Acceptance of New Learning and Teaching Methods by Students

Krastev Krasimir 1, Yorgova Radostina 1, Dineva Snejana1

(1) Trakia University, Faculty of Techniques and Technology of Yambol,

Gr.Ignatiev str. 38, Yambol, Bulgaria
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected]

Abstract
With the utilization of new teaching and learning methods new forms of learning emerged. In
Faculty “Technics and Technology” – Yambol, Trakia University – St. Zagora, VLE has been
created and applied, using Moodle platform. The opinion of students from extramural
training program has been investigated about quality of education based on the new applied
methods of teaching. Students positively accepted new technics and tools of teaching and
study without effect of their own skills of working with computers and new technology.

Key words: Web-based learning, e-learning, quality of education, e-learning technology

1. Introduction
Educational technology, especially computer-related, have grown enormously and have
permeated in all areas of our lives. The Internet turn into an increasingly vital tool nowadays, more
users are going online to implement day-to-day activities, for instance: education, business
transactions, personal correspondence, information-gathering, and job searches. Each year, being
digitally connected becomes more critical to economic and educational advancement and
community participation (Valdez, 2005). If education is about knowledge and intellectual skills,
then information technology lies at the heart of it all (John, 2007).
Using technology in teaching is always a trade-off between the time and effort spent creating
and maintaining it, and the educational gains achieved by using it (Technology and Teaching,
2013). Knowledge is distinguished from data and information. Data represent observations not
directly meaningful. Information is data within meaningful context. Knowledge can be denoted
both as a thing to be stored and manipulated and as a process of simultaneously knowing and
acting (Blackler, 1995). Knowledge is that which we come to believe and value based on the
meaningfully organized accumulation of information through experience, communication or
inference (Bobrow&Collins, 1975; Dretske, 1981). A key to successful use of technology is
identifying course learning objectives and seeking technologies that can help support those
objectives, by focusing on the content instead of the technology (Technology and Teaching, 2013).
Maintaining a feel for how students view and use technology may help inform an instructor’s
approach to technology in order to support his or her teaching (Technology and Teaching, 2013).
In order to evaluate the acceptance of e-learning technology applied in e-learning constructed
course of General Chemistry by students an experiment has been carrying out.

2. Material and Methods

In the Faculty of Techniques and Technology of Yambol, e-learning system based on Moodle
worked. As a result of different project works the foundations of a data base took place
(http://tk.uni-sz.bg/edutk/): lectures, self-assessment exercises, multimedia sources, questionnaires,
glossaries, links to other web-based on-line resources etc., has been created.
The 8th International Conference on Virtual Learning ICVL 2013 103

Data were collected through an anonymous survey from students during the fall semester of
2011. A survey instrument was developed, using five-point Likert-type scale of potential
responses: strongly disagree (1), disagree (2), neutral (3), agree (4), and strongly agree (5).
The students were informed that all collected information will be in used for the purpose of
investigation. The exposure to e-learning technologies of the participating students varied from 1
to 3 years. All students participated voluntarily in the study. Respondents for this study consisted
of 78 (55 females and 23 males). The students involved in this study have been used the
technology for all aspects of the course. The course selected for the study was blended learning in
field of General Chemistry.

3. Results and discussion

A survey was conducted to investigate student’s opinions about blended learning in field of
General Chemistry and how that related to the students’ abilities of working with computers. We
examined the results from two qualitative questions:

Question 1. How many years you work with computer and do you feel well prepared to work
with computer technology?
a) Less than 2 years (Neutral);
b) From 2-5 years (Agree);
c) More than 5 years (Strongly agree).

Question 2. Do you think that teaching with the used of new interactive tools causes’ better
understanding and the lessons are assimilated more easily? The possible answers to that question
were:
a) Strongly disagree;
b) Disagree;
c) Neutral;
d) Agree;
e) Strongly agree.

