Factors influencing the Web-based autonomous learning ability of Chinese Vocational College Students: An investigation in Guangdong Province

This study carried out an investigation of students from 25 vocational colleges N=6474) in Guangdong province of China, analyzed the status and level of students' Web-based autonomous learning ability, mainly focused on 9 main factors included: Information processing ability, Intrinsic learning motivation, Learning strategies, Environmental factors, Learning meaning, Learning control, Learning anxiety, Self-efficacy and Learning management. The results indicated that the students' gender, grade and type of college (public or private) were effective factors influenced college students' Web-based autonomous learning ability. The result showed that boys were better adapted to Web-based autonomous learning than girls; Students' information processing capacity was continually grown while the students' intrinsic learning motivation of Web-based autonomous learning was decreased gradually in 3 Years. The Web-based autonomous learning ability of students in public colleges was superior to those in private colleges. The data showed that inside the environmental factors, compared with devices & tools, network access conditions and online learning resources, the teacher's support is insufficient. Correlation analysis demonstrated that four aspects of exterior environmental factors were positively related to the inner factors of learners. The author provided some suggestions for cultivating students' Web-based autonomous learning ability.