education clusters enrolled in a problem-based learning Instructional Design course. The implementation of the Kingdomality® Team Training (treatment) was given to the members of the Experimental Group to determine if team training preparation enables them to collaborate more effectively at a distance to better foster teamwork. The results of both groups were assessed utilizing the Group Styles Inventory© to determine if the collaborative interaction style of the group that received the implementation treatment improved during the problem-based distance course.
The result of this study supported some evidence that the implementation of team training positively impacts group collaboration in the problem-based hybrid distance-learning environment, with 4 of the 12 group styles and 3 of the 7 Group Solution Acceptance measures demonstrating that a significant difference was present between the groups studied.