Impacts of personality on the use of online collaborative platforms in higher education in Vietnam

Purpose The results from previous studies have shown that collaborative online studies are a popular trend selected by many students. This study aims to collect students’ inputs and reflections on the impacts of personality on the use of online collaborative platforms in higher education in Vietnam. Design/methodology/approach This study used Statistical Package for Social Scientists to collect data through survey questionnaires from 458 students in Hanoi to identify the impact of extroverted personality and agreeable calculation in the Vietnamese university context. It examined how extroversion and agreeableness affect collaborative learning performance on synchronous and asynchronous online platforms. Findings Findings from this study show that students have a better experience and motivation in learning via online collaborative platforms. However, students’ preference for face-to-face learning has the most obvious impacts. Extroversion and pleasantness have a positive but heterogeneous impact on both online collaborative learning and in face-to-face forms. Practical implications The leaders in the Vietnamese public universities might select the option of synchronous online collaborative teaching and learning when physical teaching and/or learning is impossible or geographically limited. While students’ confidence increases in online collaborative learning, their preference for face-to-face learning remains positive. Originality/value The findings from this study significantly support students and public universities in Vietnam in choosing synchronous online collaborative teaching and training in conditions where face-to-face teaching and learning cannot be carried out or are limited. However, it is also important to note that individual differences related to personality traits can have a certain impact on performance during collaborative learning.