Although it is important to enhance active learning among students, one cannot deny the fact that teachers still play a pivotal role in media-assisted classes. At the majority of schools, teachers trained on media use provide their students with detailed instructions on how to use media in the learning process. In the present study, we created a classroom environment in which students others help and learn from each other through the use of electronic media, without receiving any instructions from teachers or appointed student leaders. The purpose of this study is to record and analyze the interaction patterns during such classes and to explore the effect and possibilities of media-assisted education that does not rely on teacher's instructions. The subjects were fifth-grade students in the social studies class who were novice computer users. They were given an assignment every two weeks during a two and a half-month survey period. A total of four assignments were given out. Students had to complete each assignment through interaction with their classmates and the use of electronic media, without receiving any instructions from their teacher on either how to use computers or what kind of media to use. During the survey period, the teacher made a participatory observation of the class as the students worked on their assignments. The students made reports on each of the assignments. Students produced different reporting styles for the different assignments, which can be categorized into the following four types: 1. Poorly-organized reports containing a jumble of collected information (poorly-prepared reports) 2. Well-organized handwritten reports containing selected information and the student's comments (well-organized handwritten reports) 3. Computer-printed reports containing selected information (well-organized computer-printed reports) 4. Well-organized reports consisting of handwritten as well as computer-printed papers (well-organized multi-style reports) Furthermore, the teacher recorded the number of times and the reasons why students stood up from their seats to walk around the classroom. The results show that the more the students got used to the new learning environment, the more they moved around the classroom to gather new information. In this type of classroom environment, the teacher played an important role in helping students understand how other classmates were progressing. The results of the present study suggest that even without instructions or assistance from the teacher, students can learn from each other and produce well-written reports on their work. In media-assisted classes, teachers should not only ensure that students become aware of other classmates' progress but also strive to create an environment in which students can actively interact with each other to learn from one another.
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