Student Satisfaction, Performance, and Knowledge Construction in Online Collaborative Learning

A growing amount of research focuses on learning in group settings and more specifically on learning in computersupported collaborative learning (CSCL) settings. Studies on western students indicate that online collaboration enhances student learning achievement; however, few empirical studies have examined student satisfaction, performance, and knowledge construction through online collaboration from a cross-cultural perspective. This study examines satisfaction, performance, and knowledge construction via online group discussions of students in two different cultural contexts. Students were both first-year university students majoring in educational sciences at a Flemish university and a Chinese university. Differences and similarities of the two groups of students with regard to satisfaction, learning process, and achievement were analyzed.