We construct two hypotheses:

Hypothesis H0: Signs are independent. There is no link between the two indications, time of
computer work and the acceptance of e-learning as more easily absorbed and understanding.
Hypothesis H1: Signs are not independent. This means that there is a relationship between the
time of computer work and the opinions that knowledge is acquired more easily and better.
On the table 1 are shown the empirical frequencies. On vertical columns are situated the levels
of first sign (question 1) and on the horizontal rows are plotted the answers of the second question.
We missed level 1 at the both signs, because there were no such cases as answer.

Table 1. Empirical frequencies:

Likert-type scale: Disagree (2*) Neutral (3*) Agree (4*) Strongly agree Total
(5*)
Less than 2 years (3*) 0 3 0 3 6
From 2 to 5 years (4*) 1 6 3 6 16
More than 5 years (5*) 3 11 14 28 56
Total 4 20 17 37 78
* Likert-type scale: strongly disagree (1) disagree (2), neutral (3), agree (4), and strongly agree (5).
104 University of Bucharest, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences

For our purpose, we will use  the analysis that allows for the testing of statistical
2

hypotheses about the relationship between qualitative variables, which is precisely our case. On
the table 2 are shown the theoretical (expected) frequencies.

Table 2. Theoretical frequencies: Expected Frequencies

Likert-type scale: Disagree Neutral (3*) Agree (4*) Strongly agree Total
(2*) (5*)
Less than 2 years (3*) 0.307692 1.53846 1.30769 2.84615 6.00000
From 2 to 5 years (4*) 0.820513 4.10256 3.48718 7.58974 16.00000
More than 5 years (5*) 2.871795 14.35897 12.20513 26.56410 56.00000
Total 4.000000 20.00000 17.00000 37.00000 78.00000
* Likert-type scale: strongly disagree (1) disagree (2), neutral (3), agree (4), and strongly agree (5).

To test the hypothesis of independence of two attributes will calculate statistics

  5.46; the
2
number of degrees of freedom f = (3-1)(4-1) = 6; the minimum level of
significance
P{62  5.46}  0.485 1
From the results shown on the chi-square statistics is that the hypothesis H0 is not rejected.
Signs are independent.
Our survey shows that all students accepted e-learning approach that included on-line
published materials and training quizzes, as more easily absorbed and understanding without the
circumstance of how well they work with computer technology.
There are ten fundamental reasons why implementation of technology is important in
education (John, 2007):
1. Expansion of time and place – on-line materials are more available. Information
technology allows learning anywhere, anytime; not just in one particular classroom for
forty minutes a day.
2. Depth of Understanding – Interactive simulations and illustrations can produce a much
greater depth of understanding of a concept. Using a projector, the teacher can conduct
onscreen investigations and demonstrate concepts far more easily than with just words.
3. Learning vs. Teaching – Instead of teaching (push), students can be given projects that
require them to learn (pull) the necessary material themselves.
4. New media for self-expression – Using modern technology students can: Make a
PowerPoint presentation, record/edit spoken word, do digital photography, make a video,
run a class newspaper, make a website, create a blog.
5. Collaboration – A vital skill in the new digital world is the ability to work collaboratively
on projects with others who may not be physically close, using modern computer tools
such as the web, email, instant messaging and cell phone.
6. Going Global – The worldview of the student can be expanded because of the zero cost of
communicating with other people around the globe. The Internet permits free video
conferencing which permits interaction in real time. Using Google has become the de facto
method for student research.
7. Individual pacing and sequence – Information technologies can permit to break step with
the class and go at a pace and order that suits that student better. Without disrupting the
class, they can repeat difficult lessons and explore what they find interesting.
8. Weight – A laptop computer weighs about 5lb and provides access to infinitely more
material via its own storage and the Internet. A 40 GB hard drive can hold 2 million pages
with illustrations; the web is unfathomably large.
The 8th International Conference on Virtual Learning ICVL 2013 105

