The effects of the implementation of e - portfolios in online collaborative learning environment to academic achievement, attitudes, motivation and the retention

Both online learning environment and face to face learning environment is created with centering the students and individualism in the education and teaching and with being included the new technologies in every stage of education and teaching. Realization of learning is provided in environments independently of place and time and in an effective way. Teaching methods and techniques also vary with becoming widespread online environments. Cooperative learning provides that teacher doesn't teach any more but lead, and that students become active not listener, ask questions, search, argue, find the necessary information, use the information. Environments supported with online technologies support the cooperative learning and provide collaboration, communication and sharing of group members. Learning is evaluated by portfolios which is done in electronic environments and learning and teaching environments prepared in accordance with these techniques. The realization of electronic portfolio in the online collaborative learning is a usable method. The aim of this study is to detect the effects on academic achievements of the students, retention of learning, motivation, attitudes of students of the e-portfolio practice in the lesson of operating systems in the environment of collaborative learning. Also it is aimed to determine students' opinions about this application. It was chosen mixed research method because both quantitative data and qualitative data were used. The working group of this study comprises of the students who attend class of Operating Systems and Applications in the Computer Education and Instructional Technology Education (CEIT) Department in Fırat University in 2012-2013. Pretest-posttest control group design was used in the research. The implementation of e-portfolios in online collaborative learning environment was carried out on the experimental group, however; an application under the control of the traditional teaching and course instructor were carried out in accordance with specified plans on the control group. As qualitative data, the opinions of students about the methods were used. The study was carried out from the website and virtual classroom environment which is prepared for implementation. Both communication with students and e-portfolio applications including course content and activities were carried out tough the website. In the virtual classroom, online collaborative learning took place. Achievement test, attitude and motivation scales were applied to the experimental and control groups. One more scale was applied to experimental group to determine their attitudes towards online collaborative learning environment. At the end of the study, achievement points of experimental and control groups has been varied from before application to after application. This difference is likely for favor the posttest. Significant differences were found between the groups in the retention test score results. The students in the experimental group were determined to be higher than the control group in retention test results. No significant difference was observed in the attitudes and motivation of the experimental and control groups to the course before and after the application. However, it was observed that both group show positive change in attitude after application compared to before application, also the motivation of the groups decreased after application compared to before application. No significant difference was observed in the attitude scores of the students in the experimental group to the Online Collaborative Learning Environment. Themes have been established according to advantages, disadvantages additives, the problems, comparisons, use in other courses, opinions themes for learning thanks to the qualitative findings. The results that obtained from the dimension of quantitative and the qualitative has been shown to support each other. Reducing the problems and improving the quality by strenghtening of technical infrastructure should be carried out. It shoul be designed the environmental integrating each other in the virtual and online educational system by using the opportunities of face to face learning.