Efects of cognitive styles to learner behaviour in online communities of practise

This study is a case study that observes one of a postmodern educational approach; online communities of practise, with respect to cognitive styles of learners. According to this research, the ?Technology Based System Design? course which is originally face to face, was continued with 7 online community of practise groups without instructor feedback during 7 weeks.Online groups was formed with ?Group Embedded Figures Test? (GEFT) which is valid and reliable. This test seperates individuals as ?field dependent? and ?independent?. Online groups was constituted heterogeneously according to equalize the numbers of field dependents and independents. The main aim of the research is to analyse the effects of cognitive styles to learner behaviours (online participation, quality of online discussions, communication level with course instructor), and to view learner satisfaction cases about online period. This study is framed with situated learning and uses & gratifications theories. During the 7 weeks, learners attended regularly to online activities on social networking platform in order to product an educatioanl material.This period was observed by the researcher. After the course period web documents were analysed with descriptive statics and web discussion assessment rubric. Satisfaction of learners was analysed with semi-constructed interviews. According to results, there are differences between field dependent and field independent learners with respect to online participation, quality of online discussion, communication level with course instructor and satisfaction cases. Results showed that the field independent learners participates to online activities limitedly. Also they don? t tend to communicate with course instructor. By the way field dependent learners have high satisfaction feelings for online practise. Keywords: community of practise, situated learning, uses and gratifications theory, online interaction