9. Personal Productivity – A student's life is not much different from any knowledge worker,
and they need similar tools. Even if they are never used in the classroom, portable personal
computers will make a student's (and teacher's) life more effective.
10. Lower Cost – Through the use of open, free educational tools on the web, the dependence
on expensive paper textbooks can be reduced. Developing a web site with links to relevant
web sites and/or pages of text and graphics may seem worthwhile at first glance, but prove
counter-productive if printing numerous pages requires too much of a student’s time or
money when compared with purchasing print copies (Technology and Teaching, 2013).
Good teaching is defined as instruction that leads to effective learning. Instructors who wish to
improve teaching in a course should consult the literature, see which instructional methods have
been shown to work, and implement those with which they feel most comfortable (Richard&
Rebecca, 1999). In order to obtain the idea how students evaluated the improving of teaching
quality in blended learning program of General Chemistry through applying a new technology
tools, we examine the link between introductions of new technical tools in teaching and how
students evaluated the improving of teaching quality. The both questions are qualitative:
Question 3. Do you have a positive attitude to the outline of e-learning materials in the
learning process?
a) Completely negative;
b) Negative;
c) Neutral;
d) Positive;
e) Completely positive.

Question 4. Do you think that the introduction of new technical tools in teaching improves the
quality of teaching and the acquired knowledge’s?
a) Strongly disagree;
b) Disagree;
c) Neutral;
d) Agree;
e) Strongly agree.

Then bet null hypothesis denoted by H 0: Signs are independent. No relationship between
positive attitude in introducing e-materials and systems for e-learning, and whether you believe
that the introduction of new technical tools in teaching improves the quality of teaching and
learning. We bet and alternative hypothesis in case you do not fulfill the hypothesis H 0, H1: Signs
are not independent. This means that there is a relationship between the above-mentioned
attributes. Again we will use  analysis.
2

Table 3 shows the empirical frequencies. The levels of the first attribute (question 1) are
plotted on the vertical (columns) and the levels of a second attribute (question 2) are plotted on
horizontal row. The missing levels denoted that there were no such answers.
Table 3. Empirical frequencies:
Likert-type scale: Neutral (3*) Agree (4*) Strongly agree (5*) Total
Completely negative (1*) 1 0 0 1
Negative (2*) 2 1 0 3
Neutral (3*) 10 2 0 12
Agree (4*) 1 10 4 15
Completely positive (5*) 0 5 42 47
Total 14 18 46 78
* Likert-type scale: strongly disagree (1) disagree (2), neutral (3), agree (4), and strongly agree (5).
106 University of Bucharest, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences

On the table 4 are shown the theoretical (expected) frequencies.

Table 4. Theoretical frequencies: Expected Frequencies

Likert-type scale: Neutral (3*) Agree (4*) Strongly agree (5*) Total
Completely negative (1*) 0.17949 0.23077 0.58974 1.00000
Negative (2*) 0.53846 0.69231 1.76923 3.00000
Neutral (3*) 2.15385 2.76923 7.07692 12.00000
Agree (4*) 2.69231 3.46154 8.84615 15.00000
Completely positive (5*) 8.43590 10.84615 27.71795 47.00000
Total 14.00000 18.00000 46.00000 78.00000
* Likert-type scale: strongly disagree (1) disagree (2), neutral (3), agree (4), and strongly agree (5).

To test the hypothesis of independence of two attributes will calculate   81,33 statistics;
2

the number of degrees of freedom f = (3-1)(5-1) = 8; the minimum level of significance

