Abstract:

Over the years study habits of students have changed due to the evolution of teaching and learning methods and change in cultural norms. Currently, millennials thrive in informal collaborative learning environments such as cafes and the library, primarily located on a university campus. The purpose of this study is to fully understand the obstacles present in collaborative learning environments that impact interactions between learners, their environment, and technology. The research team hypothesized that students select informal collaborative locations due to their familiarity with the space, availability of food and beverage, and the abundance of power sources. This research team observed various informal collaborative learning environments to understand the inadequacy of multi-user work surfaces, seating options, and available technological tools in order to increase the efficiency of the project and team work within an informal learning environment. The research methods explored in this study include observation of students within informal learning environments, interviews with students participating in group projects, and a multi-question survey inquiring about learning environment preferences. Through these research methods, it has been found that access to power is a huge dictating factor when choosing a place for groups to work, new online tools and technology has revolutionized how groups work in the present day, and the hardest part about working in a group is undoubtedly finding a time when all of the group members’ schedules are not in conflict. These researchers have found that difficulties when interacting with the environment, technology, and people deemed to make a significant impact on the projects that groups execute when in an informal collaborative learning setting.

Keywords:

Project Based Learning, Team Environment, Informal Collaborative Environments.