Online learning has gained significant traction within the last five years, necessity being a major contributing factor. Currently, online degrees make up 29% of all degrees awarded at Boise State University. Additionally, one-third of all students have enrolled in one of Boise State Online’s many course offerings.
Online learning is appealing to degree-seeking students by helping to mitigate limiting factors of on-campus enrollment, such as transportation, location, schedule and tuition costs. Make no mistake, these online courses are accredited and designed by Boise State faculty and instructional designers in the eCampus Center, ensuring students receive the same high-quality education as in-person learners.
Still, online students may not be fully prepared for the fact that coursework expectations are just as high — despite the convenience of learning from home. This is especially true when it comes to collaboration and group work in a fully remote setting. We asked Boise State online faculty and staff to share the benefits of virtual teamwork, what it might look like for their courses and how it enriches their students’ overall educational experience.
How online students benefit from virtual teamwork
Why emphasize teamwork when students aren’t in person? In a nutshell, teamwork offers more opportunities for students to engage with one another and the class materials. Students who are missing the social aspect of higher education can greatly benefit from online teamwork, as it also helps create personal and professional relationships.
“We hear from students that they make lifelong friends and learn so much from the diverse experiences of those across the country during this shared experience,” said Natalie Mourant Hodges, director of interventional cardiology and radiology, advanced medical imaging.
Many of Boise State’s fully online programs, such as the online Master of Business Administration, Master of Science in Organizational Performance and Workplace Learning, Master of Science in Accountancy and Bachelor of Science in Advanced Medical Imaging, already have a teamwork component built into their coursework. Newer online programs — like the Bachelor of Social Work — are also being designed with group work in mind, including group discussions and peer feedback. Giving and receiving feedback better prepares students for collaboration in the workplace.
Online teamwork also serves as a countermeasure to the use of AI on discussion boards, which can diminish the quality of student engagement. Ally Daniels, the Online Master of Business Administration (OMBA) director, tackles this issue head-on.
“A highlight of our program is that many of our courses use interactive discussion boards — so students have a topic or questions that they can get together on Zoom to discuss,” she said. “They record the conversation, and sometimes the professor even joins the meeting for grading.”
Daniels received feedback on the interactive discussion boards from the 2024-2025 OMBA graduating class.
“I liked how the class made the discussion boards more interactive. We would do assignments individually and then discuss as a group in a recorded video session. Everyone loved the approach,” answered a former student.
Another student answered, “I felt the interaction with my classmates was more educational and more impactful compared to posting and responding to weekly posts. My design thinking project and my accounting project were the two best projects I worked on, and both had team components.”
What does online teamwork look like
Despite its many benefits, online teamwork isn’t without its challenges, namely ensuring that group projects are well-planned and that the expectations for individual contributions are clear. That’s a goal across all Boise State Online programs. Online teamwork should also demonstrate the utility value of engagement and participation by emphasizing the real-world experience students will acquire.
The online advanced medical imaging program provided an example of what their group work might look like in practice. “Our students work together on multiple projects throughout the program, as healthcare is a team sport. Students work together within and across imaging disciplines to prepare them for the interprofessional healthcare teams that they will experience in their clinical work,” Hodges said.
“Group members collaborate to choose a topic focus and to identify individual opportunities for input. They are encouraged to develop group norms, including specific expectations and a communication plan. It reflects the diverse time zones and personal responsibilities they may be juggling as both students and working professionals.”
Hodges added that imaging students accomplish this by designating a “team leader” to represent the group and hold everyone accountable for their deliverables, much like a project manager would.
For courses in the Online Master of Business Administration, Daniels shared that “Many case studies are group case studies — so students read and analyze the case, then either discuss with a team and/or do a write up. We also have negotiation exercises in the human resources class where students have a partner and perform a scenario with them. We also have simulations in some classes that students work on as a team.”
Josh Pilzen, the director of the Online Master of Science, Accountancy, drives the point home on how online teamwork can help prepare students for the workforce by describing a semester-long project where students must analyze a company and prepare a written report and presentation.
“Students appreciate the real-world applicability of that particular project,” said Pilzen.
Courses will vary, but the essence of online teamwork — and learning in general — is to approach each project with an open mind and a willingness to participate.
Learn more about Boise State Online
Boise State Online offers 100+ online programs and 900+ unique online courses to help you make your educational dreams a reality — and we’re here to support you every step of the way. Whether you’re exploring if an online program is right for you or need help transferring credits, connecting with a student success coach is the perfect first step.
Ready to learn more? Attend one of our online information sessions or contact a student success coach today.