Web-based teaching materials: a user's profile

Technological advances have spurred the development of Web‐based teaching. Today, a substantial body of research addresses the effectiveness of this new teaching medium. Results have been mixed, showing mostly no significant improvement over traditional methods. Examines a fundamental, yet often forgotten, element in designing Web‐based teaching materials: the user. Aims to draw a profile of the heaviest users of a course Web site and uncover the reasons why non‐users decide not to access supplemental materials on the Web. The results indicate that male students access the Web site more often than females. Higher GPA was also related to heavier use. The most important result seems to be the relationship between learning style and use, with assimilators paying more frequent visits to the Web site.

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