The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between learner characteristics(prior
knowledge, computer self-efficacy) andachievement andsatisfaction inanenvironmentwhere ICTis
applied to different instructional controls(instructor control, learner control). The idea which
supports the rationale of this study could be drawn either fromJonassen(1999) or Kozma(1994)who
emphasized the role of the learner itself for learning to take place in ICT environments. To this
purpose the following research questionswere investigated:
The results of this studywere summarized as follows:
First, there was a significant statistical correlation between prior knowledge and computer
self-efficay, r(66) = .448,p < .01. Instructional control, themain treatment of this study, however, had
no significant statistical correlation with any other variances(p > .05). Specially, Prior knowledge
showed strongest interaction with achievement, r(66) = .569, p < .01, while computer self-efficacy
showed strongest interactionwith satisfaction, r(66) = .489,p < .01.
Second, there was little significant statistical differences between prior knowledge and
instructional control, and computer self-efficacy and instructional control. Instead, interaction of all
three variances had significant statistical differences in achievement(β= .277,p < .05). However, this
interactionwas less effective than each variance- prior knowledge, computer self-efficacy that affect
the achievement.
Third, except interaction of all three variances(β= .323, p < .05), there was little significant
statistical differences between prior knowledge and instructional control, and computer self-efficacy
and instructional control, as same as second result.
It could be inferred fromthe results of the study that the interaction of various variances including
instructional control, prior knowledge, and computer self-efficacy can affect the achievement or
satisfaction. As the existing research results showed, there are various results according which
variables are considered.Also, based upon these results, onemay rightly argue that the instructional
designprocessmust include alternative strategies inwhich thenature of the task is takeninto account
at different learner characteristics.