Chin-Chung Tsai

Sensation seeking and internet dependence of Taiwanese high school adolescents

The present study examined excessive Internet use of Taiwanese adolescents and a psychological aspect of users, sensation seeking, thus to differentiate motivation of Internet dependents and non-dependents. Seven hundred and fifty three Taiwanese high school students were selected using cluster sampling and 88 of them were categorized as Internet dependent users. Results indicated that Internet dependents spent more time on-line than non-dependents. While Internet dependents perceived significantly more negative Internet influences on daily routines, school performance, and parental relation than non-dependents, both Internet dependents and non-dependents viewed Internet use as enhancing peer relations. Making friends through the Internet has become a popular activity among adolescents, potentially leading to its excessive use. Internet dependents scored significantly higher on overall sensation seeking and disinhibition than Internet non-dependents. However, both groups did not differ in the life experience seeking subscale and thrill and adventure seeking subscale. This finding contradicts that of Lavin, Marvin, McLarney, Nola, and Scott [CyberPsychol. Behav. 2 (2000) 425]. Possible reasons for this discrepancy and for the relation between Internet dependence and disinhibition in Taiwanese adolescents are also discussed.

Information searching strategies in web-based science learning: the role of internet self-efficacy

The purpose of this study was to explore students information searching strategies in Web-based science learning activities and further examine the influence of students Internet self-efficacy on these strategies. Eight subjects were randomly selected from a pool of 73 college freshmen based on mixed genders and Internet self-efficacy levels. In-depth case studies and comparisons were used to analyse subjects Web-based searching and learning achievement, online searching strategies and the role of Internet self-efficacy. The results showed evidence that high Internet self-efficacy students had better information searching strategies and learned better than those with low Internet self-efficacy in a Web-based learning task. This study further proposed a framework for analysing Web-based searching strategies. This study also reflected the importance of explicitly helping students acquire better metacognitive Web searching strategies.

On-line peer assessment and the role of the peer feedback: A study of high school computer course

The purposes of this study were to explore the effects and the validity of on-line peer assessment in high schools and to analyze effects of various types of peer feedback on students. The participating students, a total of 184 10th graders, developed their individual course projects by involving the on-line peer assessment learning activities in a computer course. The peer assessment activities consisted of three rounds, and each of the students acted as an author and a reviewer. Research data as evaluated from peers and experts indicated that students significantly improved their projects as involving the peer assessment activities. The scores determined by the learning peers were highly correlated with those marked by the experts, indicating that peer assessment in high school could be perceived as a valid assessment method. Moreover, this study also examined the relationships between the types of peer feedbacks in which students obtained from peer assessment and the subsequent performance of their projects. We categorized peer feedbacks into four types: Reinforcing, Didactic, Corrective and Suggestive. It was found that Reinforcing peer feedback was useful in helping students development of better projects; however, Didactic feedback and perhaps Corrective feedback provided by peers might play an unfavorable role for subsequent improvement of students projects. The Suggestive feedback may be helpful in the beginning of peer assessment activities; however, in the later parts of peer assessment, the effect of this type of feedback on learning might not be significant.

Developing an Internet Attitude Scale for high school students

Abstract Although educators over the past decade have developed various scales measuring students computer attitudes, few of them have constructed scales specifically for attitudes towards the Internet. The purpose of this study was to develop an Internet attitude scale for high school students. Through both revising a previous scale proposed by Selwyn (1997) [Selwyn, N. (1997). Students attitudes toward computers: validation of a computer attitude scale for 16–19 education. Computers & Education , 28 (1), 35–41] and writing new items, this study developed an Internet Attitude Scale of 18 items, with the following four subscales: perceived usefulness, affection, perceived control, and behavior. This study also explored gender differences on the scale, and the relationship between Internet experience and students responses on the scale. Research data gathered from 753 Taiwan high school students revealed that students of different gender and various Internet experiences did not show statistical differences on the perceptions toward the potential usefulness of the Internet subscale. However, male students tended to express more positive feeling, lower anxiety, and higher confidence toward using the Internet than female students. Students having more Internet experience tended to show similar positive attitudes than those of less experience.

