International Journal of Advanced Computer Science, Vol. 1, No. 3, Pp. 118-121, Sep. 2011.

The Construction of the Online-Learning in a Group Activity Using Blended Learning on the Information Communication and Network System at Grade 9
Sopon Meejaleurn, Surapon Boonlue, & Atchara Uratchanoprakorn
Manuscript
Received: 1, Sep., 2011 Revised: 13, Sep., 2011 Accepted: 25, Sep., 2011 Published: 30, Sep., 2011

Keywords
Online Learning, Group Activity, Blended Learning

Abstract This study was aimed 1) to construct and determine the quality of the online learning in a group activity using blended learning on the information communication and network system at Grade 9, 2) to evaluate the learning achievement of the students after learning the online lesson, 3) to evaluate the satisfaction of the students towards the online learning, 4) to do the authentic assessment of the students after using the online learning. The sampling group in this study consisted of 35 Grade 9 students in the academic year 2009 at Wat Phukhao Thong (Golden Mountain), Samui District, Surat Thani Province. The statistics used for data analysis to compare the learning achievement was dependent t-test. The research results were as follows: The online learning in a group activity using blended learning was of very good quality in terms of quality, media and presentation with X = 4.5 and S.D. X = 0.48. The students had higher learning achievement after using the online learning with the statistical significance at the 0.01 level. The students were satisfied with the online learning with X = 4.65 and S.D. = 0.34 or at the highest level. The result from the authentic assessment showed that X = 3.64 and S.D. = 0.48 or at the best level. Therefore, the online learning in a group activity using blended learning could be used for instruction.

1. Introduction
At present, World Wide Web on the internet is becoming more and more popular and it plays an important role, especially for online lesson which is recognized and widely used in education. It has become a treasure for knowledge without borders. The instructors use online learning as an alternative to support learning and to open the door from the classroom to the wide world of learning. A good instruction at high school level should be based on the cooperation and participation by the learners in learning activities. The instructors should facilitate them only [1]. The collaborative learning method is one way of learning that set the learners into smaller groups to learn together and each member has a role in learning and sharing opinions as well as learning resources. The aim is to learn together [2]. According to blended learning, learning activities are enhanced using learning management system (LMS) [3] for online learning in combination with the traditional instruction in the classroom to remove the limitation on the social aspect of the online learning and to encourage the students to think analytically in a good social environment so that the students could construct their own bodies of knowledge according to Constructivist theory [4]. According to the above-mentioned significance, the researchers would like to construct an online learning in a group activity using blended learning on the information communication and network system. The benefit of this study would be that it would be useful for instruction and it could be used as a way to develop better lessons about information technology and network system in the future.

2. Research Objectives
Sopon Meejaleurn, Department of Educational Communications and Technology, Faculty of Industrial Education and Technology, King Mongkuts University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok, Thailand ( sopon.mee@gmail.com) Surapon Boonlue, Department of Educational Communications and Technology, Faculty of Industrial Education and Technology, King Mongkuts University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok, Thailand ( surapon.boo@gmail.com) Atchara Uratchanoprakorn, Department of Educational Communications and Technology, Faculty of Industrial Education and Technology, King Mongkuts University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok, Thailand ( atchara@gmail.com)

1. To construct and the determine the quality of the online learning in a group activity using blended learning on the information communication and network system at Grade 9 2. To evaluate the learning achievement of the learners after using the constructed online lesson 3. To study the satisfaction of the students towards the online learning. 4. To do the authentic assessment of the students towards the online learning

Meejaleurn et al: The Construction of the Online-Learning in a Group Activity Using Blended Learning on the Information Communication and Network System at Grade 9 119

3. Expected Outcomes
1. There would be the online learning in a group activity using blended learning on the information communication and network system at Grade 9 with quality and it could be used for instruction. 2. This could be used as a way to construct the online learning in a group activity on other subjects.

2. The evaluation form on the quality of the online learning with 5-rating scale 3. The test to determine the learning achievement with 4 multiple choices 4. The test to evaluate the satisfaction of the students towards the online learning 5. The authentic assessment

4. Research Hypotheses
1. The quality of the online learning in a group activity using blended learning on the information communication and network system at Grade 9 would be at good level. 2. The students would have higher learning achievement than before learning with the statistical significance at the 0.01 level. 3. The students would be satisfied with the online learning in a group activity using blended learning on the information communication and network system at high level. 4. The score from the authentic assessment of the students using the online learning in a group activity would be at good level.

8. Steps in the Construction of the Online Learning

The construction of the online learning in a group activity using blended learning [5] followed these steps: A. Data Analysis In this step of data analysis, the brain storm chart was created to add the contents in the lesson and then the concept chart was made to consider the category of the contents to create the content network chart which showed the sequence of the contents in an orderly manner. B. Lesson Design In this step of lesson design, the students were divided into groups of 3-4 students. Each student participated in learning, sharing opinions and learning resources. They encouraged one another and the better would help the poorer. C. Unit Development In this step of unit development, the contents were developed and finalized before the programming. The process was as follows: The contents were written on the framework for teaching with sequence to relate each content to one another. The contents were verified by the experts in contents. The test was created and the quality of the test was evaluated with 30 Grade 10 students at Koh Samui School who had learned the lesson. There were 30 questions in the test. D. Development of Online Learning In this step, the online learning was developed using Moodle. The URL of the website was http://www.pkt.ac.th/moodle E. Evaluation of Online Learning The evaluation of the online learning was to check whether the constructed online learning could meet the objectives. The experts in contents and the experts in the media production would check and evaluate the quality of the online learning before it could be used with the sampling group.

