Overview

This chapter reports on a web-based, multimedia, flash science learning program that focuses on helping students develop an understanding of water pressure through online e-learning environment in Taiwan. The study examines the learning environment created during use of this online flash science program in their science classes and also investigates its impact on students cognitive and affective learning outcomes among different learning styles and grade levels. The results focus on three aspects: how the www flash science program promotes students science concept learning; how students feel about their satisfaction with learning with the www flash science program; the type of learning environment created during the use of this online flash science program in science classes; and associations between students cognitive learning outcomes, satisfaction with web-based learning, web-based computer-assisted learning, and perceptions of science classroom learning environments.

1. Introduction

Web-based e-learning technology has been widely used in many ways in school teaching and learning science. Many studies have reported that technology-assisted instruction helps students develop a conceptual understanding of abstract representations of physical science. The nature of this technology-assisted instruction is that it emphasizes simulation, or visualization, or animation, etc. to enhance students deeper mental imagery.

Some studies have reported that students whose learning styles are matched with their teachers approach to teaching result in greater ease of learning (Packer & Bain, 1978) and higher satisfaction (Renninger & Snyder, 1983) than for those whose styles are...