Web-based Learning Solutions for Communities of Practice

Using Web-Based Technologies and Communities of Practice
Table 1. GRSLSS Learning Styles
Learning Style Description
Independent Learning These students prefer independent study, self-paced instruction, and would prefer to work alone
on course projects than with other students.
Dependent Learning These students look to the teacher and their peers as a source of structure and guidance and prefer
an authority figure to tell them what to do.
Competitive Learning These students learn in order to perform better than their peers and to receive recognition for their
academic accomplishments.
Collaborative Learning These students acquire information by sharing and cooperating with teacher and peers. They prefer
lectures with small group discussions and group projects.
Avoidant Learning These students are not enthused about attending class or acquiring class content. They are typically
uninterested and are sometimes overwhelmed by class activities.
Participant Learning These students are interested in class activities and discussion, and are eager to do as much work
as possible. They are keenly aware of and have a desire to meet teacher expectations.
and training needed to overcome perceived barriers
(Roblyer et al, 2008). Students also need
frequent, structured contact with the instructor
(Schullo et al, 2009).
Another important factor in the design of the
course is a high level of interactivity. Distance
students need to feel connected and involved.
Therefore, developing communities of practice
represents one important part of course design.
That is to say, clear objective-based communities
among participants need to be developed in order
for online delivery to be effective. Other strategies
will also be discussed.
Impact of Learning Styles
The learning styles of students play a role in
their success in a distance or traditional class.
Significant research has shown that people have
marked differences in their learning styles on two
major dimensions: problem solving and decision
making activities. While many different learning
style models have been developed, the GRSLSS
(Grasha-Reichmann Student Learning Style Scale)
model is widely accepted (Diaz and Cartnal,
1999). Table 1 shows a summary of this model.
The styles are not exclusive categories. Rather,
student-preferred learning styles tend to span different
categories, with just a few dominating.
Liu and Ginther (1999) found that academic
achievement in distance education depends largely
upon a match between the learning tasks and the
student’s learning styles. They found that students
enrolled in distance courses tended to be older,
to have independent learning styles, were more
self directed, and often avoided collaborative or
competitive situations. Diaz and Cartnal showed,
however, that distance students were willing to
participate in collaborative work if the instructor
provided enough structure and guidance for those
activities and the collaboration was motivated by
attaining the rewards of the class.
In contrast, Valenta et al. (2001) found that
traditional students tended to be more dependent
learners, preferring more structure in the class
and the assignments. They did react favorably
to collaborative work with their motivation
stemming from competition and a desire to meet
the expectations of the instructor. Gee (1990)
suggested that the independent learner was less
reliant on interactions with others and was more
successful in distance courses.
Technology Factors
An interesting, emerging model, called WisCom
(Gunawardena et al., 2006), which stands for
“Wisdom Communities”, suggests that educators
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