STUDY PROTOCOL FOR A SCOPING REVIEW OF COLLABORATIVE LEARNING IN ONLINE ENVIRONMENTS

In a rapid-changing society of knowledge, the 21st century is characterized by globalization and a plethora of shifts and transformations in the methods of learning, interacting, and collaborating. After studying the related literature, a multitude of learning modes have been detected, with new modes emerging due to the altering nature of how knowledge is created, accessed, distributed and used by students in all levels of education. Collaborative learning is deemed among conducive elements of student learning and has been increasingly applied in education.

Since collaborative learning is the essence of each learning experience, it is significant to continue reviewing current and updated relevant literature with a scope to understand and reflect on collaborative learning in online environments. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to provide an overview of the research protocol developed for conducting a scoping review on the contribution of collaboration in the effectiveness of online courses. Scoping reviews is the increasingly popular methodological review approach in education. The present scoping review is underpinned by the five-stage methodological framework proposed by Arksey and O’Malley.

First, research questions are going to be identified. Second, the last three years study search in electronic databases will be conducted by using the search term ‘collaborative learning’. Third, studies are explored through inclusion and exclusion criteria, and PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) model is going to be utilized for article selection. Fourth, after the screening process, data will be extracted using a pre-developed form. Namely, for summarizing the main study characteristics a quantitative (numerical analysis) will be undertaken. A qualitative content analysis will be then used for examining and combining qualitative review data. Selected articles will be charted and mapped with respect to numerous dimensions, enabling the development of a conceptual framework. Finally, results are going to be discussed in the light of research questions along with the identification of research gaps, limitations, and implications for future research.

This paper is considered of great significance since it will try to follow a certain five-stage approach in addressing the research questions. Furthermore, it could act as a guide for researchers who in the future may attempt to conduct scoping reviews not only in the field of education but in other scientific fields as well.