abstract.html TEXTMSWD i U Affective Monitoring of Internet Learners: Perceived Self-efficacy and Success
Affective Monitoring of Internet Learners:
Perceived Self-efficacy and Success
Diane Nahl
School of Library and Information Studies
University of Hawaii
1996
ABSTRACT
Senior college students in a social psychology course gave weekly
self-monitoring reports of their affective reactions to a course-integrated
Internet hands-on training program. Six rating scales probed various affective
dimensions including, experienced difficulty, negative emotions, value of
skills, satisfaction with the Internet, hope of becoming good at using it, and
how hard one tried. A sub-variety of affect known as self-efficacy judgments
was measured on the first day. Subjects were asked to predict the likelihood
of their becoming skilled at surfing the Internet, of finding it easy and fun,
and of becoming a competent user of various Internet utilities (email, telnet,
FTP, html). The one third of the group with significantly lower scores on this
self-efficacy scale dropped the course in the first three weeks. This finding
replicates other studies showing that self-efficacy must reach a criterial
level before learning can be successful. Repeated measures ANOVA showed
significant weekly changes in affect during the eight-week training period.
Summative end of semester ratings (week 16) were consistent with the weekly
formative ratings. Learning the Internet in a course-integrated setting
appears to have its own affective dynamic that can be objectively indexed and
investigated. The discussion considers training conditions that facilitate the
resolution of normal affective resistance in learning online systems.
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