Abstract:
The purposes of this study were to manage the learning process using a Self-Organizing Map
(SOM) and to compare business computer program student achievement between pre and post
trainings in an Information Technology course. The sample used in this study consisted of 60
vocational certificate students majoring in a business computer program during the academic year
1/2555. The tools used in this study were the Information Technology course curriculum, the
learning process using SOM, and an achievement test. The statistics used for data analysis were
percentage, mean, standard deviation, and t-test for dependent samples.
The results of the study were as follows: I) the analysis of pre-training test scores using SOM was
used to divide the students into two groups of talented and weak. It was found that both the
talented and the weak students could help share knowledge; 2) when the students were divided into
the two groups based upon pre and post trainings in the Information Technology course using SOM
and knowledge sharing, the overall learning achievement of business computer program students
was statistically different between the mean scores of pre and post trainings at .01 level. Since the
mean scores of post-training were higher than those of pre-training, it showed that the learning
process using SOM was effective for learning in the Information Technology course curriculum as a
whole and in each aspect of the course, namely Information Technology, Computer Technology,
Software, Peopleware, and Information Technology in Everyday Life.