Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference of Teaching and Learning (ICTL 2011)
INTI International University, Malaysia
STUDENT PREFERENCES FOR LEARNING PHYSICS
USING WEB ENHANCED INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS
Luisito C. Hagos1, Luzale Dioso-Henson2 and Roger A. De Sesto3
New Era University, Philippines
(1dochagos@yahoo.com, 2ldhenson@neu.edu.ph.com, 3BBGIO1966@yahoo.com)
ABSTRACT
This study focused on the preferences of engineering students for learning Physics when online tools for
teaching and learning are incorporated to support the concepts and theories discussed in the classroom.
Determining students’ preferences is essential if we hope to engage them better in the processes of learning,
understanding, and doing physics. Responses collected from second year engineering students enrolled in
Physics 271 from 2nd Semester, 2010 through Summer, 2011 are reported in this study. Survey questions given
to 136 students show that lectures in pdf format, solution to assignments from topic outlines posted online, endof-topic seat-works, and online quizzes are chosen most often as helpful components in facilitating students’
conceptual understanding of physics.
KEYWORDS
Web-enhanced, Online quizzes, Conceptual understanding, Instructional materials, Online tools, Free
courseware
INTRODUCTION
The evolving, ever-expanding array of increasingly sophisticated online tools for teaching
and learning and the explosion of online information resources have transformed instructor
and student expectations about good teaching (Heeter, 2010). Hence, it is the responsibility of
teachers to organize, structure and guide these tools so that the students will not be
overwhelmed in this ocean of free information. In this study, the researcher used WebEnhanced Learning Strategies (WELES) introduced by Grabowski and Koszalka (1998).
WELES outlines two major web resources – information links through sites and human
resource (other people) links through networks. The sites and networks are both composed of
several elements appropriate for enhancing lesson activities. Site Elements are the raw
material from which lessons can be created. These web resources can be used to present
information in a lesson. Network Elements are those capabilities of the web that facilitate
communication. In other words, these are the types of resources that connect people
electronically to enable shared interactions. The main objective of this study is to categorize
various sources of online information and survey students’ preferences. Knowing the
students’ preferences on the use of web-enhanced instructional materials will assist teachers
towards better teaching and learning. In related studies, knowing the answer to the question,
“What components of a course do students choose as most helpful with respect to
understanding?”, will help teachers formulate, innovate and revise instructional materials for
a realistic and effective approach to students’ learning. Though it can be argued that students
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Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference of Teaching and Learning (ICTL 2011)
INTI International University, Malaysia
may not have a realistic or accurate sense of what is actually most effective for their learning,
finding out what they think is important (Pyzdrowski, 2008).
In another study, Kortering et al. asked the question, "How can we help students to be more
successful with the work, quizzes, or tests?", the greatest number of responses pertained to
bookwork (16 responses), quizzes (18 responses) and chapter tests (17 responses). Most of
the associated responses showed that students wanted more help through the support of such
things as tutoring or individual help from the teacher. Finally, 43 students responded to the
question, "What is the most important thing we could do to improve student performance?"
Once again the dominant theme in the responses was related to getting help through support
services, tutoring and encouragement. Strong themes could also be found pertaining to
teaching styles and group work. In their discussion, Kortering et al. report that students in the
study suggest they require alternative formats for learning and that group work and software
programs may be helpful accommodations that can provide additional support or assistance
(2005).
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
1.
To categorize various sources of online information essential in teaching and learning
Physics.
2.
To provide insight into which format second year students perceived as most helpful to
their learning of Physics.
