| The problem. Knowing how to use computing devices is important for business, communications, education, and social interactions. It is therefore exceedingly important to develop methods that facilitate learning to use electronic products. As a result, learning experiences need to reflect a range of skill-expertise, prior knowledge, perceptual styles, and epistemological beliefs. Measuring extent of relationship between personal epistemologies and experience using electronic products quantifies a learning diversity to create empowered learning experiences.; Method. Alliant International University and National University undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty completed identical printed and computer-based versions of a questionnaire documenting technology education, electronic product experience and the Schommer-Aikins Epistemology Questionnaire. Epistemologies are personal beliefs about knowledge and learning with primary measurements of Certain Knowledge (CK), Innate Ability (IA), Omniscient Authority (OA), Quick Learning (QL), and Simple Knowledge (SK). Additional sections were Self-taught Technology Education, Certificate-Apprenticeship Technology Education, Earned Degrees & Certificates, and Experience Using Electronic Products. Half the participants completed paper and half-completed Internet questionnaires.; Results. This study measured the extent of relationship between experience using electronic products and epistemological beliefs. It has confirmed the factor structure of previous epistemological research and extended the field of knowledge to include measurements of epistemological beliefs influenced by experiences using electronic products. It is becoming increasingly important to accommodate the organizational diversity of knowledge and learning beliefs to keep pace with rapid technological change. To address these issues, a significant contribution of this study is the presentation of epistemological beliefs as a knowledge organization guideline for technical communications and consumer product development. Moreover, with the advent of sophisticated products like automotive navigations and telematics, it has become increasingly important to understand epistemological beliefs as a foundation for structuring customer and corporate communications, user manuals and electronic product engineering design. |
