This study examines elementary school students&rsquo / project-based learning (PBL) experiences through Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC). The purpose of the study is to explore whether the use of computer-mediated communication tools in a project-based collaborative learning process enhances 5th grade students&rsquo / attitudes toward computer and computer class within an online supported environment, analyze the level of learners&rsquo / satisfaction about the project-based collaborative learning through CMC, and examine students&rsquo / perceptions of their social presence and how effective social presence is as a predictor of overall students&rsquo / satisfaction. The sample of this study is included 36 5th grade students of two private schools in Ankara and Nisde, and convenience and purposeful sampling methods were used. At the beginning of the study, subjects were given the Computer Attitude Scale to measure their attitudes toward computers. At the end of the study, participants were given the CAS again to measure their attitudes toward computers, satisfaction scale and social presence scale. The results indicated that the students&rsquo / attitudes toward computer did not change from the beginning to the end of the study. However, evidence suggests a positive response by students to the use of CMC in the project-based collaborative learning environment. Majority of the students were satisfied with the learning experience they had in the project-based collaborative learning environment through CMC. Moreover, although results on perceived social presence were low, students tried to develop an online community throughout the project. This study also showed that social presence was a strong predictor of satisfaction in a PBCL environment.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:METU/oai:etd.lib.metu.edu.tr:http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/1099464/index.pdf |
| Date | 01 January 2003 |
| Creators | Orenturk, Burcu |
| Contributors | Yildirim, Zahide |
| Publisher | METU |
| Source Sets | Middle East Technical Univ. |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | M.S. Thesis |
| Format | text/pdf |
| Rights | To liberate the content for public access |
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