Stoas Research Designing Web-based Constructivist Learning Environments Emiel van Puffelen Stoas Research Wageningen The Netherlands

Stoas Research learning process knowledge transfer from teachers or knowledge transmission from information sources knowledge is individually constructed by learners based on interpretation of experiences in the world

Stoas Research Instructional design should thus focus more on: creating constructivist learning environments (CLEs) that engage learners in knowledge construction

Stoas Research According to Jonassen (1998) CLEs should supply: questions / cases / problems / projects related cases information resources cognitive (knowledge-construction) tools conservation and collaboration tools social / contextual support

Stoas Research Information and Communication Technology (ICT) support of education: web information technology ICT interfacing of social interaction

Stoas Research ICT interfacing of social interaction can be used for: conservation and collaboration tools social / contextual support

Stoas Research Web information technology can be used for: questions / cases / problems / projects related cases information resources cognitive (knowledge-construction) tools

Stoas Research Purpose of this research to find and test optimal design strategies for CLEs using web technology support for the information (construction) functions.

Stoas Research Research Methods focus: 18 Wageningen University teachers designing a CLE teachers were assisted in group design techniques and web design teachers were interviewed at beginning of design and at the end of the course teacher meetings were monitored during design, construction and utilization phase student satisfaction was monitored at the end using a web-based questionnaire

Stoas Research The task case oriented education for 180 first year students of Wageningen University multidisciplinary introduction to environmental science: using input of 18 university teachers from 14 department groups course: 8 weeks of 4 hours project start: April 2000 course start: September 2000

Stoas Research The Team

Stoas Research The design meetings

Stoas Research Design results first teachers had no clear idea how to proceed, in the meetings they decided to use: a case oriented approach group sessions (18 groups of 10 students) for collaborative work during the course face-to-face approach for these meetings general presentation software for the construction of group work presentations a simple design for the web interface

Stoas Research Web interface (dutch)

Stoas Research Construction results group discussions were based on the structure and examples on the web. case content and an environmental science glossary were constructed. work schedule, teacher contact data, and a search function were added. a library containing pictures with environmental science related explanations was constructed. most teachers were able to provide substantial input, as they had just attended a joint web page construction course.

Stoas Research The Teachers web design course

Stoas Research Plenary Course introduction

Stoas Research Student group work

Stoas Research Course results: impressions students used the web-based information functions to formulate and solve their case questions students assigned each other tasks, and worked alone or in small groups to accomplish them students presented their work half way through and at the end of the course

Stoas Research Course results: teachers opinion teachers were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the student presentations teachers were pleased with this type of education, and had liked their new role.

Stoas Research Course results: web-based questionnaire introduced in the last week. response was 61% (109 of 180 students). course scored well with exception of the first part which had suffered from the time stress

Stoas Research Conclusions facilitating effective group interaction is essential for designing web-based CLEs group design requires frequent meetings web-based functions can be designed when major decisions on instruction design are taken supporting information functions with web- based technology can shift teachers behavior towards facilitating active learning in addition, it can stimulate intensive group work

Stoas Research Conclusions constructing cases for CLEs is time consuming, and Web-based support does not change that much. web-based cases are an excellent use of information technology for education. complicated case material, requires combination with the social functions of CLEs.

Stoas Research Final remark The CLE helped the students to learn together, and it helped the teachers to cooperate in a way they had never done before.