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1996 Dissertation Abstracts: Part 2
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ORDER NO: ABA97-00193
A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF IMPROVEMENTS IN READING COMPREHENSION OF SKILL-BASED INSTRUCTION AND EXTENSIVE READING FOR PLEASURE WITH TAIWANESE FRESHMAN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS (CHINA, COLLEGE STUDENTS, ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE) Author: SIMS, JAMES MITCHELL Degree: PH.D. Year: 1996 Corporate Source/Institution: THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY (0071) Major Professor: FREDERICK L. JENKS Source: VOLUME 57/08-A OF DISSERTATION ABSTRACTS INTERNATIONAL. PAGE 3368. 126 PAGES Descriptors: EDUCATION, BILINGUAL AND MULTICULTURAL ; EDUCATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE ; EDUCATION, HIGHER This study examines and compares the improvement of Taiwanese university freshmen taught by either a skill-based or extensive reading for pleasure approach. While skill-based reading instruction remains the dominant approach in an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom, reading researchers have found positive results in using extensive reading and, to a lesser degree, pleasure reading to improve reading comprehension. However, little research has been done to actually compare the differences in reading comprehension improvement using either a skill-based approach and the combination of both extensive and pleasure reading. Four classes of Freshmen English students (N = 120) identified as mid-level proficient in English were involved in this study. Two classes were instructed using a skill-based approach and the other two classes were exposed to an extensive reading for pleasure approach. Achievements in reading comprehension were measured via written recall protocols and multiple-choice tests. A two-way ANOVA design allowed the comparison of mean scores of reading comprehension across the four groups. The results of pre-test measurements of reading comprehension indicated that there were no significant differences in reading comprehension between the four groups at the onset of the experiment. However, there were significant differences in both the multiple-choice and recall protocol measurements after the treatment period. Subjects in the pleasure reading groups scored significantly higher than students in the skill-based groups. Only one question on the attitude questionnaire yielded a significant difference with students in the extensive reading for pleasure groups indicating more interest in their in-class reading approach. Students in both treatment groups reported approximately the same amount of time spent reading required texts written in English. However, the subjects in the pleasure groups reported spending more time outside of class reading English materials for pleasure. The study concludes with discussion and implications of extensive reading for pleasure in the classroom.
ORDER NO: ABA97-00103
The design of this study was experimental with a supplemental qualitative component. First, the effects of computer animation during self-paced trigonometry computer labs on student achievement and attitudes of students enrolled in a trigonometry course were examined in the study. Second, a multiple case study was used to investigate the conceptual understanding of students as they worked trigonometry problems and to identify their perspectives about the use of technology in mathematics education via a qualitative approach. The sample for this study consisted of 101 students enrolled at the Universal of Nebraska-Lincoln in Trigonometry during the 1995-1996 winter semester. Ninety-nine students were used in the quantitative study, and two more were added for the qualitative study. Several instruments were used: parts of the Fennema-Sherman Mathematics Attitude Scales, the Gressard-Loyd Computer Attitude Scales, an achievement test, and a survey of open-ended questions, and biographical data. Analysis of variance, multivariate analysis of variance, and correlations were used to analyze the quantitative data. Students were blocked into three levels of ability. For the qualitative component, data were collected through the biographical data sheet, interviews, researcher journals, and lab observations. Additional analyses included the Cronbach Alpha estimate of reliability, interrater reliability, and an analysis of variance to check for possible contamination due to a teacher effect. According to the quantitative results, the two treatments were not significantly different with regard to achievement, mathematics attitudes, and computer attitudes at the alpha =.05 level of significance. However, students of high ability experienced lower mathematics anxiety than students of lower ability. Many of the attitude instruments correlated at values greater than.5. Qualitative results showed a few differences in the treatment groups with respect to perceptions about the computer labs. A large majority of all students perceived their career futures to include the need for mathematics and technology experience, and that technology should be an integral part of mathematics. The students interviewed during the multiple case study displayed a good degree of conceptual understanding. Data collected emerged into five themes: (1) computer experiences, (2) perceptions, (3) phrases about technology, (4) labs, and (5) cognition.
