Browsing by Author "Fournier, Randolph S."

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    Students' performance on a paper-mediated versus multimedia tutorial for learning networking concepts
    Brown, Herbert Franklin III (Virginia Tech, 1996-12-09)
    This study was designed to determine the degree to which learner affective and personal characteristics affect student achievement through multimedia and paper-mediated instruction. Two research questions were examined: (a) Is there a difference in gain between pretest and post test for the paper-mediated instruction group and the multimedia instruction group; (b) What is the effect of paper-mediated and multimedia instruction on achievement, when controlling for affective and personal characteristics? The statistical procedures used to examine the research questions were dependent t-tests and analysis of covariance. Participants were 61 students from four classes enrolled in introductory computer classes in a high school in the Roanoke region of Virginia. The classes were randomly assigned to either a paper-mediated or multimedia treatment. Procedures involved having the participants from both groups complete five stages, either on paper or on the computer, based on group assignment. First, they completed a personal characteristics form. Second, they completed an attitude toward computers Likert-type scale, consisting of four subscales (anxiety, confidence, liking, usefulness). Third, they completed a 20-question pretest on networking terminology. Fourth, they reviewed instructional material in either a paper or multimedia presentation form. Upon completion of the paper or multimedia computer tutorial, the participants completed a 20-item posttest on networking terminology. Based on the results of two dependent t-tests on the pretest and posttest for each treatment group, students did realize a gain in achievement from the pretest to posttest in both groups. In testing research question two, the analysis of covariance revealed a significant treatment effect and gender as a significant covariate. Students in the paper-mediated group performed better than those in the multimedia group. Females performed higher regardless of the treatment group.
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    Voice input technology: learning style and attitude toward its use
    Fournier, Randolph S. (Virginia Tech, 1993-06-05)
    This study was designed to investigate whether learning style and attitudes toward voice input technology were related to performance in using the technology. Three null hypotheses were tested: (a) No differences exist in the performance in dictating a paragraph using voice input for individuals with different learning styles; (b) No differences exist in attitude toward voice input for individuals with different learning styles; and (c) No interaction exists for the performance scores for individuals with different learning styles and different attitudes toward voice input technology. The statistical procedure used to examine the hypotheses was analysis of variance. Participants were 50 students preparing to become vocational teachers enrolled in vocational education courses at Virginia Tech. Procedures involved having the participants complete three stages. First, they completed the Gregorc Style Delineator (GSD) learning style instrument. Due to a lack of individuals of one learning style category, abstract sequential (AS), only three learning style categories were used in the study. Second, they completed a background information sheet. Third, they participated in the voice-input training and dictation phase. Each student completed a one-hour session that included training, practice using voice input, and dictating a paragraph. Participants also completed the Attitude Toward Voice Input Scale developed by the researcher. It includes 21 attitude statements, 11 positively worded and 10 negatively worded. The first hypothesis was not rejected. A student's learning style does not relate to the performance of the student when dictating a paragraph using voice input technology. The second hypothesis was not rejected either. A student's attitude toward voice input technology was not related to learning style. The third hypothesis was also not rejected. A student's learning style, regardless of whether the student had a "high" or "low" attitude toward voice input, was not significantly related to performance in using voice input technology. However, the mean performance scores of individuals with concrete sequential (CS) learning styles with "high" and "low" attitudes did appear to be different. Those with "high" attitudes toward voice input had better performance scores than those with "low" attitudes toward the technology.