P{82  81,33}  0.000000 (2);
This means that independent evidence likely to get the same value as in the experience or
greater is zero; we will reject the null hypothesis H0 and accept the alternative hypothesis H1:
Signs are not independent. There is a connection between attitudes in introducing e-materials and
systems for e-learning, and whether is accepted that the introduction of new technical tools in
teaching improves the quality of teaching and causes better deep understanding and learning.
Taking into account the varied learning styles of learners and providing opportunities for self-
directed and collaborative learning, educators can facilitate powerful, effective courses geared to
achieve specific learning goals and outcomes using the vast resources and capacities of online
learning (Instructional Strategies for Online Courses, 2011). Even if an instructor is quite reluctant
to adopt something new, there are instances where instructors are well-advised to engage with
technology on a minimal level. The content and learning goals inform the selection of the
technology tool, and the tool itself open up new teaching and learning possibilities. An instructor
should only introduce and use those technologies they are comfortable with (Technology and
Teaching, 2013). As documented by the U.S. Department of Education‘s Staying the Course
report, online courses and educational programs produce, on average, stronger student-learning
outcomes than do those conducted solely in traditional classroom environments (Rickard, 2013). A
visual illustration can replaced a thousand words; students can make connections between the
various models of learning and in turn provide them with deeper learning understanding. The
challenge for education is to design learning environments to be more centered on student learning
and for them to reach a deeper level of understanding (Hamel, 2012).
Students tend to have fewer responsibilities, less professional demands, and more leisure time
to invest in the social networking that can help ease adopting new technologies (Technology and
Teaching, 2013). The greatest impact of electronically distributed learning comes that formal
training can take place in the field, giving the students the ability to directly apply or integrate the
training materials with their own day-to-day problems. Hence, those materials become more
relevant and interwoven into the student’s tacit experience and the learning more meaningful and
lasting (Zack, 1999).

4. Conclusion
The fact that many technology options exist should not be viewed as a mandate to use them.
The processes of infusing technology into education begin with a simple step. The content and
learning goals inform the selection of the technology tool, and the tool itself open up new teaching
and learning possibilities. Most importantly is the chosen technology to be accessible to the
The 8th International Conference on Virtual Learning ICVL 2013 107

students and function coherently together (Technology and Teaching, 2013). Our results show that
the established e-learning site and database in the Faculty of Techniques and Technology of
Yambol, University of St. Zagora, and attached e-learning system based on Moodle as a design
VLE, is working and well adopted by students.
All students accepted learning approach that included on-line published lectures and training
quizzes, as more attractive, easily engrossed and well understanding, without the circumstance of
their skill level in computer technology. Students positively assumed new technics and tools of
teaching and study. There is a connection between positive attitudes in introducing e-materials and
systems of e-learning, and effectiveness and quality of teaching and learning. The results
confirmed that chosen approaches for presentation of investigated e-learning course of General
Chemistry is well constructed and fulfill the purpose. The results presented in this manuscript can
help institutions in assessment and developing of their e-leaning strategy plans.

5. References:

5.1. Journal Articles:

Blackler F. (1999): "Knowledge, Knowledge Work and Organizations: An Overview and Interpretation",
Organization Studies, vol. 16, no. 6, 1995, pp.1021-1046.
Zack M. H. (1999): Managing Codified Knowledge, Sloan Management Review, vol. 40, no. 4, 1999, pp. 45-
58.
Richard M. F, Rebecca B., (1999): HOW TO IMPROVE TEACHING QUALITY, Quality Management
Journal, 6(2), 9-21 (1999).

5.2. Scientific books:

Bobrow D. G. and Collins A. (eds.), (1975): Representation and Understanding: Studies in Cognitive Science
(New York: Academic Press, 1975.
Dretske F. I., (1981): Knowledge and the Flow of Information, Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 1981.

5.3. Internet Sources:

John Page (2007): The Ten Fundamental Reasons for technology in education.
http://www.mathopenref.com/site/techreasons.html
Valdez Gilbert (2005): Critical Issue: Technology: A Catalyst for Teaching and Learning in the Classroom.
http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/methods/technlgy/te600.htm
Technology and Teaching (2013): http://www.oid.ucla.edu/publications/teachersguide/sectionb/tech
Rickard, W. (2013): The Efficacy (and Inevitability) of Online Learning in Higher Education.
www.pearsonlearningsolutions.com
Instructional Strategies for Online Courses. (2011): Retrieved from www.ion.illinois.edu/resources/
tutorials/pedagogy/instructionalstrategies.asp.
Hamel (2012):, http://ikit.org/SummerInstitute2012/Papers/3033-Hamel.pdf