Abstract
Web-based learning refines the learning style of traditional education with the advantage of unlimited space and time. It provides learning opportunities and facilitates communication for online education. An effectively designed interaction mechanism creates a shortcut for human-computer interaction. Most studies in this area have concluded that the higher the level of interactivity, the better, especially regarding interactive websites applied in the fields of business and education. Previous studies have also suggested that designs with a higher level of interactivity result in higher learner evaluations of websites. However, little research has examined learner perceptions as they interact with WBI (web-based instruction) systems in a situation with time frame. To assist learners in acquiring knowledge quickly, the interactivity design must make the web learning environment easier to use by reducing the complexity of the interface. Two experiments conducted to explore learner perceptions of three WBI systems under a new framework of interactivity with different interaction levels in 6-week duration and under 3-hour limitations. The first experiment investigated the influences of learners' perceptions with a real class. The findings suggest a relationship between the interactivity level and learners’ attitudes, learning, and satisfaction, but not perceived interactivity. The results indicated that the learners required a certain amount of mental effort to access the system initially; however, repeated exposure to the WBI systems increased their ability to operate the systems, which in turn increased the similarity of the interactivity perceptions of the three groups. Although the learners felt no differences in the interactivity toward the end of the 6-week class owing to familiarity with the system, the benefits of higher interactivity remained. This indicates that learners’ interactivity perceptions may change as their experience increases, but different interactivity designs do indeed influence their performance and attitudes in learning. This second experiment was therefore designed to provide a same framework with the first experiment to design systems with different levels of interactivity, and to examine learners' perceptions of these interaction elements. Three WBI systems were developed with different degrees of interactivity from high to low, and a between-subject experiment was conducted with forty-five subjects. The results of the second experiment indicate that a higher level of interactivity does not necessarily guarantee a higher perception of interactivity in a short-term learning situation. Therefore, the instructors must pay attention to modifying or selecting appropriate interactive elements that are more suitable for various learning stages. The present study represents a preliminary study and provides a different perspective on interactivity design in WBI systems. The researcher hopes to provide some directions to develop an interactive learning environment that caters to the needs of the individual student. Keywords: interactivity levels, web-based instruction, interaction design, learner perception