Scheduled for Pedagogy II and Special Populations Posters, Friday, April 12, 2002, 2:00 PM - 3:45 PM, San Diego Convention Center: Exhibit Hall


How do College Students Feel about Web-Based Instruction?

Sean X. Cai, University of Akron, Akron, OH

Integrate technology into teaching is one of the major challenges we are facing today. The computer network available on campus provides instructors the opportunities to diversify students' learning experiences. The purpose of the study was to examine how students feel about the web-based instruction. Fifty-three (29 females, 24 males) students majoring in physical education participated in the study. The students were grouped into two types of class settings, the traditional classroom class and the web-based class. The traditional classroom setting was taught in the traditional way such as lecture, entire class discussion, small group discussion, group and individual projects, etc. The web-based class setting was taught based on web instructions. Students meet with the instructor for seven times during the semester for such activities as technique orientation, web course overview, group project presentation, class activities, and final exam. The rest of the time during the semester, students studied the course contents by following the course website. Individual work, small group discussions, group projects were performed and submitted via e-mails and the online electronic bulletin board. Variables of attitude toward the teaching-learning process, computer confidence, students' interactions, and student-teacher communications were measured. Questionnaires were given to students of both class settings at the beginning and the end of the semester. Students' interactions and student-teacher communications were also recorded. Interviews were conducted at the end of the semester to record students' reactions to the two types of class settings. The results indicated that the students had a significantly higher attitude score (p < .05) toward the web-based class than toward the traditional classroom class. The web-based class also scored higher significantly in computer confidence than the classroom class (p < .01). In addition, 76.5% students from the web-based class and 66.7% students from the traditional classroom class were in favor of on-line instruction, having the flexibility of their own learning pace, learning a new way of leaning, and enjoying written communications were some of the reasons given by the students. The positive reception of web-based instruction from students indicated that students were open to new approach of teaching and learning. Although web-based instruction is still under experimenting, well-designed web-based instruction can be another viable route of teaching.
Keyword(s): college level issues, technology

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