Student responses to collaborating and learning in a web-based environment

This paper describes a study which explored students' responses and reactio ns to a web-based environment supporting problem-based learning. The study was undertaken among undergraduate students in an Australian university. Th e findings revealed that while the majority of the students saw value to be gained from learning in a student-centred and collaborative setting, many expressed a preference for learning in the more conventional teacher-direct ed forms. The study also sought to explore the potential of the environment to develop problem-solving skills and to determine factors which impeded s tudents' success and achievement. The results did not demonstrate any disce rnible development of problem-solving skills despite students' extensive ex perience and participation in problem-solving activities. The findings have suggested a number of important factors missing in the implemented setting including an organising strategy to aid students in the problem-solving pr ocess and adequate feedback to ensure reflection among the learners on the quality of the solutions they were developing.