Frustration in Online Learning

Research and practice acknowledge that frustration with technology affects the experiences and performance outcomes of students trying to accomplish learning objectives. However, very little research has examined the impact of frustration on students in an on-line learning environment. We investigate the impact of frustration and its antecedents, on student performance in online and hybrid classes and compare the differences. We report the results of SEM analysis on data collected from students during the course of an academic semester. We present findings regarding relationships between frustration and other individual and environmental factors, including the Lazy User construct. Our results show that the frustration of working with technology in class room environments may be mitigated through cooperative learning. We conclude with implications of our study for pedagogy and research and provide directions for future research.