Development of a Web-based System to Support Self-Directed ...

centered approach to learning instead of a student-centered approach. Nolan (1997b) also stated that students prefer
more of a teacher-centered model, as Levett-Jones (2005) also indicated that successful introduction of SDL into the
curricula requires a balance between the two. For instance, Bary and Rees (2006) conducted research on the learning
of the English language and found that a ”classical” approach aimed at acquiring the fundamental knowledge, which
paralleled with self-directed learning, and thus allowed the students to explore the subject in detail on their own
terms.
The method of self-directed learning empowers the students to investigate freely in devising the experimental
procedures and deciding on how the results are interpreted. Long (2010) pointed out the six cognitive skills that are
particularly important to successful self-directed learning: goal setting, processing, cognition, competence (or
aptitude), decision-making, and self-awareness. In other words, effective self-directed learning depends on gathering
of information and monitoring learners’ cognitive reactions to stimuli. A case in point: The Internet has enabled
learning at each individual’s own pace, being completely free from curricular obligations; some of the frequently
used electronic search engines such as Google Scholar and CiteSeer Research Index make it possible for students to
achieve such goals (Desikan et al., 2005). Researchers have recently attempted to have e-learning technologies
applied to processes of self-directed learning. Idros et al. (2010) sought to reignite enthusiasm in students to enhance
self-directed learning skills through a system called “e-SOLMS,” for instance, while Liu (2009) built a web-based
course for self-directed learning in psychology. The one thing in common for these two research papers was the
capability of this system to present course contents (i.e., audio files, video files, and text files), and another was their
introduction of self-directed learning (SDL) into the curricula using the student-centered approach. However, this
approach would not be ideal for courses that concentrate on experimentations and hands-on exercises, yet, recent
technological development of virtual reality (VR) has nevertheless promoted teaching with the use of threedimensional
(3-D) models.
The advancements in optical-fiber networks have made real-time transmissions of a large amount of data possible.
Through the use of 3-D models and video images, connections are made among remote spots through the broadband
network (Paquette, Ricciardi-Rigault, Paquin, Liegeois, & Bleicher, 1996). The field of virtual reality (VR) is
expanding rapidly and it now includes a growing variety of 3-D models on computer hardware for real-time
interactions (Sung, Ou, 2003). Though, an educational virtual environment (Bouras, Philopoulos, & Tsiatsos, 2001)
provides a unique case of a VR system that emphasizes more on education and collaboration than on simulation.
Web-based environment for self-directed learning
Web2.0 was employed for technology of virtual-reality. The application was driven by a web server and Java
applications while the presentation by a client-side terminal that is comprised of HTML, XML, and a 3-D web player
plug-in. The client provides a student interface that handles input and output. The web server executes and performs
computations based on student input using the XML and JSP languages. The application server reads and writes by
JavaBean and interfaces with external software packages. Web pages written in HTML are used mainly for
presenting the contents of the courses and/or performing automated processing on documents. For the development
of the course structures, eXtensible Markup Language (XML) was used, and JAVA language was used for acquiring
cross-platform applications and developing web pages that are interactive.
The process of microfabrication entails crystal growth, coating, packaging, and inspection. It was completed with
virtual machines and laboratories designed (see Figures 1 & 2) in the current study. To engage students in the virtual
laboratories, multiple interactive functions were made accessible to them—path design, parameter selection, view
angle, and animation, as well as zoom, pan, rotation, machine, and working table navigating functions, also,
selections of “events,” “animations,” or “simulations” can be made on a repeated basis so that the processes can be
better understood. The observations made of the manufacturing processes fueled the adaptive selection stimulated
and can be broken down: Onset of event → observations of manufacturing process → interpretation → assimilation
→ simulating developments of the observed micro products. The content for the learning of the microfabrication
processes was extracted from the database based upon the group technology approach, where the procedures were
displayed for the learning of the principles used in the stage of planning. After being selected, the manufacturing
method for each of the microfabrication feature was delivered to students by virtual laboratories.
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