Small-group work is a teaching method which promotes students' collaborative attributes. Completing small-group work online can be challenging to students. This study aimed to understand students' learning through online small-group work. Narrative responses to five open-ended questions were collected from students after they accomplished an online small-group work. These narratives were content analyzed by two independent researchers. Based on the narratives of 199 students, five major themes related to students' learning through interactive online group work were identified, including a) Essential communication and interaction, b) A collaborative team, c) Knowledge enrichment, d) Development of intellectual skills, and e) Tutor involvement. These five themes are the essential elements that promote effective learning though online learning. The success of group work greatly depends on these five major factors to promote students' independent and collaborative learning. To make small-group work online more achievable, nurse educators should pay more attention to these five factors so students' learning outcomes can be maximized.
Keywords: Narratives; Nursing education; Online small group work; Student learning.
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