Online resource-based learning environment: Case studies in primary classrooms

As well as many other areas around the globe, Hong Kong is actively advocating the use of technology to support pupil learning. Ever since the Internet became visible to the general public in the early 1990s, its application and penetration have been on an increase. By January 2011, the rate of household broadband penetration rate in Hong Kong is 82.9% (OFTA, 2011). Primary school children today are natives of the digital generation whose lives are largely filled by technology; they can use technology with ease. Indeed, Mitra’s (2001) most famous “Hole-in-the-wall” experiments showed that basic computing skills can be picked up by the child on their own. However, research reminds us that if technology is given to children without an educational context it in fact damages learning (Becta, 2009).

A decade ago, Marshall (2002) found strong evidence that educational technology “complements what a great teacher does naturally”. Over the years, there has been a large body of evidence that supports the positive association between the use of technology and learning outcomes from the perspectives of both teachers and learners. There is little doubt that the emergence of the Internet has transformed almost every aspect of our lives. The online digital world has also changed the way learning and teaching takes place. Moreover, the Internet has allowed access to all sorts of different information in no time. Constant access to such information resources has also becoming an expectation that children bring to their school learning (Becta, 2009). In a review of Internet-based science learning environments (ISLEs), Lee et al. (2011) concluded that ISLEs, in general, improved pupil learning outcomes such as attitude, motivation, conceptual understanding, and conceptual change.

Many teachers, having heard of the benefits of the Internet for education, have tried to include the use of online resources in their teaching. Unfortunately, there is no evidence that these resources are used both widely and wisely (Education Bureau, 2007). Resources are picked from the Internet haphazardly without much consideration of the appropriateness and how the resources should be used in coordination with the other components of the learning environments to promote pupil learning. Research studies showed that most teachers failed to make use of the potential of information and communication technology to contribute to powerful learning environments (Smeets, 2005) and that educational technology research is often delinked from authentic practice (Winn, 2002). The foci of educational technologies have shifted (Winn, 2002)—they no longer emphasise on content, format and interaction, but on creating learning environments. Hence, a Resource-based e-Learning Environments (RBeLEs) framework has been proposed to help teachers create learning environments with online resources more effectively (So, 2012).

The RBeLEs framework is derived mainly from the discussions of resource-based learning environments (Hill & Hannafin, 2001) and learning sciences-based learning environments (Blumenfeld, Kempler, & Krajcik, 2006). It comprises four components: creation of contexts, selection of resources, use of tools and adoption of scaffolds. Contexts are setting in which understanding develops; resources include the core information presented in the learning environments; tools are aid in information processing, searching and seeking, information and data collection, organising, collaborating and integrating, and communicating; scaffolds can be in the forms of asking and discussing, searching and selecting, doing and observing, and summarising and conceptualising. These four components work together to form meaningful learning environments that are conducive to pupil learning with online resources.

This study aims to evaluate, preliminarily, whether the RBeLEs framework is helpful for teachers in the design of learning environments for pupils to learn with online resources, and to find out how pupils feel about learning in such learning environments. These understandings will also help direct future research concerning the RBeLEs framework.