Knowledge creation: Action research in e-learning teams

The present article analyses the research results of the effectiveness of a comparatively new but a widely studied learning method - action research - in e-learning project-based (PBL) group studies. The objective of the article is to identify the main principles of collaborative work in an e-learning environment: (1) what effect the students´ involvement in the action research method which is based on creating personal knowledge via reflection has on acquiring the course, (2); how to measure and assess the students´ creativity, (3); how collaboration within the group influences the development of interests. The methods of statistical and qualitative analysis as well as systemic content analysis of the students´ work are used in the article. We propose this method as an effective tool for engineering education.