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Abstract
Recent studies in the literature on online learning highlight a constructivist approach to knowledge-building in Web-based environments. In this case study of an online course, students were introduced to a constructivist orientation toward learning, a requirement to work in a new learning environment, and a challenge to accomplish academic work with groups of colleagues. Students learned successfully how to accommodate these requirements. In particular, this article tells how communication strategies, collaboration with one another, interaction throughout the course, and consistent participation in the growing online database supported students' perceptions of self-efficacy and their emerging commitment to a constructivist approach to learning.
Résumé
Des études récentes, issues de la littérature sur l'apprentissage en ligne, mettent en relief une approche constructiviste de la construction de connaissances dans des environnements utilisant la technologie Web. Dans cette étude de cas portant sur un cours en ligne, les étudiants ont été exposés à une orientation constructiviste de l'apprentissage, ils ont dû travailler dans un nouvel environnement d'apprentissage et ils ont été mis au défi de travailler avec des groupes de collègues. Les étudiants ont appris avec succès comment s'adapter à ces conditions. L'article décrit comment les stratégies de communication, la collaboration, l'interaction continue et la participation à l'alimentation de la base de données en ligne ont contribué à donner aux étudiants un sentiment d'autoefficience et ont causé l'émergence d'un sentiment d'engagement envers une approche constructiviste de l'apprentissage.
Introduction
The new knowledge economy and the emergence of affordable technologies have combined to foster a growing demand for distance education and training. Web-based learning has been espoused by hundreds of institutions of higher learning as an effective mode of distance course delivery (Berge & Collins, 1995; Bullen, 1998; Duchastel, 1997; Duderstadt, 1999; Eastmond, 1995; Schrum, 1998). Technological advances in delivering courses, workshops, and seminars have demanded a parallel development of effective teaching methods and learning strategies.
With the relatively recent history of Web-based course delivery, new understandings of the potential roles of institutions, instructors, and learners have begun to emerge in the literature. Current research has pointed to these critical issues: (a) learner perspectives on Web-based learning and requirements for support in the Web-based environment (Burge, 1993; Eastmond, 1995; Gabriel, 1999); (b) the institutional and faculty approach to the...