The learning behavior difference between supervised online learning and unsupervised online learning for K-12 education

Abstract

Supervised online learning is defined as the online learning under the requirement, supervision and guidance by the teacher, just as in the traditional classroom education. Unsupervised online learning is defined as the online learning without the supervision and guidance by the teacher. I analyze the multiple-dimensional data gathered from one web-based interactive mathematics learning platform "Lexue 100 (Happy Learning for 100 Points)" using SQL command scripts, SPSS statistics and WEKA. The findings include that the supervised online learners from one school spent much more time on participating in more quizzing activities than the unsupervised ones, though the time spent on every quiz by the supervised ones is less than that by the supervised ones, and their mean exercise score is almost the same as the unsupervised ones due to the system's drilling mechanism. This study suggests that the school teacher plays one important role to facilitate the sustainability and speed of pupils' online learning, and the pure online learning by the pupils themselves without the support and requirement from their teachers cannot guarantee the sustainability of the online learning.