ORDER NO: ABA97-00097
The purpose for conducting this study was to determine the impact of multimedia instruction upon students' achievement and attitudes and the relationship with Kolb's Learning Styles. The two-phase study involved students from "Healthy Lifestyles 100" at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln during the Spring Semester of 1996. During phase one, students (N = 298) completed the Kolb Learning Style Inventory and a survey concerning their attitudes toward multimedia instruction and the general instructional format of the class. Students' grades (final exam score and overall course grade) were collected during the second phase of the study. Descriptive statistics and two statistical tests were used to analyze data. The frequencies, means, percentages and standard deviations for the attitude survey, learning styles, and achievement scores (final exam and course grade) and selected survey questions were analyzed. Analysis of variance and the Pearson product-moment correlation were utilized to analyze attitude, achievement, learning styles and demographics. Findings from the study included: (1) The use of multimedia instruction had a positive impact upon student attitude. (2) Approximately 73 percent of students believed multimedia added to the overall value of the class. (3) There was a statistically significant difference for achievement (final exam score) by class between sophomore and freshman students and between senior and freshman students. (4) There was no statistically significant difference for achievement by preferred learning style. (5) A statistically significant difference was found for student attitude toward multimedia instruction by one Kolb Learning Style. (6) A statistically significant main effect was found for student attitude toward multimedia instruction by student achievement and preferred learning style. (7) A negative correlation was found between final exam score, final course grade, and student attitude toward multimedia instruction and achievement.
ORDER NO: ABA96-36314
Computers provide potential instructional platforms to enhance education and training for engineering students and professionals. Significant advantages of computerized instruction are its unlimited accessibility and its ability to deliver individualized instruction. However, the major drawbacks of developing computerized instructional system such as ITS are the high developing cost and time and the lack of adequate underlying pedagogy. ITS-Engineering is a domain-independent tutoring shell for developing ITS applications within the scope of engineering domains with significantly less time and cost. The pedagogical principles of ITS-Engineering are based on the widely accepted Gagne instructional design. Gagne's instructional design consists of two major elements: learning outcomes and instructional events. Designing instruction in Gagne includes composing learning activities for each instructional event to achieve a desired learning outcome. ITS-Engineering is additionally equipped with a multiple teaching style mechanism to deliver instruction that is truly adapted to student's evolving learning situations. There are four teaching styles available in ITS-Engineering. They are instructor-oriented, guided discovery, user-initiated and exploratory. These teaching styles are implemented within three learning sessions: browsing session, practicing session and tutoring session. Two ITS applications are developed within the framework of ITS-Engineering: ITS-CPM and ITS-Shear. ITS-CPM is an ITS for instructing construction planning and scheduling techniques. The scope of ITS-Shear's domain includes shear analysis of reinforced concrete beam. The evaluation of ITS-Engineering, ITS-CPM and ITS-Shear indicates usefulness of the systems to enhance engineering education. The pedagogy of the systems can also be extended to apply to other learning environments such as a traditional classroom. The results from the shell evaluation demonstrate the capability of ITS-Engineering to develop different ITS applications with significant time and cost savings. ITS-Engineering, ITS-CPM and ITS-Shear are implemented using NASA's CLIPS 6.0 with the enhancement from STK (Scheme TK) on a Unix Sparc station.
