Being Mindful May Not Make You A Team Player: Does Meditation Help or Hurt Online Group Work?

Abstract

In higher education, more and more students take part in online courses that require them to engage in virtual work groups. Research has shown that online learners are likely to experience information overload and considerable challenges associated with online learning environments. These challenges are exacerbated when learners have to work as teams online. In this study, we examine whether meditation could aid online student learners as they virtually collaborate with peers. Our findings revealed that online students who meditated report less effective group work behaviors among their peers relative to those who did not meditate. Online meditating learners also report lower levels of mindfulness as compared to those who did not meditate. The implications for research and pedagogy, study limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.