Re-service teachers' views on web-based classroom management

Abstract

With the invention of World Wide Web in 1992, delivery of distance education via internet and emergency of web-based classrooms have rapidly gained acceptance as an alternative and supplement to traditional face to face classroom instruction (Alavi, Yoo & Vogel, 1997; Rahm & Reed, 1997), which represents a paradigm shift challenging all traditionally accepted assumptions concerning dynamics of classroom management. Classroom is highly complicated environment with its features of multi-dimensionality, simultaneity, immediacy, unpredictability, publicness and history. And web based classroom is more complicated than traditional classroom because the web technology is added. Students' views are considered by many researchers as one of the critical and valid source data in evaluating the teaching effectiveness and learning settings. The purpose of this study is to find out views of pre-service teachers about web based classroom management. With qualitative research method, particularly descriptive technique 20 pre-service teachers' views were evaluated. Research findings revealed that students defined web-based classroom management with extra workloads of the students thus effectiveness is associated with students' roles. Guiding/mentoring on technical issues, on the field knowledge, classroom interaction were defined by the students as the essential leadership roles of teachers. Concerning interaction while student to course content/material interaction was perceived as satisfactory, level of student to student interaction was reported as low. Web-based instruction itself and being free form time and place emerged as motivating factors. Besides, discipline is identified within the responsibility of students and accessing information without time/place limitation was perceived as advantageous side of web based classroom.