Abstract
Computers are increasingly used worldwide in teaching and learning. The
education system in South Africa also calls for the use of technology in
teaching and learning as one of the critical cross-field outcomes of outcomes
based education (OBE). In order to achieve this goal, the hypermedia-based
learning environment, including Web-based learning, needs to be explored,
especially since not many studies locally have focused on this topic.
Although many schools already provide education in Information Technology,
not all learners are adept at navigating the Web. This study focused on
information overload and disorientation on the Web. The purpose of the study
was to explore Web-based learning and to develop strategies to enable
learners to overcome impeding factors while constructing and representing
knowledge in a hypermedia-based learning environment. This, being a new
approach to and method of learning interaction that employs hypermediabased
learning strategies, encapsulates the integration of technology in
education at secondary school level.
The literature study was based on the design experiment method, which
embraced a qualitative research approach, both descriptive and explorative,
and was found to be appropriate for the purposes of this study. The data
gathering methods relevant to establishing how e-literacy can assist in
reducing information overload in a hypermedia environment were individual
interviews, focus group interviews, observation and open-ended questions.
The participants were grade 10 learners from a secondary school in the North
West Province and their Information Technology teacher.
A conceptual framework of the learning programme was created in order to
integrate the guiding principles for the design process. The framework outlines
how the design process was carried out based on teaching and learning
theories, and using a constructivist approach in an attempt to reduce
information overload and disorientation while using ICT tools.
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The content of the learning programme focused on the Cricket World Cup
2003, in the learning area of Life Orientation. Learners were to learn
navigation strategies for effective and meaningful learning on the Web, with
the help of guided interactive tasks in order to avoid information overload and
learner disorientation in hyperspace. The effectiveness of the strategies was
also evaluated.
The learners’ experiences and feelings about, and perspectives on
participating in the hypermedia-based learning programme were investigated.
The results indicated that the learning programme – aimed at providing
learners with adequate knowledge and skills for navigating in the Web –
promoted motivation and enabled learners to successfully construct and
represent knowledge in the hypermedia-learning environment. It enhanced not
only experiential and independent learning, but also individual, collaborative
and cognitive situated learning. The principles of constructivism and OBE
facilitated teaching and learning as the guiding factor in both educator and
learner instances.
However, it became clear that a lack of skills and awareness in using ICT
tools to construct meaningful knowledge, as well as being inexperienced in
the constructivist approach, could easily give rise to information overload and
disorientation.
It was concluded that the onus is on educators, instructional designers and
developers of learning programmes to equip themselves with the necessary eliteracy
skills in order to guide and prepare learners increasingly in the field of
Information Technology in education. This is essential, because there is a
great need for e-literacy in open distance learning, and as a prerequisite for
tertiary education and lifelong learning in South Africa.
Prof. D. van der Westhuizen
Prof. M.H. Trϋmpelmann