ORDER NO: ABA96-39913
The purpose of this study was to examine Computer-Assisted Instruction (CAI) success factors in an urban community college as related to adult education. The population consisted of all 105 graduates who were data processing majors from the years 1987 through 1993 at the Olive-Harvey College in Chicago, Illinois. These graduates were divided into two categories based on the number of hours and/or lessons completed on a CAI package called Programmed Logic for Automatic Teaching Operations (PLATO), while completing their Associate of Applied Science Degree. The two categories were computer-assisted instruction (CAI) and traditional instruction (NON-CAI). Success in the study was defined by three factors which were: (1) Grade Point Average; (2) Employment in a computer related field after graduation; and (3) Articulation to a four-year college or university. The study was an ex post facto correlational research study. Data were based on the 105 students records and the 64 surveys that were returned. Hypotheses were tested by ANOVA. Statistical significance was established at the 0.05 level. This study summarized data on many characteristics thought to impact the success of the student who matriculates in an urban community college. These included personal data, demographics, academic characteristics, employment, years required to graduate, and degrees attained. The findings were that the three hypotheses were not accepted. A lack of hard data for students using the PLATO laboratory in the early years was cited as part of the problem. There was a significant positive correlation for CIA students, however, in the following areas: higher ultimate salaries after graduation, higher degrees earned, more computers owned, better preparation for their major field of study, better preparation for analytical ability, and better preparation for course content. This research project provides initial data inquiry in an area of research: Computer-Assisted Instruction and urban-community colleges. There is a great need to provide ways for the marginalized urban poor, which are swiftly becoming the majority, to be educated so they can assume their rightful place in society. It is hoped that this research will help many urban community-college faculty members to give their students technological freedom.
ORDER NO: ABA96-39444
The use of collaborative small group method of instruction has received considerable attention at the elementary school level. However, little empirical data exists regarding the use of structured collaborative small groups at the college level. This study was designed to compare student performance in a structured collaborative small group method of instruction versus traditional whole class method of instruction. Specifically examined were data on student achievement, student behavior, and student perception collected immediately and one week after experiences within each method of instruction. There were 19 dependent variables in all. Twelve upper level undergraduate and four graduate students participated in the study. The experimental design incorporated Method of Instruction (Collaborative versus Traditional) as an independent variable. The second independent variable was Achievement Level (Low-Achieving students versus High-Achieving students) based on measures administered prior to the beginning of the study. This represents a 2 x 2 experimental design which was counterbalanced to allow fair comparisons. For each dependent variable, a two-way ANOVA was computed. Results indicate there was little difference in the academic performance of participants. Participants performed similarly in both methods of instruction. Significant differences were observed with regard to student behavior in the collaborative versus traditional method of instruction. A clear preference for either method of instruction was not indicated. Significant differences in the observed behaviors of students identified as Low-Achiever versus High-Achievers were found. Higher Achievers elicited more appropriate on-task behaviors than did the Low-Achievers. Descriptive data on the performance of the highest and lowest scorers within the collaborative, as well as the traditional method of instruction are also provided.
ORDER NO: ABA96-39372
This study investigated the use of cooperative learning and small-group instruction in a supplemental class to support underprepared college students in beginning algebra. Students (N = 64) were identified from a group of students who volunteered for the project. An additional 64 students, desiring to participate in the study, but for whom space was unavailable, were identified as a comparison group and received traditional remediation. Treatment included the use of worksheets that contained probing questions and encouragement for students to discuss the process of solutions. The supplement served as remedial instruction for the treatment group and students were enrolled concurrently in the algebra course. Students in the comparison group received remedial instruction by completing a non-credit course using traditional methods prior to enrolling in the algebra course. Grades in algebra courses showed that the non-volunteer students have fewer students being successful, while non-remedial students are most successful. Treatment and comparison groups fall between these two extremes. Although the treatment group consistently performed better than the comparison group, the differences were usually not statistically significant (.05 level). Qualitative data indicated that students in the treatment group studied more and worked harder. While not realizing the benefits of the innovation at the beginning, they did acknowledge its contribution to their understanding by the end of the course. Student characteristics that appeared to be influenced by the treatment were achievement, attitude, and attrition. Students in the treatment group also appear to have higher enrollments in and are more successful in subsequent courses (about 2-1 with the comparison group), suggesting that students may receive long-term benefits. The most interesting result found in this study was the attrition rate for students participating in the pilot study. Thirty of 54 students (44% attrition) were still enrolled in the university after two years (literature suggests 50%). However, students in the treatment group had an attrition rate of only 20%, with 44 of 55 students still enrolled two years later. These data together suggest that remedial students in the treatment group stay in school longer, take and succeed in more courses, and therefore make better progress toward graduation.
