Validating a theory-based design for online instruction: The Integrated Learning Model.

摘要

The goal of this study is to present the empirical results of a design experiment that validates the Integrated Learning Model (ILM). The study also explores the contribution of multiple Web-tools that facilitate specific learning outcomes.; Using a multiple paradigmatic approach that blends the best of both cognitive and situative perspectives in an open-learning constructivist environment, three broad constructs were used to identify variables that influence learning. These constructs include (1) knowledge acquisition strategies ; (2) cognitive tools that support practice and (3) assessment components that capture artifacts of learning.; In addition, the ILM uses expertise, pedagogical content knowledge and self-regulation as principles that anchor instructional designs. While these principles have traditionally been operationalized separately in classroom settings, they have not been implemented simultaneously to constitute the core elements of an open-learning model. The ILM represents such a synthesis.; Data were collected from 338 students using various tools online, as well as from four surveys administered throughout the semester. Sixty percent of the participants were male with an average age of 21 years. They spent approximately six hours per week on the course. Print material, interactive practice tests and online information were the most frequently used tools. Other tools such as videos and communication software were also positively rated. The majority preferred a mixture of discovery learning and guided instruction. From the fifteen online items, three extracted factors explained 69% of the total variance and loadings were above the 0.7 threshold. These factors correspond to the three broad constructs identified above. Given these dimensions and the latent construct (learning), Structural Equation Modeling techniques were applied to confirm the ILM.; The ELM is introduced to encourage designers of Web-based instruction to engineer appropriate knowledge acquisition strategies and to practice opportunities and appropriate assessment methods that are theoretically driven and constructively aligned in an open learning environment. Such Web-designs open new doors to faculty, administrators, employers, and learners. They help to explain why participants learn meaningfully and what might enable them to create knowledge.