DOES OPTIONAL WEB-BASED SEMINAR SUPPORT BETTER (CONSTRUCTIVIST) LEARNING IN THE BASICS OF INFORMATICS?

1
DOES OPTIONAL WEB-BASED SEMINAR SUPPORT BETTER
(CONSTRUCTIVIST) LEARNING IN THE BASICS OF
INFORMATICS?

• Pekka Makkonen
• Jyväskylä
• FINLAND

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Course context

• Introductory course in automatic data processing
• Themes (1) the meaning of automatic data
  processing, the information society and problems
  in utilizing computers), (2) presentation of data
  in the PC environment, (3) computer software,
  (4) hardware technology, (5) data communications,
  and (6) the meaning of information technology in
  business.

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Web-based coursework and seminar

• Complementary addition to our lectures
• Optional part
• Two phases
• Composing coursework reports
• Commenting on the reports created by other
  students
• Working in groups of two or three students or
  participating in coursework and seminar
  individually

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Composing coursework reports

• Our slides included links concerning the critical
  concepts to the appropriate link pages
• Students learned
• By reading our slide material on the web
• By visiting websites of our slide material
• By using search engines
• Students composed coursework reports
• The groups placed reports in their own web-based
  workspaces
• Students had six weeks for this

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Commenting on the reports created by other
students

• Groups were expected to comment on at three other
  coursework presentations
• Two points
• What they learned by reading coursework created
  by other students
• If they agree with other groups concerning the
  most useful points of the content area or not
• Students had one week for this

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Study

• We were interested in the development of
• computer use skills
• Internet use skills, and
• knowledge of the basic concepts in informatics
• Additionally, we were interested in the
  development of motivation
• Pre- and post-questionnaires

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Results

• Coursework was useful in the learning of the
  basic concepts of informatics
• No effect on computer use skill, internet use
  skill, and motivation
• Results supports Brandts discussion on
  constructivist learning on the web
• Learning activities should be connected to
  concepts
• Limitation of the study was small sample size (21
  students, who participated in our coursework)

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Next step of research

• Need to have larger sample size
• Need to rerun the study in another context
• Introductory course of information resources
  management and information systems development
• Comparing authoring phase to commenting phase
• Authoring phase represents cognitive
  constructivism focusing on concepts
• Commenting phase represents social constructivism
  emphasizing interaction