ORDER NO: ABA96-38420
Purpose of the study. The major purpose of the study was to determine the effects of the use of a special instructional strategy on student achievement on the translation of word problems in beginning algebra for developmental college students. The relationships between success rate in translating word problems and scores on the Group Assessment of Logical Thinking Test (GALT) and learning style as determined by the Gregorc Style Delineator were also examined. Finally, effects of TASP reading scores, years since last mathematics class, and student attitude were investigated. Procedure. Subjects were students enrolled in six beginning algebra classes in a rural community college during the fall of 1995. The experimental treatment consisted of two phases: Phase One which was designed to allow students to become familiar with formal notation involving variables before studying word problems and Phase Two which was designed to make abstractions involved in translating word problems more concrete. Data were gathered by the following instruments: pretest-posttest on translation skills, the GALT Test, the Gregorc Style Delineator Test, TASP Reading Test, and Anttonen's Attitude Toward Mathematics Survey. Data were analyzed by analysis of variance, paired t-tests, and Spearman Coefficient of Rank Correlation. Results. Pretest-posttest-gain scores were significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group. The more concrete thinkers in the experimental group did as well on the posttest as the more abstract thinkers in the group. Students who had not taken a mathematics course within the last year did better on the posttest than students whose last mathematics class was more recent. Student attitude toward word problems was slightly more negative. No relationship was found between posttest scores and TASP reading scores. Conclusions. Developmental college algebra students taught by a method that makes abstractions more concrete seem to be more successful translating word problems than similar students taught by the traditional method. When developmental students are taught to translate word problems by a more concrete method, the concrete thinkers seem to benefit more than the abstract thinkers, and students with concrete sequential learning styles seem to benefit more than students with other learning styles.
ORDER NO: ABA96-38396
There has been an effort toward restructuring schools, where students are encouraged to develop their abilities to use their own various cognitive strategies to solve problems and help themselves to become more effective learners. A group of cognitive psychologists identifies effective learners as self-regulated learners who are metacognitively, motivationally, and behaviorally active. This study was prompted by previous research evidence that impulsive learners tended to be ineffective in systematically approaching academic tasks when compared to reflective learners. This study was also concerned with how to prepare computerized learning environments to help learners become self-regulated. This study investigated the effects of two different Computer-Assisted Instructional (CAI) environments and the effects of self-awareness of conceptual tempo styles on college students' self-regulated learning (SRL) skills and their academic achievement scores. Two different CAI environments were compared in this study: INtelligently Controlled CAI (INC CAI), and TOtally Learner-Controlled CAI (TOLC CAI). INC CAI adopted the cognitive apprenticeship teaching method using coaching features, and TOLC CAI did not. Students' conceptual tempo styles were measured by a computerized version of the Matching Familiar Figures Test (MFFT) to define them as either impulsive or reflective persons. Students' SRL skills were measured by Zimmerman's SRL model: a metacognitive change (self-monitoring levels), a motivational change (self-efficacy levels), and a behavioral change (self-learning activity levels). Academic achievement scores were also measured. MANOVA tests revealed that INC CAI was significantly more effective on college students' SRL skills than TOLC CAI. There were no significant effects on students' SRL skills and academic achievement scores due to their self-awareness of conceptual tempo styles. Students in INC CAI showed significantly higher persistency levels than students in TOLC CAI. This study proves that the cognitive apprenticeship teaching method using coaching features in a CAI environment is significantly more effective on college students' development of SRL skills than traditional CAI environments. This study suggests that educators and instructional designers should invest their efforts in developing and utilizing CAI that serves as an intelligent partner to human cognition and that helps students to become self-regulated learners.
