A study of social constructivist learning in a WebCT-based precalculus course

WebCT-based mathematics courses are becoming more prevalent at the college level, raising questions about the quality of the learning. To date, there have been relatively few studies that have focused on the nature of student learning in undergraduate WebCT courses. The purpose of this study was to explore how social constructivist learning manifested itself in an undergraduate precalculus course.; A qualitative case study design, where the instructor/researcher actively participated in the class culture, was implemented. The social constructivist theory of learning, supporting the belief that meaningful learning occurs when individuals are engaged in social discourse, guided the study. The participants were the 30 undergraduate freshmen enrolled in a fall 2002 precalculus class at Georgia State University. They had all completed an equivalent of a high school trigonometry course prior to taking the precalculus course. Means of collecting data included observations, end-of-semester in-class surveys, in-class and online quizzes, journaling, semistructured interviews with students, students' course evaluations accessed through Georgia State Online Access to Records (GoSOLAR), and document analysis. The ATLAS.ti software (Scientific Software Development, 2002) was used to manage and analyze data.; This study showed that the integration of a WebCT-based course and learning principles rooted in social constructivism resulted in learning which was both active and collaborative and where reflection and integration of new ideas with pre-existing knowledge also played major roles. It also demonstrated the positive impact on student perception and comfort in using technology when the instructor encouraged use of electronic instructional tools.; This study will contribute to studies in mathematics education at the postsecondary level about the influence of WebCT on social constructivist learning, providing a better understanding of how this Web course management tool might facilitate such learning. The findings will also contribute to the body of knowledge on how technology can be used to augment classroom-based instruction to build and sustain learning communities in colleges and universities.