Hybrid collaborative learning, in which co-located and remote learners participate simultaneously via video conferencing, has become increasingly common due to its high degree of flexibility and inclusiveness. However, the advantages of collaborative learning in hybrid settings cannot always be fully realized. Initial studies have shown that remote learners often feel isolated and less related to their peers. Other research, however, has found that learners in hybrid groups perceived higher levels of relatedness and social presence than learners in remote groups. The unclear and still very limited state of research motivated us to analyze potential factors influencing hybrid collaboration in more detail. One factor that has hardly been studied with regard to hybrid collaboration is group size.
Therefore, we conducted a laboratory study in higher education that compares the extent to which group size influences the quality of hybrid small group collaboration. N=125 students worked in hybrid groups of either three or five learners on a complex design task and then evaluated the quality of the collaboration in terms of their socio-affective perceptions and their collaborative interactions. In addition, the quality of the collaborative product was assessed by external raters.