ORDER NO: ABA96-37878
This was a descriptive study to determine how instructors in higher education who teach introductory computer and information systems concepts perceive and use complimentary computer-assisted instruction (CAI) modules that are provided as integrated textbook supplements. A questionnaire was completed by one hundred seventy one instructors teaching with a particular textbook and associated CAI modules. The modules reinforce skills and concepts also elaborated by the textbook. Various modules utilize linear tutorials, hypermedia, graphics and animations, and multimedia. Twenty five instructors participated in elaborative telephone interviews that addressed more fully the perceived value and impact of having the CAI modules available for instructional use. Research questions sought to find out instructors' (a) level of CAI module use; (b) factors that limit CAI module use; (c) teaching, evaluation, and classroom management related to CAI module use; (d) attitudes toward future and expanded use of CAI; (e) perception and use of CAI modules with respect to various instructor characteristics such as prior experience with development or use of CAI, years of teaching experience, age, sex, faculty status, educational level, type of institutional affiliation, and workload distribution; and (f) textbook adoption decisions related to availability of supplementary CAI modules. Results of the study suggest widespread acceptance and use of the studied CAI modules among instructors having access to the software. The primary reasons for acceptance and use were perceived quality and instructional benefit, and current availability of necessary hardware and software to guarantee that students can easily access the CAI modules. With regard to expanded use of CAI in the learning environment, the majority of instructors indicated that they would like to maintain the textbook as the primary instructional delivery tool. They would also like to see more extensive use of CAI as supplements for traditional instruction, and wish to see CAI supplements distributed and integrated with additional textbooks. The quality and availability of CAI supplements with textbooks appear to be important factors that will impact future textbook adoption decisions.
ORDER NO: ABA96-37146
The purpose of this study was to provide an initial picture of the status of assessment in preservice teacher education. Specific questions studied explored the directed instruction received by preservice teacher educators; the assessment models to which preservice teacher educators are exposed during their academic preparation; the expressed purpose of faculty for assessing students in preservice teacher education courses; the frequency which responsibility for assessment is delegated to the students themselves; and a comparison of assessments in preservice teacher education courses and other undergraduate courses in other selected subject areas. The methodology of the study utilized a case study of assessment instruction of preservice teacher education at a major research university. Research procedures included a review of courses syllabi, faculty interviews, faculty surveys, and student surveys. A limited amount of direct instruction in assessment was found to occur in the sequence of introductory teacher education and educational methods courses studied. In only one education course was there evidence from the syllabus, the students, the faculty interviews, and the faculty surveys that assessment was delivered as direct instruction (i.e. modeled and explained to students). No attempt was made to judge the quality of instruction in assessment or the models of assessment that were presented to or experienced by students. Differences in instruction received by students appear to be due to individual faculty members. A variety of assessment models are presented to preservice teacher educators in the education courses studied. Evidence does not support a connection between the exposure to various methods of assessment and the development of knowledge by students in the construction of assessments, proper use of assessments, and interpretation of assessment results. Education faculty stated multiple reasons for assessing students including to direct student learning, to provide instruction, and to assign grades. Responsibility for assessment was infrequently found to be delegated to students by education faculty. No direct instruction was reported by faculty in selected courses in other subject areas. Students in introductory education courses as well as other selected subject area courses reported experiencing more traditional assessments than non-traditional assessments such as portfolios and performance tasks. While education faculty had multiple reasons for assessing students, faculty in other selected subject areas reported assessing students to assign student grades. Responsibility for assessment was not found to be delegated to students in other subject areas studied. While some education students receive a wide variety of experiences with multiple assessments in their teacher training program, other education students receive little to no experience with assessments other than traditional methods. Lack of direct or formal instruction for preservice teacher educators in assessment development, use, and interpretation may have important implications for revision or reform of current teacher education programs.