METHODOLOGY
Participating in this study were 136 second year students enrolled in Physics 271 in the
College of Engineering. These students passed and completed the requirements of Physics
181 which is a pre-requisite of Physics 271. At the beginning of the semester, course outline
is made available to them through an established website. Moreover, lectures in pdf format,
study guides and topic outlines, assignments and solution to assignments, links to websites to
supplement conceptual understanding and links to free courseware containing videos
demonstrating the application of concepts can likewise be accessed in this e-bulletin. One
semester has 18 weeks, each week has 3 hours of in-class lecture. The class meet twice a
week, hence, the first meeting is usually for discussion of the new topic while the second
meeting is for assessment and evaluation. The on-line materials are uploaded one week prior
to the scheduled discussion giving the students ample time to download these materials and to
prepare for assignments and other course related activities. Reading assignments and online
quizzes that allow multiple attempts are included in lecture files and some are found in
suggested links. As part of the course requirements, online quizzes and assignment are held
regularly every week. Regular lectures are conducted in the classroom. The homework is
taken from suggested book focusing the student toward the major content objectives of the
lesson. These problems are mostly procedural in nature though many require the student to
apply conceptual understanding and problem solving abilities. Online quizzes are composed
of 10 multiple choice questions. The questions are chosen randomly from banks of questions.
The quizzes may be repeated up to three times with the highest score used in the grade. The
student is encouraged to use books, notes and peer tutoring while working on a quiz.
Professors do not answer questions about quizzes until they are graded. Quizzes may be
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Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference of Teaching and Learning (ICTL 2011)
INTI International University, Malaysia
completed from any computer with internet access at any time during the day or night.
Students are asked to complete quizzes that are associated with an exam before taking the
exam. The reading assignments are from the text book and are associated with the content
objectives of the lesson.
RESULTS
Descriptive statistics was used to determine which course components were chosen by
students as most helpful in understanding of course material in Physics. The following tables
reflect students’ preferences of online learning materials.
Table 1
Time spent on the established website
Daily
41%
Thrice a week
45%
Twice a week
7%
Once a week
3%
Very seldom
3%
Table 2
Online sources like the most
% Mean
Solution to assignment files
Assessment questions (on-line quizzes)
Suggested links in video files (youtube, free courseware)
Topic outlines
Lecture files
38%
17%
17%
14%
10%
Suggested links in web pages
10%
Online sources likely to print
Solution to assignment files
Topic outlines
Lecture files
Assessment questions (on-line quizzes)
46%
34%
13%
7%
Online sources that helped the most
Assessment questions (on-line quizzes)
Solution to assignment files
Lecture files
58%
21%
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Suggested links in video files (youtube, free courseware)
Suggested links in web pages
6%
4%
How do you access the internet?
Home
Internet Café
Library
Mobile
66%
21%
10%
3%
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Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference of Teaching and Learning (ICTL 2011)
INTI International University, Malaysia
How often do you access the internet?
Daily
Thrice a week
Twice a week
Assessment to the web-enhanced material
62%
28%
10%
Mean
Scores
The web-enhanced material provide me valuable cues towards the
formation and association of concepts
4.10
The web-enhanced materials helped focus my attention to the main
concept of the lecture.
4.23
The web-enhanced materials supplemented my understanding and
learning of the concepts of the lecture material by
Increasing subject interest
Supporting class participation
Improving environment for teaching and learning
4.69
4.36
4.12
The web-enhanced materials helped me revised my notes in
preparation for the exam/longtests
4.72
The web-enhanced materials helped me achieve a higher mark in
exam/longtests
3.93
IMPLICATIONS
Table 1 indicated that more than 40% of the respondents spent 2.5 or more hours online per
week in the established website, including 14.3% who devoted three or more hours per week
to studying online. It was found out that the best students (based on subject grade in Physics)
spent more time online compared to worst students.
Solutions to assignment files are liked most by students because it provided specific problemsolving strategies (conceptualize, categorize, analyze, finalize), hence, the students find it
easier to follow the steps using this procedure. The main test of knowledge of Physics is to
solve as many problems as possible. The students are encouraged to find alternate solutions
to the same problem. However, one student commented that it would have been more
interesting if animated materials were used to illustrate each setting describe in the problem.
