A Case Study of International Business students’ Experiences with Exploratory Talk Ground Rules in Online Group Work

Figures & data

Table 1. Course description.

Course	Description
International Management	Intensive, four-week course offered in June 2020
Online	Originally in-person class changed due to health threats associated with the pandemic in June 2020
Gender division (8 males/6 females)	USN students enrolled in a third-year bachelor’s in business administration program taught at different campuses; representative of a diverse USN student body in terms of age and ethnicity
Language	Most students are native Norwegian speakers
Time framework	Self-paced, four-week online study supplemented with weekly, four-hour meetings via Zoom videoconferencing

Table 2. Structure of teaching and learning activities in a synchronous class.

Lecture 45 min	Discussion in plenum 15 min	Group work in breakout room30 min	Discussion in plenum 15 min	Group work in breakout room 30 min	Lecture 45 min
Teacher lectures	Student questions	Group work to analyze cases	Review of case	Group work in breakout rooms	Teacher summaries

Note: Students were encouraged to question and engage in dialog.

Table 3. Self-reports from individual students.

Date	Description
Week 1 Week 3	Reflections on past experiences in group work Reflections on firsthand experiences with ETGR
Week 4	Reflections (anonymous) on online group work in the International Management course

Table 4. Presentation of themes developed from the data.

Table 5. Themes related to the key role of the teacher.

Theme 1: Quality of pedagogical approach

The data shows that assignments were unclear or subject to different interpretations by group members. This highlights the need for online assignments to be well-integrated into the IB curriculum, with clear guidance about how to complete the assignment.

Theme 2: Dialogic space

Several students mentioned feelings of being in their “comfort zone” and feeling safe while working online. This could represent the ability of technology to expand the dialogic space.

Theme 3: Ground rules

Some students reported great experiences, as everyone was prepared. Group preparation is an example of how ground rules can set normative standards for behavior in an online group.

Table 6. Themes related to student-centered learning.

Theme 4: Richness of student contributions

Several students indicated a preference for not only interacting with their group, but also expanding their learning circle to the rest of the class. Negative comments about group work were often preceded by issues with technology.

Theme 5: Exploratory dialog

In general, students reported feeling safe and comfortable with engaging in group work in breakout rooms, which is one of the goals of exploratory dialog. Students described their group work using many of the terms that characterize exploratory dialog, such as “active listening,” “asking questions,” and “seeking justification.”

Theme 6: More than one person leads the group

Implementation of the ETGRs means that everyone contributes and listens. Many students in this case use the opportunity to exercise leadership skills, usually sharing the overall responsibility.

Theme 7: Sense-making

Learning in groups is a messy process that requires time to make sense of others’ perspectives. Students identified time management as one of their biggest concerns.

Figure 1. Preconditions for adoption of the Exploratory Talk Ground Rules.