A distributed learning model for freshwater ecology practical classes

B. K. K. CHAN, I. J. HODGKISS, Yin Ping Rita CHAN

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlespeer-review

4 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This paper describes a case study where a distributed learning model was used to enhance the traditional teaching of a freshwater ecology practical class by providing students with a student-centred constructivist environment. Prior to the practical session, a website was created and students were encouraged to think about the morphological adaptations of stream organisms. They were then divided into groups and taken to a real stream to collect specimens and bring them back to the laboratory for further examination and discussion. After the practical, each student group was required to produce a web page concerning the adaptations of the stream organisms to answer a set of online tutorial questions, and to participate in web-based discussion. Feedback by questionnaire showed that the great majority of students enjoyed working with the website and found the content very useful. More than half of the students preferred this type of web-assisted, student-centred practical to conventional practicals, while about a third showed no special preference between the two approaches. Copyright © 2002 Blackwell Science Ltd.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)309-319
JournalJournal of Computer Assisted Learning
Volume18
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2002

Citation

Chan, B. K. K., Hodgkiss, I. J., & Chan, R. Y. P. (2002). A distributed learning model for freshwater ecology practical classes. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 18(3), 309-319.

Keywords

  • Distributed
  • Case study
  • Computer-mediated
  • Ecology
  • Student-centred
  • Undergraduate
  • Questionnaires
  • World Wide Web

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