Constructivist online learning environment for social work education: An evaluation of students' learning process and outcome

Constructivist online learning environment for social work education: An evaluation of students' learning process and outcome

• Wong, Yu Cheung University of Hong Kong

2003

• G Curriculum, Teaching & Learning: Specific Disciplines
  • GH Sport Science, Health & Welfare
• F Learning & Teaching
  • FD Application of Communicative Media, IT in Learning & Teaching

Educational Software Curricula Teaching Higher Education

• Hong Kong

• 1997.7 onwards

• Post-Secondary Education

This study attempts to understand how students construct their knowledge in a new learning environment guided by constructivist learning principles as well as to find out whether such environment can produce a deeper learning outcome than one that is based on existing mode of classroom teaching.
A constructivist learning environment includes such crucial elements as intentional learning, active, authentic and cooperative learning. This involves using information technology to build up learning community as well as encourage learners to obtain information for knowledge construction.
A quasi-experimental design was employed. The experimental group comprised of 16 students taking a Social Policy Issues course via an online learning environment while the comparison group comprised of 18 students attending the same course in the existing classroom teaching. All students came from the same class studying in the final year of the BSW program of the University of Hong Kong. Background information indicated that the two groi.lps of students were largely, homogeneous.
The outcome indicates that students had a positive evaluation of the online learning environment. However, the learning outcome analyzed by the SOLO Taxonomy does not show any significant difference. The students with better performance are more active in logging on the online course and post more messages on the bulletin board.
Patterns of students' participation in the bulletin board discussion were analyzed Students were enthusiastic in the beginning and the more active students tended to remain so throughout the course. Quality of postings improved with time on each discussion topic. Quite a few students reported that they preferred reading others' postings than giving their opinions. Teachers' roles were investigated. Giving encouragement, asking short and thought provoking questions and summarizing students' discussion were considered important for students' learning.
The study suggests that attention has to be given in areas related to students' learning habits and their preference on face-to-face interaction. Personal support for students should be emphasized in the early stage in dealing with the technological problems and building up a learning community among them. The participation of outside experts and students in the bulletin board is useful in promoting the "community spirit".
The new generation of social work students and social workers has to be social informaticists. The ability to learn in the new learning environment provides a promise for students and practitioners to face the challenges and opportunities open to the profession in the new millennium.

PhD

University of Hong Kong

Hong Kong

• English

Dissertation Theses

https://bibliography.lib.eduhk.hk/bibs/0335e872

2010-12-16