ERIC Number: EJ1038545
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2013-Dec
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1059-0145
EISSN: N/A
The Effects of Study Tasks in a Computer-Based Chemistry Learning Environment
Urhahne, Detlef; Nick, Sabine; Poepping, Anna Christin; Schulz , Sarah Jayne
Journal of Science Education and Technology, v22 n6 p993-1003 Dec 2013
The present study examines the effects of different study tasks on the acquisition of knowledge about acids and bases in a computer-based learning environment. Three different task formats were selected to create three treatment conditions: learning with gap-fill and matching tasks, learning with multiple-choice tasks, and learning only from text and figures without any additional tasks. Participants were 196 ninth-grade students who learned with a self-developed multimedia program in a pretest-posttest control group design. Research results reveal that gap-fill and matching tasks were most effective in promoting knowledge acquisition, followed by multiple-choice tasks, and no tasks at all. The findings are in line with previous research on this topic. The effects can possibly be explained by the generation-recognition model, which predicts that gap-fill and matching tasks trigger more encompassing learning processes than multiple-choice tasks. It is concluded that instructional designers should incorporate more challenging study tasks for enhancing the effectiveness of computer-based learning environments.
Descriptors: Science Instruction, Chemistry, Knowledge Level, Scientific Concepts, Computer Assisted Instruction, Teaching Methods, Multiple Choice Tests, Learning Activities, Grade 9, Pretests Posttests, Multimedia Instruction, Control Groups, Comparative Analysis, Experimental Groups, Instructional Effectiveness, Learning Processes
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Grade 9; Junior High Schools; Middle Schools; Secondary Education; High Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A