TY - JOUR
T1 - Conceptions of learning versus conceptions of web-based learning
T2 - The differences revealed by college students
AU - Tsai, Chin Chung
N1 - Funding Information:
Funding of this research work is supported by the National Science Council, Taiwan, by Grant numbers 96-2511-S-011-001, 97-2511-S-011-003-MY3 and 98-2631-S-011-001.
PY - 2009/12
Y1 - 2009/12
N2 - Past research has shown the variations of students' conceptions of learning, but little has been especially undertaken to address students' conceptions of web-based learning and to make comparisons between students' conceptions of learning in general and their conceptions of web-based learning in particular. By interviewing 83 Taiwanese college students with some web-based learning experiences, this study attempted to investigate the students' conceptions of learning, conceptions of web-based learning, and the differences between these conceptions. Using the phenomenographic method of analyzing student interview transcripts, several categories of conceptions of learning and of web-based learning were revealed. The analyses of interview results suggested that the conceptions of web-based learning were often more sophisticated than those of learning. For example, much more students conceptualized learning in web-based context as pursuing real understanding and seeing in a new way than those for learning in general. This implies that the implementation of web-based instruction may be a potential avenue for promoting students' conceptions of learning. By gathering questionnaire responses from the students, this study further found that the sophistication of the conceptions toward web-based learning was associated with better searching strategies as well as higher self-efficacy for web-based learning.
AB - Past research has shown the variations of students' conceptions of learning, but little has been especially undertaken to address students' conceptions of web-based learning and to make comparisons between students' conceptions of learning in general and their conceptions of web-based learning in particular. By interviewing 83 Taiwanese college students with some web-based learning experiences, this study attempted to investigate the students' conceptions of learning, conceptions of web-based learning, and the differences between these conceptions. Using the phenomenographic method of analyzing student interview transcripts, several categories of conceptions of learning and of web-based learning were revealed. The analyses of interview results suggested that the conceptions of web-based learning were often more sophisticated than those of learning. For example, much more students conceptualized learning in web-based context as pursuing real understanding and seeing in a new way than those for learning in general. This implies that the implementation of web-based instruction may be a potential avenue for promoting students' conceptions of learning. By gathering questionnaire responses from the students, this study further found that the sophistication of the conceptions toward web-based learning was associated with better searching strategies as well as higher self-efficacy for web-based learning.
KW - Distance education and telelearning
KW - Post-secondary education
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U2 - 10.1016/j.compedu.2009.05.019
DO - 10.1016/j.compedu.2009.05.019
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:69949083409
VL - 53
SP - 1092
EP - 1103
JO - Computers and Education
JF - Computers and Education
SN - 0360-1315
IS - 4
ER -