The use of deep and surface learning strategies among students learning English as a foreign language in an Internet environment.
BACKGROUND
The learning context is learning English in an Internet environment. The examination of this learning process was based on the Biggs and Moore's teaching-learning model (Biggs & Moore, 1993).


OBJECTIVE
The research aims to explore the use of the deep and surface strategies in an Internet environment among EFL students who come from different socio-economic backgrounds. The results of the research may add an additional level to the understanding of students' functioning in the Internet environment.


METHODS
One hundred fourty-eight Israeli junior and high school students participated in this research.


METHODS
The methodology was based on special computer software: Screen Cam, which recorded the students' learning process. In addition, expert judges completed a questionnaire which examined and categorized the students' learning strategies.


RESULTS
The research findings show a clear preference of participants from all socio-economic backgrounds towards the surface learning strategy. The findings also showed that students from the medium to high socio-economic background used both learning strategies more frequently than low socio-economic students.


CONCLUSIONS
The results reflect the habits that students acquire during their adjustment process throughout their education careers. A brief encounter with the Internet learning environment apparently cannot change norms or habits, which were acquired in the non-Internet learning environment.
Aharony
Noa
N
Department of Information Science, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel. aharonn l @mail.biu.ac.il
D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet / Q000295:instrumentation*; D007802:Language; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D012984:Software; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014584:User-Computer Interface; D014706:Verbal Learning