Edited by Dr. David J. Ayersman, Mary Washington College, and Dr. W. Michael Reed, New York University
formerly Journal of Research on Computing in Education

JRTE, Volume 33, Number 3, Spring 2001

Diana W. Sanders and Alison I. Morrison-Shetlar
Georgia Southern University

Abstract

This study examined student attitudes toward the introduction of a Web component into a general biology course for undergraduate nonmajors at a midsized rural university. The Web component primarily allowed asynchronous learning outside the classroom and increased student-to-student interaction. Students could use the Web site to access chapter outlines, grades, critical-thinking and problem-solving questions, self-grading quizzes, and the course syllabus. It was found that the Web component had a highly positive effect on student learning, problem-solving skills, and critical-thinking skills. The effects of the Web-enhancement tool were assessed using essays, short answer and multiple choice questions, and in-class discussion. The attitude of females in the course toward Web-based learning was found to be significantly more positive than that of males. Furthermore, females in the class were found to use the Web more often than males. Student use of the Web was found to be independent of age, race/ethnicity, year in school, computer experience, and learning style. The fact that there was no relationship between attitude and learning style indicated that the materials posted were suitable for all types of learners. Most students used the Web to take quizzes, post to the bulletin board, access their grades, and download chapter outlines and critical-thinking and problem-solving questions. All of these facilities allowed for asynchronous learning. The chat room was the least used Web component, possibly because it required the students to log on at specific times (synchronous learning). However, the majority of the students did access the logs of each of the chat sessions that were posted on the Web. Findings from this study suggest that instructors should use the Web for the posting of course syllabi, grades, quizzes, questions, and materials that encourage student-to-student and student-to-faculty interaction. The materials posted to the Web should address the different learning styles of the students and be diverse and interesting enough to encourage student participation.

Web Resource

B. Chandler, & C. D. Maddux. (1998). Student use of instructors’ Web sites. In S. McNeil, J. D. Price, S. Boger-Mahall, B. Robin, & J. Willis (Eds.), Technology and teacher education annual 1998. Charlottesville, VA: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education. Available: www.coe.wh.edu/insite/elec-pub/html1998/. (ERIC No. ED 421 152)

Contributors

Diana Sanders is an instructional technologist for the Henderson Library at Georgia Southern University. She has a BS in mathematics (1989), a master of business administration (1991), and an educational specialist in education administration (1998), and she is a student in the educational administration doctoral program at Georgia Southern University. Her current research interests involve the use of technology as a tool in the classroom and intellectual property issues associated with distance learning and online technologies.

Alison Morrison-Shetlar is an associate professor of biology and director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching at Georgia Southern University. She has a BS in biology and chemistry (1980) and a PhD in biomedical science (1984), both from Dundee College of Technology, Dundee, Scotland. Her current research interests lie in interactive teaching strategies for large numbers of students using Web-enhanced learning methods. Morrison-Shetlar currently teaches general biology, molecular biology, and cell biology to undergraduate and graduate students.

Address: Diana Sanders, Henderson Library, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 30460; dsanders@gsaix2.cc.gasou.edu.

Copyright © 2001, ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education). All rights reserved.