5. Population
This study was done with the whole population who were Grade 9 students at Wat Phukhao Thong (Golden Mountain) in the first semester of the academic year 2009. There were 35 students in total.

6. Experts
The experts to evaluate the quality of the media consisted of the following persons: 1. The experts in the media production were those with at least a Masters degree in Educational Technology and had at least 5 years of related experience. There were 3 experts chosen through purposive sampling method out of the experts in the media production. 2. The experts in the content were those with at least a Masters degree in Knowledge Inquiry and Knowledge Management and had at least 5 years of related experience. There were 3 experts chosen through purposive sampling method out of the qualified experts.

7. Tools Used in This Study

1. The online learning in a group activity using blended learning on the information communication and network system at Grade 9 could be divided in the following contents. Basic principles of the information communication Direction of the data transfer Types of signal and data and ways to communicate the data Medium of the information communication Computer network
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9. Research Methodology
The test followed OneGroup PretestPosttest Design which could be summarized as shown below.

120 TABLE 1 ONE-GROUP PRETEST-POSTTEST DESIGN

International Journal of Advanced Computer Science, Vol. 1, No. 3, Pp. 118-121, Sep. 2011.

Pretest T1

Treatment X

Posttest T2

Meaning X represents the group of 3-4 students using the online learning and the authentic assessment while learning T1 represents Pretest T2 represents Posttest

10. Research Results

A. Online Learning in a Group Activity The online learning in a group activity using blended learning on the information communication and network system at Grade 9 was facilitated by the learning management system in terms of activity control, instruction, result follow-up, analysis and learning log. The URL of the online learning was http://www.pkt.ac.th/moodle. The group activity means the activity in which the students work together to achieve the objective. The students were divided into groups of 3-4 students. There were both male and female students with different ability levels. They would study the lesson on the web board with conversation in chat room and online lesson with mixed method. The online learning was supported by both the learning management system (LMS) and the traditional classroom instruction. B. Lesson Samples

Fig. 2 Screenshot of the Learning Activity for Brainstorming

Fig. 3 Screenshot of the Learning Activity for Student Participation

Fig. 4 Screenshot of the Student with Score TABLE 2 RESULTS FROM THE QUALITY AS EVALUATED BY THE EXPERTS IN CONTENTS AND EXPERTS IN MEDIA AND PRESENTATION

Fig. 1 Screenshot of the Welcome Page to the Online Learning

Experts
1. Contents 2. Media Evaluation Result

N=3 S.D.
0.53 0.43 0.48

Opinion Level
Good Very Good Very Good

4.48 4.61 4.55

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Meejaleurn et al: The Construction of the Online-Learning in a Group Activity Using Blended Learning on the Information Communication and Network System at Grade 9 121

TABLE 3 RESULTS FROM THE LEARNING ACHIEVEMENT EVALUATION

References
[1] Ministry of Education, National Education Act B.E. 2542 (Revision B.E. 2545), (2003) Bangkok: Vinyuchon Press. [2] N. Pannarong, Student-Based Learning and Happy Learning, [Online], Available: [20 Aug. 2008] http://www.yupparaj.ac.th/education/topic203.doc [3] A. Tewarachsombun,2005, Knowledge Management, http://gotoknow.org/blog/anucha01/15950# [online], Retrieved 22 April 2006, pp.3-4. [4] C.J. Bonk & R.A. Wisher, Applying Collaborative and E-learning Tools to Military Distance Learning, (2000) United States Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social sciences. [5] P. Teeranathanakul, Application of Microprocessor for Education, (1985) Bangkok: Sue-serm Center, Bangkok [6] N. Van Dam. The E-learninng Fieldbook, (2003) New York: McGraw-Hill.

Result Pretest Posttest

N 35 35

18.06 25.31

S.D. 2.27 1.91

AD 254

AD2 1922

t-test 28.22**

TABLE 4 RESULTS FROM SATISFACTION EVALUATION

Items to be Evaluated
Program Learning Management System Contents Average Score in All Aspects

Result from Analysis S.D. Result 4.59 0.33 Very Good 4.75 0.30 Very Good
X

4.71 4.65

0.30 0.34

Very Good Very Good

TABLE 5 RESULTS FROM THE AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT

Items to be Evaluated
1. Group Components 2. Participation in group work 3. Steps in group work 4. Sharing opinions 5. Responsibility 6. Good attitude towards group work 7. Summary of group work Average

Result from Analysis S.D. Result 3.50 0.54 Good

X

3.66 3.33

0.51 0.51

Very Good Good Very Good Very Good Good Very Good Very Good

3.83 3.83 3.50 3.83

3.64

0.40 0.40 0.54 0.40

0.48

11. Discussion
The online learning in a group activity using blended learning on the information communication and network system was constructed in accordance with the 5 steps as explained above. It was also evaluated in terms of quality and revised in accordance with the experts. As a result, the online learning in a group activity using blended learning was used in both traditional classroom where the instruction was face-to-face and in synchronous online instruction. This complies with the theory of lesson design for blended learning proposed by Nick Van Dam [6] who could increase the learning achievement. Therefore, the online learning in a group activity using blended learning on the information communication and network system could be used for instruction.

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