THE EFFECTS OF ONLINE TEACHERS' ROLES IN A WIKI ENVIRONMENT ON THE PERFORMANCE AND CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS AMONG STUDENTS WITH DIFFERENT LEARNING STYLES
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Date
2010-08
Authors
RATHAKRISHNAN, MOHAN
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Abstract
This study is conducted to investigate the effects of online teacher's role
(Pedagogical Role Online Teacher: PROT and Social Role Online Teacher:
SROT) in a wiki environment on the perfonnance and critical thinking (CT) skills
of Fonn Six students with different learning styles. The samples were randomly
selected from two secondary schools in Penang, Malaysia. This quasiexperimental
study applied a 2 x 2 factorial design. The independent variable was
the online teacher's role while the moderating variable was the active-reflective
learning style. Two dependent variables in this research were critical thinking
(macro and micro) skills and the students' perfonnance in General Studies's
subject. The students' performance were based on a posttest administered after the
four-week treatment, while their critical thinking skills were measured from their
individual input in the wiki environment using the relevant rubrics. The students'
active-reflective styles were detennined using the Felder and Silverman's (1988)
Index of Learning Style as the moderating variable.
A total of 120 Form Six students participated in the research. In order to
allow the students contributed their inputs and ideas for writing essays in General
Studies, a wiki platform named Pbwiki was set up. Sixty students from the PROT
group and another 60 students from the SROT group have posted their inputs in
the wiki environment.
The data analyses for this study were carried out using MANOV A. This
study found that (i) the PROT group has performed significantly better in General
Studies performance and critical thinking skills as compared to the SROT group,
(ii) there are no significant differences in General Studies performance and critical
thinking skills between the active and reflective style of students, (iii) there are
significant differences in performances between the active students in the PROT
group and those in the SROT group, as well as between the reflective students in
both treatment groups, (iv) there are no significant differences in performance
between the active and reflective students both in the PROT and SROT groups,
(v) there are significant differences in critical thinking skills between the active
students in the PROT and those in the SROT group as well as between the
reflective students in these two treatment groups, and (vi) there are no significant
differences in critical thinking skills between the active and reflective students
both in the PROT and SROT groups.
The PROT and SROT teachers have played their respective roles in
facilitating the students in writing the essays and demonstrating their critical
thinking skills in the wiki environment. However, the PROT teacher's roles as
course designer, profession-inspirer, feedback-giver and interaction facilitator
have helped the students to perform and imply critical thinking skills significantly
better than the SROT teacher who plays the role as a social rapport builder.
This study also found that both the active and reflective students are equally
able to 'absorb and retain information or skills' even though their criteria of
learning styles are different. This indicates that learning style is not a factor that
affects the students' learning in a wiki learning environment. However, the active
and reflective students under the PROT treatment have perfonned significantly
better than their respective counterparts under the SROT treatment, as the PROT
treatment involved feedback and inspiration.
This study suggested that wiki can be used by teachers to teach online and
prompt students of different learning style to perfonn well in their essay writing
and develop the ability to demonstrate their critical thinking skills in an illstructured
domain such as the General Studies.
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Keywords
ONLINE TEACHERS , LEARNING STYLES