ORDER NO: ABA96-37023
The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of computer-assisted algebra instruction on achievement, mathematics anxiety levels, and attitudes toward personal use of computers of students in an historically Black university. Using a 2 (Method) x 2 (Instructor) x 2 (Gender) x 3 (Time) repeated measures design, two classes consisting of a total of 48 undergraduate college students were randomly assigned to the Experimental condition (direct classroom instruction combined with computer-assisted instruction) and two classes consisting of a total of 48 undergraduate college students were randomly assigned to the Control condition (direct classroom instruction without computer-assisted instruction). All four groups studied the same ten units in an intermediate algebra course, but used two different instructional strategies. The research was designed to test the following hypothesis: Students attending an historically Black university using direct classroom instruction combined with computer-assisted instruction will score significantly higher on the achievement test in algebra, show a significantly greater decrease in mathematics anxiety and show significantly greater positive attitudes toward personal use of computers than students using direct classroom instruction without computer-assisted instruction. An Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) on posttest and follow-up test measures revealed that the instructional treatment produced no significant differences (p $>$.05) between the experimental and control groups on overall achievement in algebra. Mean achievement scores for the experimental group at pre-test, posttest, and follow-up test were 50%, 52%, and 49%, respectively while the control group had mean scores of 44%, 51%, and 49%. The low level of performance for both groups suggests that the time span for the study may have been too short to achieve progress. The instructional treatment did not produce significant differences between the experimental and control groups on overall mathematics anxiety on the follow-up test. The experimental groups showed less mathematics anxiety than the control groups. No significant differences in mathematics anxiety were observed for males and females. On overall attitudes toward personal use of computers, significant differences were found between the experimental and control groups on the follow-up test. Students in the experimental group had significantly more positive attitudes toward personal use of computers than the students in the control group. Although the present study provides some evidence of the effects of technology on students' mathematics anxiety and attitudes toward personal use of computers, less clear is how the effects of technology integration can be magnified to improve achievement for students from mathematically disadvantaged educational backgrounds, the greatest instructional challenge for mathematics departments in historically Black colleges and universities. Similarly, exploring the use of technology for enhancing mathematics achievement is a critical concern in those predominantly White colleges, community colleges, and universities which seek to serve their less advantaged students successfully.
ORDER NO: ABA96-36511
This study was designed to investigate the effects of a constructivist instructional model on the achievement and attitude of college students enrolled in intermediate algebra. The study was conducted with four class sections and 41 students enrolled in developmental intermediate algebra at Roane State Community College. Two instructors each taught two classes: one class utilizing the traditional lecture format and the other utilizing a constructivist instructional model designed by the researcher. The design allowed for a comparison of the two different treatments at the Roane County branch campus and at the Oak Ridge branch campus. The null hypotheses tested were that there were no significant differences between the following: the mean achievement scores of the constructivist model group and the lecture format group at each site, and the median attitude scores of the constructivist model group and the lecture format group at each site. The students in all four sections were given a pretreatment achievement test and attitude survey to determine if the initial achievement levels and mathematics attitudes were comparable. Pretreatment measures of both achievement and attitude were comparable for the two Roane County treatment sections and for the two Oak Ridge treatment sections. Since pretreatment achievement and attitudes were comparable, posttreatment measures of achievement and attitude were analyzed to test the hypotheses. The results indicated that students who were taught from a constructivist perspective experienced achievement not significantly different from those students who were taught with a traditional lecture format. The largest gain in achievement occurred in the Oak Ridge constructivist model group. In addition, students who were taught from a constructivist perspective had posttreatment attitudes that were not significantly different from those who were taught with the traditional lecture format. The only decrease in mean attitude occurred in the Roane County lecture section. This experiment established the practicability of this particular constructivist instructional methodology. In light of the present reform movement in mathematics education, which is calling for adoption of a constructivist pedagogy, the constructivist model should be considered by developmental mathematics educators as a worthy alternative to the lecture format.
