Elsevier

Computers & Education

Volume 50, Issue 4, May 2008, Pages 1411-1422
Computers & Education

A study on learning effect among different learning styles in a Web-based lab of science for elementary school students

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2007.01.003Get rights and content

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore the learning effect related to different learning styles in a Web-based virtual science laboratory for elementary school students. The online virtual lab allows teachers to integrate information and communication technology (ICT) into science lessons. The results of this experimental teaching method demonstrate that: (a) students in the experimental group using the online virtual lab achieved better grades than those in the control group under traditional class instruction, (b) in the experimental group, grade achievements of students having different learning styles were not significantly different from each other leading us to conclude that the Web-based virtual learning environment is suitable for various learning styles, (c) students with the “accommodator” learning style made the most significant achievements in this study, the scores obtained by the experimental group being remarkably better than those in the control group, and (d) up to 75% of the students surveyed indicated that they preferred using the Web-based virtual lab to reading textbooks only. The results of the experimental teaching and the survey show the feasibility and effectiveness of the Web-based learning environment being studied. It encourages further development of the Web-based virtual lab.

Introduction

In recent years, the development of information technologies has not merely caused lifestyle changes, but also educational reforms. In the 1960s, computer-assisted teaching sparked enthusiasm for individualized teaching (Dimas, 1978, Johnson et al., 1985). The subsequent availability of microcomputers enabled the application of computers to education and created the need to design Web-based labs for science courses at elementary schools for reasons given below:

  • (1)

    Science courses should be giving technological support to learning.

  • (2)

    The new trend in science education is to integrate information technology into science teaching.

  • (3)

    The operation and learning environment of a Web-based lab has a far reaching effect.

  • (4)

    A Web-based lab can accommodate different learning styles.

This study primarily highlights the investigation of how a Web-based lab learning environment influences the effectiveness of the teaching of science at the elementary school level. Therefore, a Web-based virtual lab for elementary school science courses was established to examine its effectiveness and its influence on students’ learning habits. This study seeks a new direction in integrating information technology into science courses at elementary schools. Some related topics discussed include: the meaning of integrating information technology into teaching, information-integrated teaching and online teaching, online learning research and development, and learning styles.

Integrating information into teaching describes a process in which information technology is integrated into curriculum, materials, and teaching so that teachers and students can use information technology as another efficient teaching and learning tool, revealing that information technology can be integral to classroom teaching activities. Shum and McKnight (1997) also applied information technology to methodology or process, using it to solve a problem without constraints of time and space.

The consideration of what materials should be selected by teachers to implement information technology-integrated teaching is important. Chang (1999) identifies six situations as suitable and necessary for integrating information technology with teaching activities: (1) transforming abstract teaching materials into visual materials, (2) requiring operational experience of real world, (3) solving the problem of not having the proper environment for learning/teaching, (4) coping with situations of insufficient teachers for certain subjects, (5) motivating students, and (6) providing self-diagnosis and self-evaluation.

Scholars have found that teaching styles change after information technology has been integrated into teaching (Dexter et al., 1999, Dias, 1999, Kozma, 1991, Rath and Brown, 1996). The role of the teacher changes from being the center of a class to an assistant/consultant who makes students the center of learning activities and free to determine learning topics and pace. Consequently, student-centered teaching activities are most likely to successfully integrate information technology into learning activities.

With the consolidation of multi-media technology, the Internet has markedly influenced teaching and learning styles. Distant learning provides a solution to the many problems of restrictions on space, materials, and equipment. Furthermore, learning companions have also formed new Internet-based interactive learning groups. Therefore, the emergence of online teaching has greatly influenced current educational patterns and teaching methods, and the focus of education has shifted from classroom to global learning groups. Thus, how to integrate the Internet with subject matter is important in curricular design.

According to Yang (2001), online teaching has five potential pedagogical advantages: unlimited user numbers, unlimited by time and space, asynchronous nonlinear learning, the application of diverse media, and the application of global resources.

Gibbons, Evans, and Griffin (2003) were devoted to developing a practical class via a computer-based virtual laboratory (KaryoLab). The results suggested that the design of KaryoLab rationalized time for the tutor/researcher and to encourage more students to engage in cytogenetics. Furthermore, the results from two studies (chromosome analysis and bioinformatics) conducted by Gibbons, Evans, Payne, Shah, and Griffin (2004) showed that adopting computer-based simulation could provide a cheaper, easier, and less time-and-labor-intensive alternative. In the first study (chromosome analysis), simulations provided significant time savings (quarter time needed) to students without affecting learning. In the second study (bioinformatics), simulations were proved to be able to enhance student learning (7% higher). Obviously, the way of utilizing computer-based simulations is helpful to instructing/learning and worthy of further development.

Given the widespread use of the Internet and the boom in Website design, Web-based classrooms and the teaching materials with HTML-style will become a key medium in online learning for most people. “Acting to enhance the quality of Internet education in elementary and secondary schools” (Ho, 1998) analyzed 177 Websites that are found by the Taiwanese search engines and suitable for elementary and secondary students. In terms of the medium, most teaching Websites (88%) were static; moreover, in terms of content, most Websites (54%) provided teaching materials, and some (34%) provided testing databases. Clearly, students retrieve and present learning information passively in traditional online learning environments.

A learning style describes a relatively stable response mode cultivated in the wake of learner perceptions of their interactions with the learning environment, generally including personal cognitive patterns, affective characteristics, and physiological habits. Kolb’s Learning-Style Inventory (Kolb, 1985) groups experiential learning behaviors into two dimensions (as shown in Fig. 1) and four learning modes, that is, diverger, assimilator, converger, and accommodator. This study will observe the effect of the Web-based-lab learning environment on these four learning modes.

Section snippets

Method

The methods used in this study include research methodology, system architecture, Web-based lab operation, and experimental research.

Results

The statistical findings of this study are divided into three parts and discussed, respectively, as the following.

Discussion

Generally, the findings indicate that using the Web-based lab to teaching science has a positive influence on primary school students. The findings are presented as follows.

Conclusion

The study aims at probing for the influences the Web-based Lab may bring for effectiveness in science classes at elementary schools. After the practice of solid curriculum, some encouraging strong points emerged:

  • 1.

    It promotes interest in learning sciences via simulated experiments and it makes individualized learning/teaching occur easily among clicks.

  • 2.

    The repeatable operation powers cognition and help build up science conceptions more efficiently.

  • 3.

    Apply the Web-based lab science teaching achieved

Acknowledgments

This research is supported by the National Science Council of Taiwan, ROC, under grant NSC 92-2520-S-024-001.

References (17)

  • J.W. Best et al.

    Research in education

    (1989)
  • Kuo-en Chang

    The implication and practice of integrating into teaching of different courses

    Information and Education

    (1999)
  • J. Cohen

    Statistical power analysis for behavioral science

    (1997)
  • P.T. David et al.

    Cognitive activities in OO development

    International Journal of Human–Computer Studies

    (2001)
  • S.L. Dexter et al.

    Teachers’ views of computers as catalysts for changes in their teaching practice

    Journal of Research on Computing in Education

    (1999)
  • L.B. Dias

    Integrating technology: some things you should know

    Learning and Leading with Technology

    (1999)
  • C. Dimas

    A strategy for developing CAI

    Educational Technology

    (1978)
  • N. Gibbons et al.

    Learning to karyotype in the university environment: a computer-based virtual laboratory class (KaryoLab) designed to rationalize time for the tutor/researcher and to encourage more students to engage in cytogenetics

    Journal of Cytogenetic and Genome Research

    (2003)
There are more references available in the full text version of this article.
View full text