Adult learners and the Internet: an ongoing international research project

摘要

An ongoing international research project is investigating the reasons that people give for taking part in Internet training courses and for wanting to learn about the Internet. To date, this research has had three main areas of focus. The first was the development of a model of networked information resource use, called the Planned Behaviour in Context (PBiC) model, through quantitative and qualitative research in Australia. The second was a longitudinal study of Internet course participants in Iceland, from October 1993 to October 1996. This confirmed the model and provided information about changes in attitudes and influences through the period of the study. The third was a small-scale study of course participants in Namibia, which validated the model in a new setting. Areas for further research in 1999 onwards were identified. The implications of the research for Internet trainers and course developers will be highlighted in the conference presentation.