Abstract
This study aimed to explore the perceptions and online usage behavior of undergraduate students enrolling in recurrent vocational education with regard to the use of Facebook Group in instruction and learning. A total of 36 students participated for a whole semester. Data sources included participants’ response to an end-of-session questionnaire (including Likert scale, checklist, open-ended question types) and online usage data (in terms of posting, reading and replying). Four major findings were obtained, based on descriptive statistics, inferential statistics and constant comparison method done on the data collected via the questionnaire. First, one-group t-test revealed that the participants felt significantly positively about the use of Facebook Group to support different aspects of teaching practices. Second, the majority of participants agreed with the learning supportiveness of various functions offered in Facebook Group. Third, participants generally exhibited positive affective responses toward the use Facebook Group in instruction and learning. Fourth, the main functions of Facebook Group, as revealed in participants’ descriptive comments, were convenience and efficacy with it’s time and space-independence; promotion of the depth and breadth of knowledge acquisition with its ease of information-sharing among group-members; and enabling meaningfulness and learning contextualization with its multimedia inclusion capability. Five more findings were obtained from participants’ online usage data. First, the use of Facebook Group’s various functions varied. Second, the use of Facebook Group’s various functions varied between teachers and students. Third, inconsistencies existed between students’ perceived usefulness and actual online usage. Fourth, postings in different units remained consistent for the teacher, but varied for students. Fifth, reading postings was quite prevalent for the teacher and students alike, yet replying to postings was less frequent and could be expected more in light of its educational value for knowledge construction. Limitations of this study and suggestions for instruction and future studies are offered.
Translated title of the contribution | The Study of the Application of Facebook Group in Recurrent Vocational Education: Analysis of Users’ Perceptions and Online Usage Behavior |
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Original language | Chinese |
Title of host publication | 第八屆電腦與網路科技在教育上的應用研討會暨第三屆數位合作學習與個人化學習研討會論文摘要集 |
Place of Publication | 國立交通大學客家文化學院 |
Pages | 1 - 24 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2014 May |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Education