ED-MEDIA 1999 Proceedings Book - Association for the ...
ED-MEDIA 1999 Proceedings Book - Association for the ...
ED-MEDIA 1999 Proceedings Book - Association for the ...
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Effects of Question-Based Learning in a Hypermedia<br />
Intelligent-Assisted Learning Environment<br />
Ching Hui Alice Chen<br />
Department of In<strong>for</strong>mation Management<br />
Ming Chuan University<br />
Taipei, R. O. C.<br />
Achen@mcu.edu.tw<br />
Feng-Hsu Wang<br />
Department of In<strong>for</strong>mation Management<br />
Ming Chuan University<br />
Taipei, R. O. C.<br />
Fhwang@mcu.edu.tw<br />
The Problems<br />
Due to <strong>the</strong> entry-examination system, almost all <strong>the</strong> schools in Taiwan emphasize more on memorization and<br />
test-taking skills. Although students have high scores in ma<strong>the</strong>matics examinations, <strong>the</strong>ir problem solving skills<br />
are still in <strong>the</strong> low-level of thinking stage. Students spent hundreds of hours in <strong>the</strong> crane schools <strong>for</strong> test-taking<br />
skill in order to get high test scores. Students do not have <strong>the</strong> ability and have no attention to enhance <strong>the</strong>ir highorder<br />
thinking skill. In this manner, teachers have no liberty and time to design meaningful learning<br />
environment. The purpose of this study is to find a solution <strong>for</strong> both <strong>the</strong> students and teachers, to provide<br />
students <strong>the</strong> opportunity to enhance <strong>the</strong>ir knowledge and skills, to provide teachers an alternative way to enrich<br />
classroom learning activities.<br />
Theoretical Framework<br />
For most feedback studies, <strong>the</strong> in<strong>for</strong>mation contained in <strong>the</strong> feedback session is presented to <strong>the</strong> learner.<br />
Most posttests and retention tests require learners to recall what <strong>the</strong>y have learned from <strong>the</strong> instruction, and <strong>the</strong><br />
level of learning rarely extends beyond rote memorization. In this manner, learners have no opportunity to<br />
engage in what Salomon and Globerson (1987) described as "mindful behavior". In order to engage in mindful<br />
behavior, <strong>the</strong> learning situation should be introduced in a way that learners will be able to examine and elaborate<br />
situational cues, to generate alternative learning strategies, to ga<strong>the</strong>r in<strong>for</strong>mation, and to draw connections<br />
between old and new in<strong>for</strong>mation. Some feedback studies have reported significant results on immediate tests,<br />
but not on retention tests. During most feedback instruction, learners received feedback in<strong>for</strong>mation passively<br />
without actively organizing and applying <strong>the</strong>ir knowledge. In most feedback research, in<strong>for</strong>mation is stored as<br />
facts ra<strong>the</strong>r than as tools. There<strong>for</strong>e, in<strong>for</strong>mation is not spontaneously used to solve problems. A few studies<br />
suggested that when in<strong>for</strong>mation is introduced in a problem-solving context, it is more likely to be used in new<br />
contexts than remain inert (Lockhart, Lamon, & Gick, 1988; Perkins & Salomon, 1989).<br />
In <strong>the</strong> learning process, <strong>the</strong> learner is more easily to understand and acquire factual knowledge, while it is<br />
more difficult <strong>for</strong> <strong>the</strong>m to generate critical thinking and to obtain higher-order thinking skills. A number of<br />
<strong>the</strong>orists have emphasized <strong>the</strong> importance of helping students to engage in generative ra<strong>the</strong>r than passive<br />
learning activities (Chi, et. al., 1989; Minstrell, 1989). It is assumed that learning is an active, constructive<br />
process whereby learners generate meaning <strong>for</strong> in<strong>for</strong>mation by accessing and applying existing knowledge<br />
(Jonassen, 1991). Relating knowledge and personal experience in learning is one of <strong>the</strong> major components in<br />
situated cognition (Brown, Collins, & Duguid, 1989). In situated learning, learners should be able to see how<br />
knowledge may be applied in new situations through analogies and similarities to <strong>the</strong> situations <strong>the</strong>y learned in<br />
(Collins, 1991). There<strong>for</strong>e, knowledge is more likely to be stored in a way that is usable in novel contexts.<br />
The notion of situated learning is parallel to constructivistic learning. Constructivists tend to favor problemsolving<br />
activities that are linked to student interests, that have some attributes of real-world problem, and that are<br />
meaningful and satisfying <strong>for</strong> students to solve. From <strong>the</strong> constructivitics perspective, interest is <strong>the</strong> fuel of <strong>the</strong><br />
constructive process. Without interest, <strong>the</strong> learners will never make <strong>the</strong> constructive ef<strong>for</strong>t to make sense out of<br />
experience (DeVries, 1993). There<strong>for</strong>e, it is very important to design instruction in which learners are motivated<br />
to be mentally active in <strong>the</strong> context of instructional activities.