Students often print out online content, then read it offline. They are most likely to print
solution to assignment files, followed by topic outline files and lecture files in powerpoint
presentation. Nearly 30% of students print online articles and long web pages to read them
offline.
Students perceived that assessment questions embedded in the lecture file helped the most
among online sources. The students are often reminded to test their understanding of the
material by the ‘do-it-till-you-get-it-right’ approach. To motivate them to get a perfect score
on assessment questions, they are told that questions in the term exams will have the same
format and level of cognitive difficulty as the assessment question. Moreover, these questions
are also used during peer interactions.
Lecture files are presented in slides using powerpoint show (.pptsx). It is suggested that the
length of presentation must be less than 15 minutes. One student commented that lengthy
discussion using powerpoint is boring especially when the slides contain so many text.
Another student requested that lecture file be modified first from multi-colored illustration to
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Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference of Teaching and Learning (ICTL 2011)
INTI International University, Malaysia
black and white when posted online so that when they print the slides, it would not be ‘too
costly’ on printer ink or toner.
Most students (66%) have access to internet at home and 89 per cent of these students
performed their assignments and course-related activities at home; internet café was the
second most frequent student spot for online coursework (21%) followed by library (10%);
and mobile (3%). 41.1% were usually alone when they did online coursework. 6.3% usually
did coursework in a public space in the presence of strangers or co-students. And 65.2%
worked in the presence of friends or family. Those who usually worked in the presence of
friends or family were significantly more likely to Instant Message while working and were
more frequent TXTers. Moreover, those who worked at home were more likely to play games
and logged in to social networks (such as Facebook) while they did online coursework.
Embedded links to related sites within course readings or in topic outlines are not likely to be
followed by students. More than half of students visited less than 40% of the links included
within online readings. Close to one third visited fewer than 25% of links. Slightly fewer than
one fifth of students visited 75% or more links. Those who print online content to read would
have to go back online to follow links, likely further reducing the likelihood that links will be
followed.
Students were not eager for more online content. They strongly preferred printed and bound
supplementary readings over webpages or online articles. Journal articles and book chapters
posted online was first choice of nearly one tenth (13.6%) and first or second choice by about
40%. Online textbooks were the least preferred alternative (6.2% first choice and 19.2% first
or second choice).
RECOMMENDATIONS
Mean scores of students’ attitudes toward using web-enhanced materials indicated that it
motivate students to learn Physics. However, there are a few limitations in the study that
should be considered. First, it is quite difficult to allocate time for students to use the
computers in the college library. There are few units available for student’s use. Secondly,
the software installed in the computers had a few technical problems. The file format used for
some learning materials are not compatible with the software installed in the computer,
hence, a problem on accessing the files. Thirdly, the speed connection slows down as more
units were added into the network. In addition, the network computers occasionally did not
work properly when students were all simultaneously logging into the established website.
These technical problems distracted both the students and the teacher involved in the study.
And this may have affected the results of the study.
Further study should be devoted on the connection between the teaching environment and
student beliefs and consequently student performance. Would the enhancing of the teaching
environment and individual assessments with more occurrences of materials directed toward
conceptual understanding and problem solving influence the references that students have for
components that help with their understanding of physics? Would student performance be
significantly affected? It is suggested that other course components should be developed or
used such as computer simulated experiments or in-class demonstrations (can be live or
video-taped) that would accommodate student understanding.
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Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference of Teaching and Learning (ICTL 2011)
INTI International University, Malaysia
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school algebra: What students with learning disabilities are saying. Math and Learning
Disabilities. Vol. 28, No. 3, 191-203.
Muis, K.R. (2004). Personal Epistemology and mathematics: critical review and synthesis of
research. Review of Educational Research. Vol. 74, No. 3, 317-377.
Stiggens, R. (2004). From formative assessment to assessment for learning: A path to success
in standards-based schools. Phi Delta Kappan. 87, No. 04, 324-328.
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