College classrooms are changing, with more virtual stuff going on. Even students doing in-person classes now often use online tools for team projects. A new study from George Washington University looked at how student teams work together. It turns out, that teachers usually don’t think much about how online stuff can mess with student teams in regular classes.

The study found that teams doing well online used smart strategies to deal with the challenges. These teams were better at sharing information and working together.

Good habits

Some of the good online habits included picking the right tools for different tasks and being careful with the way messages are written, considering that online talk can sometimes be a bit negative.

The researchers think this study should grab the attention of all kinds of teams. It turns out, that problems with virtual communication are still there, whether in a classroom or at work.

For companies doing a mix of in-person and remote work, bosses should be mindful of how online communication impacts even the folks working in the same office. The researchers also point out that using virtual communication can mess with how teams work together, even if everyone is physically close and not spread out. So, it’s not just a problem for teams with members far away.