A Five-Phase Learning Cycle Approach to Improving the Web-based Problem-Solving Performance of Students

Internet technology has become an important channel for accessing information and solving problems. However, researchers have indicated that most students lack effective strategies for searching for information on the Internet, and hence their learning performance is not as good as could be expected. To address this issue, in this study, a five-phase learning cycle approach is proposed to conduct web-based problem-solving activities. From the experimental results, it was found that the students’ web-based problem-solving performance was improved after participating in the learning activities. Moreover, based on the analysis of 170 elementary school students’ web information-searching portfolios as well as their feedback to the assessments, questionnaires and interviews, it was found that the students' problem-solving ability and their web-based problem-solving performance were highly correlated, implying that the five-phase learning cycle approach could be able to improve not only the students’ web-based problem-solving performance, but also their general problem-solving ability.