Mind The Gap! High School Students‘ Attitudes Toward Computer-based Learning

Mind The Gap! High School Students’ Attitudes Toward Computer-based Learning

Media Center

Istanbul, 22.06.2012

Outlines

1. Attitudes2. Learning related self-efficacy expectations3. “Digital natives”4. Research method5. Results6. Conclusions and future work

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Computer related attitudes

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Learning related self-efficacy expectations• beliefs concerning one’s capabilities to learn or perform behaviors at

designated levels (Bandura, 1986)

• The concept of perceived self-efficacy about learning describes the personal conviction of being able to enhance learning by using certain web-based e-learning tools. The less confident a person is in one’s capabilities to achieve designated goals with the help of e-learning programs, the less likely they will use web-based media for learning purposes. (Pintrich, Smith, Garcia, McKeachie; 1993)


“Digital Natives”


Research design


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• the study was conducted as part of the project UnIbELT: “Transition from school to college with the support of Internet-based e-learning tools“

• financed by the European Social Fund and develops various e-learning scenarios to prepare students for higher academic studies under field conditions (2009 – 2012)

Research method


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The development process of the e-learning scenarios is accompanied by three evaluation steps:

Evaluation I: Expert evaluation using a set of criteria by specialist subject teachers, psychologists and e-learning specialists during the course development,

Evaluation II: Online-Questionnaire about demographics, computer use and applications, learning motivation, computer-related attitudes (FIDEC from the INCOBI-R), learning-related self-efficacy expectations and use of e-learning programs,

Evaluation III: Group interviews with students upon course completion in the schools, course content, personal experiences with the self-determined, web-based form of learning, learning and working style.

Sample


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• total number of participants in the project: over 1.000 high school students of several schools

• 763 high school students took part in the survey

• between 15 and 20 years old, with the average age of 17 years

• 40% girls (n = 297) and 60% boys (n = 454)

Results: Self-efficacy expectations for learning


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Self-efficacy expectations for learning1 = high acceptance; 5 = low acceptance

N AM SD

I’m confident I can learn the basic concepts taught in this online course. 688 1.9 .76I expect to do well in this online course. 686 2.0 .78Considering the difficulty of this topic and my skills, I think I will do well in this online course. 686 2.1 .81

I’m certain I can master the skills being taught in this online course. 684 2.2 .81I’m confident I can understand the most complex material presented in this learning program.

685 2.3 .86

I’m certain I can understand the most difficult material presented in the learning program. 687 2.4 .85

I believe I will receive an excellent grade in this online course. 687 2.5 .87

I’m confident I can do an excellent job on the assignments and tests in this online course. 687 2.5 .90

Results: Computer related attitudes


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FIDEC-Scales:Computer related attitudes

M1 = high acceptance5 = low acceptance

Positive attitude components: Computers for learning and working (PE/LA/+)

1.9

Negative attitude components: Computers for learning and working (PE/LA/-)

3.7

Positive attitude components: Computers for entertainment and communication (PE/UK/+)

2.1

Negative attitude components: Computers for entertainment and communication (PE/UK/-)

3.7



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Positive attitude components: Computers for learning and

working (PE/LA/+) Approval

% Neither

% Refusal

% For me, the computer is a useful device. 92 8 0 I find it handy to have a computer available for my work or training.

89 10 1

I would like if computer and new media would be used more often for school and training purposes.

61 30 9

Computer-mediated learning is a very efficient way of learning. 47 40 13



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1.9


3.7


2.1


3.7



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Positive attitude components: Computers for entertainment and

communication (PE/UK/+)Approval

%Neither

%Refusal

%In my life the computer is a very important entertainment medium.

78 17 5

It is important for me to communicate with friends via computer.

76 17 7

Computer games and other entertainment applications offer a diversified opportunity to spend your spare time.

59 26 15

It’s easy to meet new people via communication platforms. 53 31 16



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1.9


3.7


2.1


3.7



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Negative attitude components: Computers for learning and

working (PE/LA /-)Approval

%Neither

%Refusal

%The computer work is often frustrating, because I don’t understand this machine.

5 13 82

I would prefer to work less with computers. 8 23 69

Computer programs which I use for work and learning purposes are hard to understand sometimes.

16 35 49

From time to time computer work bothers me.

21 30 49

Results: Influences on computer-related attitudes


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• Learning related self-efficacy expectations• Demographic characteristics: comparison between urban

and rural areas (size of place)• Gender

Gender N M SD p Computer as a learning and working tool (positive attitude)

female 294 2.0 .53 .447male 434 1.9 .66Computer as a learning and working tool (negative attitude)

female 294 3.6 .71 .000male 434 3.9 .76Computer as a communication and entertainment tool (positive attitude)

female 294 2.3 .71 .000male 434 2.0 .71Computer as a communication and entertainment tool (negative attitude)

femalemale

294434

3.63.9

.63

.69 .000

Conclusions and future work

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• computer use frequency is very high and attitudes toward computer-based learning are very positive

• learning related self-efficacy expectations are very high among young people

• experience with e-learning within this sample is also very large• Characteristic of this sample: they have chosen to participate in the

e-learning programs voluntarily. It can be assumed that the sample belongs to an education friendly group.

• a comparison of the educational backgrounds is needed to test a connection between the highly positive attitudes to the computer as an entertainment item and learning tool

• a comparative analysis to other attitudes is recommended • Answer to the initial question if digital natives can be found at

school: the term must be discussed in relation to several aspects


Thank you!

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Education

Mind The Gap! High School Students‘ Attitudes Toward Computer-based Learning