S., Sahin (2008). The relationship between student characteristics, including learning styles, and their perceptions and satisfaction in web-based courses in higher education. Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education, v 9, n1.


Many research show web-based course tend to favors learners with certain preferences or certain type of learning style; and this paper appear to be one of them. Based on Kolb’s learning style preferences, this research show evidence of learners who prefer AC (abstract conceptualization) positively correlated with the perception of authentic learning and active learning. CE (concrete experience) learners negatively correlated with active learning. Author suggested the reason of such negative correlation is due to CE learners tend to be people-oriented which does not online courses with mostly individual learning activities rather than collaborative activities. Hence for designers, more collaborative and real world activities should be provided to accommodate CE learners.

To accommodate CE learners, more collaborative learning activities should be added. However, we can have interaction going on without learning occurs. Other research (Garrison & Cleveland-Innes, 2005) shows that simply increasing interaction, in particularly learner-learner interaction, does not necessarily result learners to take deep and meaningful approach to learning. Many undergraduate courses provided collaboration tools, such as chatroom and discussion forum, but due to poor activity design, students seldom engaged in learning. Hence, structure and leadership in interaction are also important factors to learning. We shall not only provide various learning experiences including both individual and group learning activities in online courses to accommodate students with various learning styles and preferences, but also offering structure and leadership in interaction to help students engaging in such learning activities to make learning happen more efficiently.


References:
Garrison, D. R & Cleveland-Innes, M (2005). Facilitating Cognitive Presence in Online Learning: Interaction Is Not Enough. American Journal of Distance Education, 19 (3), 133-148. Retrieved June 29, 2008, from http://www.informaworld.com/10.1207/s15389286ajde1903_2