Abstract
This research was attempted to develop a unit of WBI (Web-Based Instruction) environment, named GenBio-ECO WBI, and to evaluate its effectiveness on learners’ metacognition, achievement, and attitude. The GenBio-Eco WBI environment was designed including twenty-three meta-cognitive strategies to improve learners’ metacognition. A single-subject design was used to compare the effect of the WBI system and traditional instructional method. The thirty three (twenty males and thirteen females) subjects, who take in the General Biology course, were invited to participate in the study. After one-month treatment, quantitative data and qualitative data were collected in the study. The result revealed that: (1) The overall metacognition abilities of the participants were improved but not significant. However, one metacognitive ability, called ‘purpose-setting’, was significantly improved. (2) The subjects’ achievement increase significantly in the post and delay tests when comparing between the GenBio-ECO WBI intervention and traditional instruction intervention(t=-2.38, p<.05). (3) Up to 83% of twenty-three metacognition strategies were confirmed by the subjects having the function of arousing and improving learners’ metacognition ability. (4) Participants reported that it is easier to take advantage of the GenBio-ECO WBI environment help and monitor their own learning than traditional instruction. Specifically, at four dimensions of metacognition abilities, which include ‘purpose-setting’, ‘self-monitoring’, ‘self-modifying’ and ‘self-evaluation’. (5) It is also found that the better the metacognition abilities those participants had, the lesser the hyperchaos they meet in the WBI environment. Suggestions of the study include that: (1) an ideal WBI environment should be equipped with metacognition strategies which can help participants to promote their metacognition ability and to help them learn meaningfully. (2) to evaluate the learning effectiveness of a WBI need multiple methods to assess not only the learning process but also learning outcome. (3) A WBI on the basis of ‘distributed expertise’ should provide learners with learning opportunities in its individual design. In addition, an interactive forum would be required to make a WBI performed like a ‘cooperative learning community ’.