A research study measuring the effects of a frequency-of-communication norm and project completion on group trust levels in temporary virtual school work groups.

摘要

Statement of the problem. Does a frequency of communication norm or completing a project effect group trust levels in temporary virtual work groups?;Procedure. Six northern California high schools participated in the study. Sixty students forming ten 6-member work groups were selected. A five-week online assignment using asynchronous bulletin-board technology was utilized. Five of the work groups were instructed to interact on a daily basis. The remaining five work groups were given no additional instructions beyond the assignment. Following week one of a "getting to know each other" period, a pre-test trust scale instrument was given. The post-test was administered at the conclusion of the project.;A quasi-experimental, nonrandomized control group, experimental group pretest/posttest design was used. Purposeful sampling was selected in order to study the independent variables of a frequency of communication norm and project completion and the effect on the dependent variable of trust.;Findings. Temporary virtual work groups that established and followed a frequency of communication norm exhibited a statistically significant higher level of trust than work groups that did not establish a frequency of communication norm. Communication patterns between work group members showed: (1) work groups that followed the established norm had the highest percentage of "getting-to-know," "personal sharing" and "encouraging" comments; (2) work groups that had the highest percentage of "task oriented" comments completed the project; (3) work groups that had the highest percentage of "personal sharing," "encouraging," and "task oriented" comments followed the established norm and completed the project; and (4) two of the three work groups posting the most comments and following the norm, completed the project.;Conclusions. As the use of computer-based technology in the classroom becomes more pervasive and project-based learning becomes more widely used, the merging of those two trends will require new instructional strategies to ensure quality teaching and learning. Curriculum design and project-based teaching strategies using computer-based technology will be important areas for development. Project-based work groups (working in a computer-mediated virtual environment), whether in an educational or business setting, will benefit from establishing protocols and norms for communication as well as desired on-line behaviors for work group members.