Student team learning : the effects of psychological safety, team cohesion, peer evaluation and computer-mediated communication.

Abstract

Despite the rise in the inclusion of team projects as a major course component in tertiary institutions, there is still a dearth of research regarding the factors that enhance team learning in student teams. This study focuses on how team cohesion, psychological safety, peer evaluation and the choice of computer-mediated communication influence team learning. 153 business students from local universities were surveyed and the study found that: (1) the use of peer evaluations is a strong predictor of team learning; (2) teams using asynchronous computer-mediated communication reported significantly higher ratings in team learning than those using synchronous computer-mediated communication and (3) peer evaluation contravenes the growth of team psychological safety and team cohesion, causing them to be insignificant to team learning. Overall, these findings imply that the use of peer evaluations should be continued; and the use of asynchronous computer-mediated communication encouraged, in order to enhance student team learning in the tertiary institutions.