Journal of Educational Media and Library Sciences

Abstract

The learning process in online learning environment involves interactions among students, interaction between instructor and students, and collaborations in learning that result from these interactions. Students’ involvement in online interaction might relate to individual differences. The relationship between individual differences and students’ learning and actions in online interaction needs to be explored. In this study, a web-based learning course “Computer Ergonomics” was employed to collect students’ online interaction data. Learning tasks and a project assignment were embedded in the course as a way to foster self-directed learning. The main focus of the study were to examine 1. how individual differences related to students’ actions in online discussion and their reactions toward learning, and 2. whether students with different levels of involvement in online discussion differed in their learning outcomes. Both qualitative and quantitative approaches were used in the research to analyze students’ verbal responses in the discussion forum. Students’ responses were categorized and counted for further analysis. Various indications, including gender, cognitive style, and use of study strategies were used as variables for analysis of response types among students. In addition to discussion data, students’ learning portfolios, project assignments and work sheets were also gathered for further analysis. The results of the study indicate that some of the variables correlated significantly with students’ action and socialization in on-line discussion and their learning reactions. Students’ with different levels of involvement performed differently (p < 0.0001).

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