ORDER NO: ABA96-34427
The teaching methods reported by twenty college teachers of courses in the History of Dress were compared with their reported aims for the course. In this naturalistic study, telephone interviews were conducted using a semi-structured open-ended questionnaire. Changes in course focus have resulted in teachers split into artistic and social science based. Artistic teachers experienced few problems and the methods reported were appropriate for their aims. Other instructors trying to incorporate social science perspectives in their courses experienced more difficulty matching their methods to their aims. Restriction of time, poor teaching resources and absence of common course content contributed to the problem. Discussions are needed to arrive at mutually understood definitions and to set an agenda for the course.
ORDER NO: ABA96-34388
The primary purpose of this study was to ascertain whether nationality (Korean vs. American) had any significant relationship to (1) students' perceptions of the value and use of student ratings and (2) students' perceptions of the importance of various components of teaching effectiveness. The data were collected by means of a 38-item survey questionnaire that included 17 items measuring students' perceptions of the value and use of student ratings; 13 items measuring students' perceptions of the importance of various components of teaching effectiveness; seven demographic items; and one open-ended question for comments about student ratings. The subjects were 333 respondents (218 American and 115 Korean students) from a random sample of 610 graduate and undergraduate students at the University of Kansas and Kansas State University. Descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis were employed to analyze the data. Selected findings. Multiple regression analysis revealed that: (1) student's nationality (American vs. Korean) related significantly to students' perceptions of the value and use of student ratings; (2) there were no significant interactions between students' nationality and their sex or academic level in regard to either their perceptions of the value and use of student ratings or to their perceptions of the importance of various components of teaching effectiveness; and (3) American and Korean students have similar perceptions regarding the importance of the various components of teaching effectiveness. Descriptive statistics showed that both groups placed a high importance on the knowledge of subject matter, clear and effective communication, fairness in examinations and grading, preparation and organization of course, and teacher enthusiasm about subject/teaching. Findings of this study suggest that Korean students were apparently influenced by their cultural backgrounds as reflected in their lower mean scores in regard to their perceptions of the value and use of student ratings. Based upon the findings, recommendations were proffered.
ORDER NO: ABA96-33951
Computer assisted instruction (CAI) has emerged as a viable learning methodology by which students may be assisted to learn and is slowly being integrated into the nursing curriculum. In the past, nursing education has relied on the premise that traditional teaching methodologies are adequate for all types of students regardless of other variables that may influence learning. Literature has demonstrated that student and faculty cerebral hemispheric preferences may affect their attitudes toward CAI and the rate at which this methodology will be successfully utilized. The purpose for conducting this study was to determine the differences between cerebral hemispheric preferences and attitudes toward computer assisted instruction (CAI) for students and faculty associated with baccalaureate nursing programs. The Wagner Preference Inventory tool was used to measure cerebral hemispheric preferences and the Attitude Toward CAI semantic differential tool was used to measure attitudes. The reliability and validity of both instruments has been successfully established. The sample consisted of 254 senior-level nursing students who were in good standing with their university and had experience with CAI within the last 12 months and 105 full-time faculty who had utilized CAI as a major or adjunct teaching methodology for at least one full term within the last 2 years. Participants who volunteered to participate were chosen randomly by their deans or assistant deans. Data returns indicated an 87% response rate for students and a 58% response rate for faculty. Results of the study indicated that right cerebral hemispheric preference was more frequent among students and balanced hemispheric preference was more frequent among faculty. Both student and faculty attitudes toward CAI were more positive for being useful, valuable, and efficient and were more positive for the function subscale. The separate variance t-test and one-way ANOVA were used to test the hypotheses. It was concluded that there is no significant difference between student and faculty attitudes toward CAI. Also, there is no significant difference between cerebral hemispheric preferences and attitudes toward CAI for students or faculty.
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