建構式網域學習環境之建置與學習意向之探討 計畫編號: NSC90-2511-S039-002 執行期限: 90/8/1— 91/7/31 計畫主持人: 廖述盛 中國醫藥學院通識教育中心 共同主持人: 黃秀美 台中技術學院資訊管理學系 Abstract
The research focuses on two major purposes. The first purpose is to design a constructivist Web-based learning (WBL) environment. The second purpose is to understand learners’ perceptions toward WBL. The Web offers some characteristics, such as interactive communication, network access to information, and cross-platform operating environment, to create constructivist learning environments. The
constructivist Web-based learning environment is to build collaborative and interdisciplinary learning systems. According to understanding learners’ attitudes toward WBL, the research applies users’perceptions to evaluate the system based self-efficacy and technology acceptance model (TAM). The findings present that the more computer experience the learners have; the more self-efficacy and enjoyment the learners have when using WBL systems. In addition, for most learners in the medical university, computers are useful tools for word processing and for Internet application; in other words, not so many medical students use computers for advanced application, such as information management, statistical purpose, and mathematical application. Moreover, most learners believe that WBL is a proper E-learning tool.
Keywords: Constructivism, Web-based learning, Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), self-efficacy 摘要 本研究的主要目的有二. 一為建置一個建構式網域學習環境, 另一為探討學習者 對建構式網域學習環境的使用意願. 一般而言, 網域學習環境(WBL)提供建置建 構式網域學習的特性, 例如: 互動式溝通, 網路化的資訊存取, 以及跨平台的作 業環境. 本研究計畫所建置的建構式網域學習環境是以合作式及多主題式學習 系統為主要建置範圍. 關於了解學習者對建構式網域學習環境的使用意願, 本研 究計畫主要是結合自我效能(self-efficacy)及科技接受模組(TAM)等理論加以探討. 從研究結果得知, 學習者的電腦相關經驗對於學習者的電腦自我效能及電腦喜 好程度有正面影響. 除此之外, 醫藥學院的學生大都將電腦視為文書處理及網際 網路應用的工具, 而非資訊管理或應用統計等用途. 從研究結果亦得知, 大多數 的學習者相信網域學習環境是數位學習的適當工具. 關鍵字: 建構理論, 網域學習環境, 科技接受模組, 自我效能
A study of a constructivist Web-based learning environment design and learners’ intentions toward Web-based learning
Introduction
Since the Internet and the World Wide Web (WWW/Web) are widely popular, the use of the Web as a teaching and learning tool is now rapidly expanding into education. Researchers and educators have already realized the potential of the Web in education. In general, the potential advantages of the Web include interactive opportunities for learners and teachers, the ability to structure learners’ learning approach, the
capability to offer cross-platform operation, and the increase of learners’ control over the subject matters.
Essentially, the constructivist learning environment has the following characteristics: First, this learning environment provides multiple representations of reality. Second, this learning environment emphasizes knowledge construction instead of knowledge reproduction. Third, the learning environment focuses on authentic tasks in a
meaningful context rather than abstract instruction out of context. Fourth, this learning environment enables context-dependent and content-dependent knowledge construction. Fifth, this learning environment encourages thoughtful reflection on experience. And sixth, this learning environment supports collaborative construction of knowledge through social negotiation.
The purpose of this research focuses on two major objects. The first object is to design a constructivist Web-based learning (WBL) environment and the second one is understand learners’ perceptions toward WBL. The constructivist Web-based learning environment of this research is to build collaborative and interdisciplinary learning systems. According to understanding learners’ attitudes toward WBL, the research integrates perception concepts, such as self-efficacy and technology acceptance model (TAM).
Creating constructivist learning environment
For creating WBL systems, the characteristics of the Web should be mentioned at first. Essentially, the Web provides multimedia information environments, non-linear
access to information, interactive communication, integrating information formats, and cross-platform operating. Based on these environments, this research creates collaborative and interdisciplinary learning systems.
The use of collaborative learning environments provides a mean to create more engaging and dynamic instructional settings. Collaboration can help individuals to make progress through their zone of proximal development by the activities in which they engage (Vygotsky, 1978). In Web-based collaborative learning, learners have more opportunities to develop complex cognitive skills, such as breaking a topic down into subtopics, organizing diverse information, and formulating a point of view
(Turner & Dipinto, 1997).
Interdisciplinary learning, advocated by constructivists, represents a philosophy of integrated subject matters, learner-centered, local issues, and group activities (Ellis & Fouts, 1997). The capability of multiple representations in the Web provides learners across the various resources and content domains to facilitate their integration of knowledge. Moreover, it allows learners to cross the intellectual landscape in multiple dimensions, to traverse among these multiple routes for their understanding, and to induce information into their existing knowledge structures.
The Web-based learning systems, such as Figure 1 & 2, are created by this research. Figure 1:
Understanding learners’ intention for using WBL
The study was conducted in a medical college in central Taiwan with a sample of 102 medical students. All subjects needed to answer a questionnaire survey that included demographic information and two different components (computer and Internet experience, perceptions of WBL). In addition, all subjects were asked to respond the survey immediately and their responses were guaranteed confidentially. A total of 94 responses, 48 were male and 46 were female students. The return rate is 92%.
The data for this study was gathered by a questionnaire survey. The questionnaire survey included three major components: (a) demographic information, (b) computer and Internet experience, and (c) perceptions of WBL. The questionnaire was
described as follows:
Demographic information: The demographic questions covered gender and years of computer experience.
Computer and Internet experience: Subjects were asked to indicate whether they had experiences of computers, Internet, word processing, database, and programming languages. These questions are all 7-point likert scales (from "no experience" to "highly experienced").
Perceptions of search engines: Subjects were asked to indicate their attitudes toward WBL and expectation of using WBL to assist their learning. These questions
(including four sub-component: perceived self-efficacy, perceived enjoyment, perceived usefulness of WBL, and behavioral intention to use WBL) are all 7-point likert scales (from "strongly disagree" to "strongly agree").
Descriptive statistics (means (M) and standard deviations (SD)) of computer and Internet experience was reported in Table 1. The results of stepwise multiple regression for the path associated with the variables were presented in Figure 3. Table 1: Descriptive statistics of Computer and Internet Experience
Variables M S.D.
Experience using computers. 3.63 1.20
Experience using the Internet. 3.92 1.31
Experience with word processing. 3.79 1.36
Experience with database. 2.83 1.21
Figure 3: The results of regression analyses. **p<0.01. *p<0.05. Discussion
The findings present that the more computer experience the learners have; the more self-efficacy and enjoyment the learners have when using WBL systems. In addition, for most learners in the medical university, computers are useful tools for word processing and for Internet application; in other words, not so many medical learners use computers for advanced application, such as information management, statistical purpose, and mathematical application. Moreover, most learners believe that WBL is a proper E-learning tool.
0.21* 0.55** 0.61** 0.20* 0.28* 0.45** 0.82** Experience with word processing Experience using the Internet Experience with programming languages Perceived self-efficacy of WBL Perceived enjoyment of WBL Perceived usefulness of WBL Intention to use WBL