Gordon Coleman, Ph.D. University of Alabama Blogging self-efficacy in a natural learning environment within higher education Clay Davis Vivian H. Wright, Ph.D. Gordon Coleman, Ph.D. University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, Alabama

What is this paper about? Introduction to the research Statement of the problem Purpose of the study Significance of the study Research Hypotheses Theoretical/Operational terms Assumptions Limitations

Introduction to the research Self-Efficacy – a belief in one’s competency Blogging – single author post, many author commented online discussions Natural Learning Environment – accidental/collaborative environment

What’s the problem? People are scared of technology!

Purpose of the study To gain a better understanding of how (if at all) the learning environment affects self-efficacy towards blogging.

Significance of study Natural Learning environment = Increase in self-efficacy toward blogging = Greater chance for learners to overcome fear of blogging = Greater chance for learners to interactively learn through blogging = Greater student success

Research Hypothesis mean post-test scores of self-efficacy toward blogging would increase from that of the pre- test.

Terms Theoretical Operational Self efficacy = inner belief of competency Natural learning environment = collaborative/accidental learning Operational Self-efficacy = survey instrument asking agreement in “I believe I can…” statements Natural learning environment = teacher provides framework and boundaries for class, and classmates teach each other

Assumptions The class is normally distributed “Response sets” are not being exhibited Social desirability Aquiescence Deviance The sample is representative of the population

Limitations Small population/sample size I work with the professor that taught the class No observational/qualitative data was collected No prior measures exist for self-efficacy towards blogging Self-efficacy is self-report (not easily measured)

Literature Review (condensed) Articles on Self-efficacy Articles on Blogging Articles on Learning Environments

Self-efficacy Bandura Inner belief of competency in an area observed outcomes – how I view others competency and how I compare with them prior experiences – not related outcome predictions – could the bad outweigh the good? and socialization – how well could we do together?

Articles on Blogging Oravec / Dearstyne one author, with many comments Cheap Easy to setup & use Multiple blogs can be read from one interface Anytime online = blogs can be used

Articles on Learning Environments Directed learning Cohen & Sheer,Hess et al Teacher centered Student is blank slate to be filled by teacher Natural learning McCombs & Whistler, & Iran-Nejad Student centered Learning is a journey of discovery that has no ending

Methodology Sample Research Design Data Collection Procedures Instrumentation Data Analysis

Sample Total Active SLIS population = 100 students Enrollement for LS 500 = 49 Participation in study = 26 (mortality, incomplete surveys, non-participation)

Research Design One group pre-test post-test design Measurement (O) self-efficacy instrument Treatment (X) class with nat. learn. Env. + blogging

Data Collection Procedures 15 question likert instrument asking agreement with “I believe I am able to…” statements ordered by Magnitude, Strength, Generalizability Used Pre-test / Post-test Used research assistant & coding sheet to insure anonymity of respondents

MALE_____ FEMALE______ 2. Age Please list your age: ______________   SDA DA Neither A SA magnitude I believe I am able to post a blog. I believe I am able to comment on another's blog. I believe I am able to change the skin on a blog. I believe I am able to use a blog reader. I believe I am able to search for other blogs that might interest me. strength I believe I am able to post a blog very well. I believe I am able to comment on another's blog very well. I believe I am able to change the skin on a blog very well. I believe I am able to use a blog reader very well. I believe I am able to search for other blogs very well that might interest me. generalizability I believe I am able to post a blog very well, even if the interface has changed. I believe I am able to comment on another's blog very well, even if the interface has changed. I believe I am able to change the skin on a blog very well, even if the interface has changed. I believe I am able to use a blog reader, very well, even if the interface has changed. I believe I am able to search for other blogs very well that might interest me, even if the interface has changed. Demographics 1. Gender MALE_____ FEMALE______ 2. Age Please list your age: ______________   3. Prior Experience I have been blogging for this many years: __ 0 __ 1 __ 2 __ 3 __ More than 3   4. My favorite topic of discussion is: ___ Math/Science ___ English ___ Social Studies

Data Analysis Survey: Study: Item-total correllations (reliability) Cronbach’s alpha (reliability) Standard Measurement of Error (reliability) exploratory factor analysis using a principal components analysis with a varimax, orthogonal rotation (construct validity) Study: Paired Samples t-test to determine if significant difference existed between pre-test and post-test Chi-square, to determine if there were any differences between gender, age group, prior experience level, favorite subject and the individual items.

Results How reliable was the survey? How valid was the survey? Was overall self-efficacy toward blogging raised during this class? What other sub-groups within this overall group showed differences?

Survey: Reliability Cronbach’s alpha = .898 Internal Consistency = all but one .680 for item-to-total correlations (one fell at .280) Standard Error of measurement = 4.04

Survey: Validity Of the 15 factors, there were three factors extracted with an Eigenvalue of 1.00 or greater. The first factor explained 57.723 % of the variance with all three factors explaining 76.853 % of the variance. I) blogging communication self-efficacy ( How self-efficacious am I towards communication with blogs?), II) blogging flexibility self-efficacy ( How self-efficacious am I toward the flexibility of blogs?) , III) blogging search self-efficacy( How self-efficacious am I toward searching for blogs?).

Was overall self-efficacy toward blogging raised during this class? No, not by looking at the entire group t(25) = -1.184, p = .248 However, yes in subgroup of respondents claiming they had less than one year of experience with blogging, t(17) = -2.211, p = .041

What about relationships with demographics to questions? Chi-square found significant relationships between: age group and item 5 (I believe I am able to search for other blogs that might interest me) c 2 (8, N = 26) = 22.635, p = .004 ; [older ↓ younger ↑] prior experience level and item 14 (I believe I am able to use a blog reader very well even if the interface has changed) c 2 (12, N = 26) = 24.796, p = .016; [less exp ↓ more exp ↑] prior experience level and item 13 (I believe I am able to change the skin on a blog very well even if the interface has changed) c 2 (12, N = 26) = 25.037, p = .015; [less exp ↓ more exp ↑] and prior experience level and item 7 (I believe I am able to change the skin on a blog very well) c 2 (12, N = 26) = 27.183, p = .007. [less exp ↓ more exp ↑]

Discussion, Conclusions, & Implications Threats to Internal Validity Threats to External Validity Recommendations for further research

Threats to Internal Validity Mortality (3 participants did drop out) History (students were taking other classes) Maturation (the biology of the brain could have matured during this time (kind of a stretch)) Testing (not measuring a skill, so this is kind of a stretch as well) Instrumentation (objective measurement so probably a stretch here as well) and interaction of selection and maturation (possibly, because age varies from 22-50)

Threats to external validity interaction of testing and self-efficacy (pre-test sensitization)—I should improve, so I will improve when I get the post-test and interaction of history and self-efficacy.—not advisable to generalize beyond this one time frame for self-efficacy increase Experimenter effect– I work with the professor teaching the class, he could want the study to go well.

Other limitations Small sample/population Only one group studied

Recommendations for the future Try to do a Solomon 4 group design R O X O random sample group w/pre-test, post-test and treatment R O O random sample with pre-test, post-test and no treatment R X O random sample with post-test and treatment R O random sample with post-test and no treatment Do this for each learning environment: natural, and directed. The “no treatment group” would be a non-specific learning environment—not purely natural or directed, and use multiple universities, and use an online instrument instead of paper