Web-Based Interface Elements in Team Interaction and Learning: Theoretical and Empirical Analysis

Abstract

The Web has increasingly become an important avenue of the learning community; nonetheless, it is wanting in terms of effective interaction among learners. This paper posits that a well-designed user interface will capably address limitations of Web-based learning, and enhance teaminteractions and learning outcomes. It reports on an experiment that investigated the effect of interfaceelements on a set of interaction processes, attitudes, andlearning outcomes. Availability of interface elements to engage and evaluate learning was found to promote participation, trust, and cooperation among learners. How these process variables impacted outcome variables, as intervened by attitudinal factors, was analyzed using structural modeling. Our analysis provided support to atheoretical model that causally links four sets of variables: input (interface elements), processes, attitudes, andlearning outcomes. The paper expounds on the implications of the findings, which have significant importance with respect to the emerging issues in Web-based learning.