Abstract
STOU (Thailand) has launched the B.A.(English) online program in 2010 and the first group of students graduated in 2013. This study aims to study the interactivity patterns of online learners, as well as the factors influencing interactivity patterns based on the principles of constructivism theory. It makes use of a survey, which stresses that the learners play the role of learning constructors by themselves in a socially constructed environment. According to social constructivism, learners express their opinions to construct knowledge based on personal experience, including their collaboration with other learners and/or instructors. The findings from the Constructivist On-Line Learning Environment Survey (COLLES) questionnaire showed that the item ‘Tutor support,’ which is the component of the theory of social constructivism, was at the highest degree of agreement, while the least agreement is on the item of ‘Peer support’. The questionnaire results were confirmed in student group interviews and in focus group discussions. The factors influencing this may likely be that most learners value tutor support much more than peer support for learning in the university online environment. Also, they are all distance learners who are part-time learners, and may prefer learning in traditional ways to collaborative learning or constructivism.
Author Information
Narinthip Thongsri, Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University, Thailand
Paper Information
Conference: ACSET2016
Stream: Education and Technology: Teaching, Learning, Technology & Education Support
This paper is part of the ACSET2016 Conference Proceedings (View)
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