Abstract

In this paper we present both theoretical structure and empirical validation of an on-line questionnaire to measure learners self-rated motivation, learning strategies, learning styles and social abilities. Profiling information of the measurement instrument has been utilised in various learning management systems in Finnish distance learning courses. The Abilities for Computer Assisted Learning Questionnaire I (ACALQ) contains 48 items measuring following dimensions: (1) motivation, 12 items; (2) learning strategies, 10 items; (3) learning styles, 6 items; (4) social abilities, 12 items; (5) serialistic-holistic approach (8 items); and (6) signaling (8 items). The theoretical structure of the first four parts of the instrument was analysed with the following three empirical samples (n=328): Finnish elementary school 5th and 6th grade children (age median 11 years, n=166), Finnish university students (age median 21 years, n=112) and Finnish post graduate adult learners preparing their dissertations (age median 27 years, n=50). The results of Bayesian network modeling show that the structure of the ACALQ is valid for all the three groups except for the third dimension (“Learning styles”) that was not found in the adolescent and adult samples. Results of CFA show that all the optimised solutions (except the 26-item solution for the sample 1) surpass the baseline model by both comparative fit index and Tucker-Lewis coefficient.

Citations