Collaboration in the Cloud: Role of Interaction and Online Collaborative Tools in Enhancing Knowledge Creation in Virtual Environments

Knowledge sharing is a process through which knowledge is exchanged, resulting in the creation of new knowledge. Knowledge sharing has been highlighted as one of the main factors positively affecting team performance. However, simply putting students into teams does not guarantee increased levels of collaboration and enhanced quality of knowledge creation. This exploratory study examines students' perceptions of the quality of knowledge creation in virtual teams using collaborative online tools. The research data was collected from 169 LIS students across seven blended courses in 2011. The perceived quality of knowledge creation was measured and divided into three levels for analysis: enhanced, moderate and baseline. The role of interaction and communication was found to be critical in facilitating knowledge sharing and enhancing knowledge creation, leading to an overall superior learning experience for students. The findings also indicate that effective use of various online collaborative tools results in a perceived enhanced quality of knowledge creation.