Internet Addiction of Adolescents in Taiwan: An Interview Study

This study presented a follow-up investigation of a series of studies about Taiwanese adolescents Internet addiction. Through analyzing a series of questionnaires, 10 Taiwanese adolescents with Internet addiction were selected for in-depth interviews. Adolescents interview data revealed the following: First, almost all of the interviewed adolescents exhibited most of the symptoms of Internet addiction as identified by previous studies, including compulsive use and withdrawal, tolerance, and related problems of school, health, family, finance, and time management. Moreover, almost all of the interviewed adolescents stated that messages on the Internet became the primary source of their information and knowledge. Many of them were addicted to the messages and activity on the Internet, but not by the Internet as a medium per se. Also, the world of the Internet seemed to become a place to relieve adolescents depression. Most of the interviewed adolescents self-declared that they were Internet addicts, but none of them could clearly state what to do with such an addiction. Psychologists and educators should pay more attention to this and then propose possible solutions for adolescents.

Developing science activities through a networked peer assessment system

This paper described the use of a networked peer assessment system to facilitate the development of inquiry-oriented activities for secondary science education. Twenty-four preservice teachers in Taiwan participated in this study and experienced a three-round peer assessment for developing science activities. The findings suggested that teachers tended to develop more creative, theoretically relevant, and practical science activities as a result of the networked peer assessment. However, the peers evaluations were not highly consistent with experts (e.g., university professors) grades. This study also revealed that students who offered detailed and constructive comments on reviewing and criticizing other peers work might help them improve their own work, especially in the beginning stage of revising their original work.

Analysis of Attitudes Toward Computer Networks and Internet Addiction of Taiwanese Adolescents

This study explored the interplay between young peoples attitudes toward computer networks and Internet addiction. Ninety possible Internet addicts were selected for examination after analyzing the questionnaire responses of an initial sample of 753 Taiwanese high school adolescents. It was found that the subjects attitudes toward computer networks could explain many aspects of Internet addiction. However, actual behaviors on Internet usage and perceptions on the usefulness of Internet were more important than affective responses toward computer networks in predicting adolescents Internet addiction.

Preferences toward the constructivist Internet-based learning environments among high school students in Taiwan

This paper explored students preferences toward the constructivist Internet-based learning environments. A Constructivist Internet-based Learning Environment Survey (CILES) was developed. The CILES consisted of six scales, including student negotiation, inquiry learning, reflective thinking, relevance, ease of use and challenge. Questionnaire responses gathered from more than 700 high school students in Taiwan suggested that the survey showed adequate reliability in assessing students preferences. Students showed stronger preferences for the learning environments, which were easy to use or navigate and integrate complex real-life problems with relevant knowledge in a meaningful way. In addition, males and females shared similar preferences toward the Internet-based learning environments. Students having moderate Internet experiences seemed to be more critical to the preferences of the Internet-based learning environments, in which they may have demanded authentic and facilitated Internet-based learning environments, while their inquiry and reflective thinking should be promoted.

Cognitive-metacognitive and content-technical aspects of constructivist internet-based learning environments: a LISREL analysis

Through a LISREL analysis, this study validated the Constructivist Internet-based Learning Environment Survey (CILES). CILES consisted of six scales, sorted by two aspects. The first aspect, the cognitive-metacognitive aspect, included the scales of student negotiation, inquiry learning, and reflective thinking, whereas the second aspect, the content-technical aspect, involved the scales of Relevance, Ease of Use, and Challenge. A LISREL structural model was also proposed to examine the relationships between students responses across these two aspects. Survey responses gathered from 483 high school students in Taiwan were the research data for this study. The results from the LISREL confirmatory analysis showed that CILES had highly satisfactory validity and reliability to assess students preferences for constructivist Internet-based learning environments. Moreover, the structural model indicated that the Internet learning environments that challenged students existing concepts could facilitate their preferences for student negotiation, inquiry learning and reflective thinking activities. It is proposed that the Internet can have rich connections with numerous resources and a variety of perspectives, thus constructing appropriate learning environments to provide different kinds of challenges for learners.

A Networked Peer Assessment System Based on a Vee Heuristic

This study implements a networked peer assessment system based on the use of a Vee heuristic. Using this system, students submit their homework (relating to designing science activities)via the underlying network facility. They then assess each others homework by offering suggestions – again, through the network. Students then modify their original designs based on the suggestions that they receive. This procedure is repeated for two or three consecutive rounds. In this process, each student functions as an author, a reviewer, and an adapter. This learning model allows students to further develop their critical thinking skills. Preliminary peer assessment results revealed that the networked peer-assessment model and Vee heuristic facilitated pre-service science teachers to continuously progress when designing science activities.