The study indicated that when homeroom teachers provided more profound guidance in cyber learning, the overall evaluation of the system improved, and along with it, the effectiveness, according to the team. (image: KobizMedia/ Korea Bizwire)
SEOUL, Sept. 19 (Korea Bizwire) – Technological advancements may prevail in the education sector before long, but a recent study emphasized the importance of human touch in Internet or PC-based virtual (or cyber) schooling systems, which were shown to be more effective when students were provided with guidance from human instructors.
The study was conducted by a team of scholars from Jeonju National University of Education, via a survey on cyber learning conducted with the participation of 2,492 elementary and middle school students across Korea.
Cyber learning was first introduced to Korean elementary and middle school curriculums in 2004 in an effort to provide students with supplementary materials via online classes that they can follow on their own. The content comes in various forms, including interactive animations, video games, and video lectures.
Led by professor Yoo Jung-soo, the team’s survey asked questions inquiring about the level of interest, satisfaction, and effectiveness of the system to derive an overall score, which came in at 77.8 out of 100.
However, the study showed that the scores varied for different groups with different instructors responsible for providing guidance related to cyber learning (cyber instructor).
While the average score stood at 81.8 when a homeroom teacher was also the cyber instructor, the score was lower when a non-homeroom teacher was assigned as the cyber instructor, at 77.8. The average score dropped further to 73.2 points when no instructor was assigned to assist with cyber studies.
The study indicated that when homeroom teachers provided more profound guidance in cyber learning, the overall evaluation of the system improved, and along with it, the effectiveness, according to the team.
“To better bolster cyber learning in schools, the role of teachers is essential,” said the team. “We need to reduce unnecessary workload burdens for cyber instructors by developing a better system of work distribution, as well as providing incentives and necessary materials (to improve the quality of cyber learning).”
“Furthermore, we need to step away from the conventional method of using the system for self-learning, and instead, strive to develop content that can systematically connect preparation and review studies with in-class sessions.”
By Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
