Multimedia Computer-Assisted Learning and It's Impacts on Student Achievement

Author: Chia-Chu Tung(Taipei Municipal Jen-Ai Junior High School, Taipei, Taiwan), Chun-Yen Chang(Department of Earth Sciences, National Taiwan Normal University), Chien-Hua Hsiao, Min-Kuo Dai(National Shi-Hu Senior High School, Taiwan)

Vol.&No.：Vol. 46, No.1
Date：October 2001
Pages：43-64
DOI：10.6300/JNTNU.2001.46.03

Abstract：

The purpose of this study was to develop the Multimedia Computer-Assisted Learning (MCAL) materials in earth science and examine the effects of the learning-section (LS) design and students' learning tracks and time on students' academic achievement. A total of 164 tenth-grade students, who were enrolled at a national senior high school located in the central region of Taiwan, participated in the study. The Achievement Test on the Debris-Flow Hazard（ATDFH, r_KR-21=.77~.81） which contains three sub-levels items of the cognitive domains (knowledge, comprehension, and application) was employed to assess student academic achievment. The ATDFH was administered to the participating students right before (pretest), immediately after (posttest), and 8 weeks after (retention test) the MCAL sessions, repectively. Results indicated that (1) students tended to spend more time in the video-type LS such as "Televisions" and "Computers" than the other LSs; (2) students who spent more than average time learning the MCAL or learning in the simulation-type "Field Trips" LS scored significantly higher than those who spent less than average time in learning the MCAL or learning in the same LS; (3) students who spent more than average time learning in the picture-type "Graphs" LS or photo-type "Field Trips" LS performed almost significantly better on the comprehension-level items than those who spent less than average time in these LSs; (4) students who scored lower on the pretest, but spent more than average time learning in the "Computers" LS could benefit significantly more than those who spent less than average time learning in the same LS; and (5) students who underwent "Reflection" or "Verification" learning experiences achieved significantly higher than those who did not. These findings suggest that the MCAL developed by us have promise in improving students' earth science content achievement. In addition, the scheme of the MCAL such as video, simulated "field trips", the learning process of reflection and verification could serve as design guidelines for future CAI development in earth science.

 

Keywords：Multimedia Computer-Assisted Learning, Earth Science, Secondary Education, Academic Achievement

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