The influence of learning style on satisfaction and learning effectiveness in the asynchronous web-based learning system
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/LHT-12-2016-0151 |
| Pages | 473-489 |
| Published date | 20 November 2017 |
| Date | 20 November 2017 |
| Author | Fei-Fei Cheng,Chui-Chen Chiu,Chin-Shan Wu,Der-Chian Tsaih |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science,Librarianship/library management,Library technology,Information behaviour & retrieval,Information user studies,Metadata,Information & knowledge management,Information & communications technology,Internet |
The influence of learning
style on satisfaction and
learning effectiveness in the
asynchronous web-based
learning system
Fei-Fei Cheng
Institute of Technology Management, National Chung Hsing University,
Taichung, Taiwan
Chui-Chen Chiu
Department of Information Management, WuFeng University,
Chiayi City, Taiwan
Chin-Shan Wu
Department of Information Management, Tunghai University, Taichung,
Taiwan, and
Der-Chian Tsaih
Department of Electronic Commerce Management, Nanhua University,
Chiayi City, Taiwan
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of user’s learning style (including
accommodators, divergers, convergers, and assimilators) on user’s satisfaction on the web-based learning
system and their learning effectiveness.
Design/methodology/approach –This experimental research used the college students from a technology
institute in Taiwan as the subject sources. By using the Kolb’s learning stylemodel, the students are classified
as four types of learners: convergers, divergers, assimilators, and accommodators. The authors analyzed the
relationships among the different learning styles with their effectiveness of learning and satisfaction of using
the web-based learning system. The mediation effect of gender is also presented.
Findings –This research indicates that: first, the satisfaction of the web-based learning system has
significant influence on the learning performance of learners; second, different learning styles learners have
no significant effect to the satisfaction on using the web-based learning system; third, learning effectiveness
has significant difference among different learning style learners on the web-based learning system;
the learning effectiveness of accommodators and divergers was significantly higher than the assimilators;
fourth, different learning styles learners show significant difference in gender proportion. In addition to
accommodators, whose proportion of women is higher than men, the other three learning styles’proportions
in men are higher than women.
Research limitations/implications –This study was grounde d in the Kolb’s learning st yle theory.
The authors provide impl ications for academic st udies in e-learning rese arch stream that aimed at
understanding the role o f learning style as well as gend er differences in the asyn chronous web-based
learning system.
Practical implications –Results from this study provided the implications for students, educators, and
e-learning system designers. The design of teaching materials as well as functions of e-learning systems
should take learners’learning style into consideration to ensure the best learning outcome.
Originality/value –This study examined the students’learning style as well as gender differences in the
asynchronous web-based learning system. An experiment was conducted to ensure the data were collected in
a controlled environment, thus, offer the value that most of the prior study lacks.
Keywords World Wide Web, Learning, Learning style, Learning effectiveness, User’s satisfaction,
Web-based learning system
Paper type Research paper
Library Hi Tech
Vol. 35 No. 4, 2017
pp. 473-489
© Emerald PublishingLimited
0737-8831
DOI 10.1108/LHT-12-2016-0151
Received 14 December 2016
Revised 21 January 2017
Accepted 25 February 2017
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/0737-8831.htm
473
The influence
of learning
style
1. Introduction
With the rapid development of new technologies such as internet, WWW and mobile devices,
the way of learning has also changed significantly. One of the challenges raised for the
educators is the lack of understanding of the impact of new technologies on learning
effectiveness. Appropriate design of e-learning environment to achieve successful learning
outcome has become an important issue in recent years. Specifically, the continued
development of network technology makes computer-mediated communicationa new source
of distance learning interactive mechanism. As a result,how to use computer communication
technology to change the characteristics of the learning and promotion of the quality of
learning (Henri, 1995; Parmaxi and Zaphiris, 2016), and how to make distance learning
learnersparticipate in cooperative learningthat differs from other study mode (Harasim,1987)
will be an important topic in the research stream of computer-based learning.
In addition, learners’satisfaction and learning effectiveness of the web-based learning
system can be used as a reference for the web teaching curriculum designer. Also, it can
help teachers to have a better understanding of learner’s learning situation. However,
most of the research on the web-based learning system now put more emphasis on the
function design of the web-based learning system or analyzed user’s using records of
the teaching system to understand learner’s learning behavior and learning effectiveness
(Lo et al., 2012; Blagojevićand Micić, 2013; Calisir et al., 2014). Limited research looked into
the relations between learner’s learning style and the satisfaction of the web-based
learning system, as well as between the learning style and the effectiveness of
learning, while several previous research examined the characteristics of the learning
subjects or learners in providing adaptive content and path of learning (Garrison, 1989;
Van Seters et al., 2012; Muhammad et al., 2016). Also, some scholars applied
computer-aided instruction on training, testing, and analog in educational research
(Kulik and Kulik, 1991; Alavi, 1994; Daunt et al., 2013; Kaplan et al., 2013).
Debates on the importance of learning styles on the learning effectiveness from previous
research have been suggested. For example, Mehlenbacher et al. (2000) compared
online-based curriculum with the general curriculum, and found that learning style had
affect the effectiveness of web-based learning, but showed no effect on the general
curriculum. Simon (2000) used the cooperation of learning style and the mode of training to
understand learners’use of computer satisfaction, but it did not examine the learning
effectiveness. However, Whittaker and Ackerman (2002) pointed out that while using the
web-based learning system, students’learning style cannot be ignored.
Clariana and Smith (1988) found that learners’learning style will determine their learning
behaviors. Learners with different learning styles have different ways of learning. Normally,
the distribution of people on different learning styles is on average, but people who have
different learning styles will have different expertise to develop in every kind of learning
fields for the reason of different learning traits. Bostrom et al. (1990) adopted experiential
learning theory (Kolb, 1985, 2014) to examine the personal learning style and training
methods in the interaction study. The results showed that trainees who have different
learning styles will have different learning effectiveness.
In addition, gender is also an important consideration in the research of the education,
especially the e-learning research stream. One of the reason is that males are more
experienced with technology and computers and thus show higher computer self-efficacy
(Compeau and Higgins, 1995; Igbaria and Iivari, 1995; Durndell and Thomson, 1997;
Whitley, 1997; Chau, 2001; Yi and Hwang, 2003). As a result, men and women may have
different preferences or tendency toward learning style in the computer-based learning
context. Thus, the purpose of this research is to examine different learner’s learning styles
on satisfaction and learning outcome in the web-based learning system, and to explore the
gender difference in learning style. The findings in this study can bring significant insight
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