Learning Strategies and Other Factors Influencing Achievement via Web Courses.

Abstract

This paper reports the results of a study designed to examine how students with different learning styles functioned in World Wide Web-based courses offered by Project BIO at Iowa State University in the Fall of 1997, and to determine what factors influenced their learning. The objectives of the study were to identify: (1) the demographic characteristics of the students by learning styles; (2) how students' learning strategies, patterns of learning, and achievement differed in relation to their learning styles; and (3) relationships among student learning styles, learning strategies, patterns of learning, achievement, and selected variables. The population for this study was 99 students taking two non-major introductory courses. These two Web-based courses were stand-alone courses in which most course materials and resources were accessed and delivered by the Internet. An online questionnaire that included a learning strategies scale, a patterns of learning scale, and demographic questions was designed and posted on the Web. A total of 78 students also took the Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT), a learning styles test. Total data were collected on 74 students. Results indicated that learning styles, patterns of learning toward Web-based instruction, and student characteristics did not have an effect on Web-based learning achievement. (DLS) ******************************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. ******************************************************************************** U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION officeoawcationamesearchandImmwmam EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) O This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. O Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. °. Points of view or opinions slated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. Learning Strategies and Other Factors Influencing Achievement via Web Courses Ching-Chun Shih, Graduate Student Tom Ingebritsen, Associate Professor John Pleasants, Associate Scientist Kathleen Flickinger, Adjunct Assistant Professor George Brown, Professor Iowa State University Introduction PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY