Teaching Research Methodology to Undergraduate Students Using Collaborative Learning Approach in a Blended Learning Environment at Saudi Electronic University

Abstract

Research methodology courses have become an important requirement for students in many undergraduate programs in Saudi Arabia. The purpose of this case study is to explore students’ perceptions of using collaborative learning (CL) in a research methodology course. This course is an undergraduate-level course that is taught in the Department of English Language and Translation at Saudi Electronic University (SEU) in a blended learning environment. Also, this study aims at understanding the effects of introducing group projects into the curriculum on students’ learning experiences from their points of view. In addition, this research sheds light on how students perceived the distribution of workload within groups. The current study employed qualitative methods to collect data by distributing a qualitative questionnaire with open-ended questions. The data were collected from 137 students enrolled in three different branches of SEU in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam. The data were analyzed by using thematic analysis to provide a rich description and generate themes. The findings of this study revealed that the majority of the participants believed that CL in a blended learning environment had a positive impact on their learning experience. The participants perceived CL as both beneficial and challenging. In addition, most of the participants felt that the workload was distributed equally among the group members. Based on the findings, recommendations are discussed to promote effective CL in higher education.