Views of Pre-Service Teachers on Internet Supported Learning

ABSTRACT

Having knowledge of computer hardware is one of the skill sets of computer teachers that allows them to understand and predict hardware problems in advance. Therefore, computer hardware courses are often added as required courses in pre-service teacher curricula in Instructional Technology Departments. This study aimed to understand the effectiveness of one such course with the integration of internet technologies. 44 students enrolled in this course in a western public university in Turkey. Students used an online learning environment in addition to a traditional face to face classroom setting for 14 weeks during the 2015-2016 Fall Semester. Participants were divided into two groups. One of the groups, which was called Bloggers, wrote all their learning experiences and outcomes in their blog postings. The other group, which was called Webbers, designed a website to share their knowledge. Both groups also shared other new technologies which could help them to improve their professional skills. During the 14-week explanatory case study, data were collected from students` reflection papers, forum postings, researcher’s journal and learning outcomes. Data were analyzed by following content analysis strategies. The results show that for the majority of students, integrating internet technologies into traditional classroom settings motivated them to engage more during the course. However, some of students who created websites noted that the additional responsibilities were overwhelming. Creating a website and maintaining it were challenges for them. On the other hand, students who were blogging their learning experiences noted that they had fun during the course. They also highlighted that writing comments for each blog posting helped them to learn more by sharing their knowledge. Both groups thought that they enriched their content knowledge during the course.