Results and discussion Essay

Before conducting this research, an investigator was choosing between different research frameworks. On the one hand, I strongly believe that learners’ community is a democratic and participatory complex social system of individuals. Each of them possesses unique experience and background. Nobody can be viewed as a bad student how ever his pace of learning and an array of skills differ from the ones of the co-student. These assumptions grounded on my professional experience place me as a researcher within an anti-positivist critical theory paradigm (Habermas, 1984; Adorno, Marcuse, Horkheimer and Fromm). The goal of any critical investigation is not just to search empirical (practical) social environment for variables and measurement patterns but to prepare the ground for improvements in regard to emancipation of the victimized, democratic equality and individual freedoms (Cohen et al. , 2000, p. 28). That is why a substantial part of research was dedicated to receiving feedbacks from students on the use of the hypermedia learning environment. Judging from the multistructural questionnaire administered to the learners in the end of the study week, the perceived effectiveness of the hypermedia learning environment in motivating and helping students to achieve the specified learning outcomes of improved reading and visual comprehension, science learning and ICT skills was found to be generally high by the students. Table 2 shows the questions asked, and the average of the responses on a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 is â€Å"very useful† and 5 is â€Å"useless. † On this scale, the average rating for questions relating to the understanding and identifying of facts, issues, problems and factors, was between 1. 34 to 1. 92 which is in the â€Å"very useful† to â€Å"useful† region. It is interesting to note that on another question that the hypermedia resources and both experiential and symbolic simulations added â€Å"active and dynamic dimensions to classroom learning processes,† the average was an overwhelming 1. 08 indicating that the students welcomed the new innovative learning environment. Table 3 shows how the hypermedia learning environment was perceived by the students as an instrument for learning on a 4-point scale, where 1 is â€Å"strongly disagree† and 4 is â€Å"strongly agree†. Upon the whole, students reported finding the hypermedia environment very useful in various ways. Based on the qualitative observations of students working with â€Å"Pompeii: The Last Day†, the researcher found out that those who investigated the theme in the hypermedia environment spent more time on studies than those who used exclusively textbooks and written handouts as well as listened to the teacher’s instructions. In the process of studies and after the evaluation, students were asked to comment freely on the new possibilities provided by the hypermedia resource, its effectiveness in supporting Science learning, and their attitudes to learning with/without the hypermedia. Some of the responses to the critical implications of hypermedia collaborative learning are presented in the following. The question asked was whether students would use the hypermedia resource such as this when studying other scientific topics. They were asked to specify their decision, either negative or positive. Among those who used the hypermedia learning environment, there were more positive responses (there was only one student unaffected by the hypermedia environment on the point of his poor eye-sight; his eyes were aching because of the glow of a monitor). Sample Comments A: Yes, because the hypermedia is an awesome chance to learn a new subject. It is more interesting and exciting than skimming books and trying to cram the dry facts into one’s poor head. The experiential simulation to design different types of volcanoes was perceived as a game in the beginning. However, by the end of the week I recognized that I do remember all kinds of volcanoes and their specific characteristics. I think, this happened due to the simulation which was not time consuming but was an important fun. B: Yes, all the definitions and concepts studied in the lectures were completely alien to me before taking this hypermedia class, I memorized the theories in a serious effort but the hypermedia learning resource showed how important and grasping they are. I feel that my knowledge has improved significantly. C: Previous to this experimental class I would have been skeptical about learning by the hypermedia and creative (instead of formal) assessment, but having participated in one myself I would encourage anyone to follow us in using this type of learning media. D: A hypermedia learning environment would make a subject like Science more luring by: a) being enjoyable; b) by making it necessary to apply everything one learns to get through, rather than get through a couple of questions on an examination. E: I thought this process/project was fantastic. It was certainly the most fun I’ve ever had doing an assignment. I found it a great way to get a handle on the quite complicated issues involved in the Pompeii situation, and very useful in seeing the theories we studied play out. In my opinion the volcano activity details are so interesting in relating to human life! It also led to getting to know and interact with a wider range of students within the subject, rather than the one or two people that you know in your tutorial group. I know some people have complained about the amount of time involved, but I personally thought it was not at all excessive (it was required to spend 90 minutes on researching the hypermedia site. However, almost all of us spent even more time on it without any problem). I also greatly enjoyed the chance to do something different from the interminable stream of research essays that the teachers ask for. Best class I’ve done! However, a researcher had to incorporate also some positivist viewpoint in regard to the necessity of evaluating the difference between the hypermedia and traditional learning in quantifiable terms. Results are shown in Figure 1 and Table 4. Figure 1 revels that students who were introduced to the hypermedia learning resource voluntary took additional research on the topic besides the required 90 minutes. The difference between time spent on studying the topic by those with hypermedia resources obligatory research and those without was subjected to a t-test which revealed a t value of t = 2. 2518 (df =38) suggesting significant difference between those with hypermedia obligatory learning and those with traditional mode of learning and instruction (p