| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立高雄師範大學 === 英語學系 === 93 === This study investigated the effects of applying a network-based problem-solving courseware (PSC) on the attitudes of students in commercial high school. The student responses to the problem-solving courseware were investigated. Specifically, the students’ changes in English reading and writing, the students’ progress in professional knowledge in the PSP in terms of the accounting problem and economics problem, the students’ development in critical thinking, the students’ development in cooperative learning, and the students’ problem-solving strategies are analyzed.
The subjects in the study included 72 students in Hualien Commercial High School. A three-month study was conducted in the PSC. All the subjects had to post their own accounting and economics problems on-line, give suggestions to their classmates’ problems, and give responses to their classmates’ suggestions. In data collection, the student responses to the problem-solving courseware are analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. Based on the data analyses, the findings of the study are summarized as follows:
1. The PSC was effective in improving students’ English reading ability, but not English writing ability.
2. As for the improvement of students’ professional knowledge, students felt they made progress in the economics knowledge, not in the accounting knowledge.
3. The students noticed that they developed critical thinking in the PSC.
4. There is much development in students’ cooperative learning, and students did like the cooperative learning in the PSC.
5. Students felt that they learned many problem-solving strategies in the PSC, including: (a) searching relevant information in the Internet, (b) asking teachers for help, and (c) discussing with classmates.
6. Most of the students enjoyed the content and interface design in the PSC.
On the basis of the study findings, the pedagogical suggestions were conducted as the following.
1. Students can apply their professional knowledge in their English learning in vocational high school.
2. Students can develop critical thinking and problem-solving ability in network-based language learning programs.
3. Students can develop understanding and interest in network-based language learning programs.
4. The English teachers should provide more guidance and assistance for students to overcome their fear of reading and writing English.
|
|---|
