Introduction

As been mentioned in the topic of this article itself, learner-control is one of the most

important elements in communicative computer assisted language learning (CALL) (Underwood,

1984). Throughout the article, the purpose that researchers tries to explore the effects of students’

locus of control and types of control over instruction on their self-efficacy and performance in

web-based language learning environment.

In this research, the methods to facilitate the results need the writer to employed two

categorical independent variables, which are learner’s locus of control (internal or external) and

type of instructional control (higher learner-control or lower learner-control). And also two

continuous dependent variables which are academic performance and student’s self-efficacy for

learning and performance were been measured to evaluate the results. In order to answer the

research question and to analyze the data collected, the researchers using T-test and ANOVA.

Because the used of two categorical independent variables, this can also be said as 2 x 2 factorial

experimental study.

Basically in literature review, the researchers focus more on learner-control because the

major part of this research is how the learner-control can help with the process of learning. The

process of control mostly result the findings. Amongst the topics for literature review are

Learner-control and language learning, Learner-control and motivation, Learner-control and

academic performance, Learner-control and self-efficacy, and the last one is Learner-control and

locus control. If go through the research, all this topics relate with the study because as much it

supports the findings. The keywords in this literature review is learner-control because control

gives individuals the opportunity to make choices and to affect outcomes, resulting in the student

feeling more competent and the activity having greater personal meaning and intrinsic interest

(Lepper, 1985).

Procedures and Findings

The procedures conducted by the researcher are to look into two results; self-efficacy

measure and the comprehensions. First,the students are given a set of questionnaire in the early

of the semester. The function of the questionnaire is to measure students’ level of self-efficacy.

They are later being divided into Class A and Class B. Students of Class A are students

completed the leaner-control web-based program while students of Class B are students

completed the program-control version.

All of the students go to a computer lab for two hours on four consecutive weeks. The

students are taught how to use the course outline instruction system and some practical. And then

later on, the students have to complete the web-based learning system on their own. When they

finish all the programs, they must takecomprehension tests that consist of multiple choice

questions.

The results collected from the test conducted are recorded in the form of mean. The data

collected also being looked at in the aspect of the comprehension test and the self-efficacy

measure (from the questionnaires). In the comprehension test, the results show that students

learning from the learner-control of the instruction perform better than those learning from the

program-control version of the instruction .Other than that, the results also show that students

with an internal locus of control perform better on the comprehension than those with external

locus of control.

From the measurement of self-efficacy, again the students with an internal locus of

control perform better than those with an external locus of control. Same goes with the learner-

control group. They perform better on the measure of self-efficacy compare to the program-

control group.

The relations between Learner Centered Issue in CALL and Effects of Locus and Learner-Control on Web-Based Language Learning.

Learner centered tools has been proved in bringing constructive effects in learner

performance. The outcomes of the study yielded positive findings that support previous research

studies indicating that learner-control can have a positive effect on students’ academic

performance (e.g Becker & Dwyer, 1994; Zimmerman, 2002). The students who learned from a

learner-control web based instructional program had higher scores on a measure of self-efficacy,

which suggests that they believed that they had the ability to master the task and had more

confidence in their skills to perform that task, (Ho, 2009).

This study, as proposed by Mei-Mei Chang and Chiung-Mei Ho stressed on the learner-

controlled web based instructional program which, can help them (the students) in enhancing

their academic performance, specifically language learning. In relations to CALL (Computer

Assisted Language Learning) history, learner-controlled approach is the communicative

approach emphasized discovery learning where the focus was on the use of the forms rather than

on the forms themselves, (CALL slides, 2011).

Learner-centered concepts are instructional design and teaching practices based on what

we know about learning and cognition. Such practices create environments that encourage

successful learning. With learning outcomes and student satisfaction increasingly important,

learner-centered concepts can help institutions improve teaching and learning, whether in a

traditional classroom or an online environment. These key concepts describe the conditions that

lead to learning, identify teaching practices and learning activities that create such conditions,

and support the design of effective learning environments. (EDUCAUSE- LEARNING

INITIATIVE , 1999-2011)

Here, the students/learners are the one who controlled the web based program in language

learning, in this case, the University Internet System (UIS) which includes both teacher and

learner interfaces. Two version of a web-based instructional program developed by the

researchers were used in this study. Both versions presented three lessons; the same reading

passages were used in each version. One version allowed for learner-control over the

instructional strategy while other version relied on program-control of the instructional strategy,

(Ho, 2009).

In other words, to be able to compare students’ performance based on what-control, the

researchers used the two versions. The first version which in this case highlights the learner

centered in CALL history. The other version, however, is more to teaching-centered approach.

Based on the methodology and procedures, it is highly noted that main objectives aimed to

explore the effects of students’ control and types of control over instruction on their self-efficacy

and performance.

The result indicates what pattern or types of control (learner-control or external-control)

that has more positive effects in enhancing students’ performance, which correlated with the aim

of the study. The obvious relation between learner centered issue in CALL history and this study

is nicely portrayed in the aim, procedures and findings/results.

References

EDUCAUSE- LEARNING INITIATIVE . (1999-2011). Retrieved 1 18, 2011, from Learner Centered Concepts: http://www.educause.edu/ELI/Archives/LearnerCenteredConcepts/940

Ho, M.-M. C.-M. (2009). Effects of Locus and Learner-Control on Web-Based Language Learning. Computer Assisted Language Learning , 202.