Exploiting the Digital Environment to Teach Informatics in the Direction of Developing Self-directed Learning Competency for High School Students in Vietnam

Abstract

The development of information technology and the internet has introduced various forms of learning, including blended learning, which has become increasingly important for high schools which are looking to modernize their classrooms and overcome the constraints of time and space. While there have been numerous studies on blended learning in different subjects, most research has focused on using this approach to develop common competencies among students and improve learning outcomes. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of using a blended teaching method to develop self-directed learning competencies in Informatics by leveraging the digital environment. The proposed blended teaching process for teaching digital content in Informatics consists of three phases: before, during, and after class. In the first semester of the 2022–2023 academic year, an experimental group of 45 students at HoaiDucB High School in Hanoi were taught through a combination of classroom instruction and an online learning system, while the control group of 45 students were taught using traditional methods. The findings reveal that students taught with the blended method exhibited higher levels of self-directed learning competency and achieved better learning outcomes compared to the control group (with a p-value of <0.005). Additionally, a post-experiment survey revealed that students were satisfied with this innovative learning method and were more actively engaged in their studies.