The effects of different methods of teaching word processing on achievement of adult learners
Pan, Chyuan-an
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Permalink
https://hdl.handle.net/2142/21922
Description
Title
The effects of different methods of teaching word processing on achievement of adult learners
Author(s)
Pan, Chyuan-an
Issue Date
1991
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Waugh, Michael L.
Department of Study
Education
Discipline
Education
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
Education, Adult and Continuing
Education, Technology of
Education, Curriculum and Instruction
Language
eng
Abstract
The purpose of this study was two-fold: to compare the differences between students' learning achievements which would result from instructions by a Direct Instruction method and a Guided Exploration method; and to determine if interaction effects exist between the instructional methods and variables such as typing speed, attitudes toward computers, computer efficacy, learning preferences about the instructional methods, and cognitive styles of Field-Dependence/Independence. Forty-five adult beginning word processing users (14 males, 31 females) participated in an experiment to learn word processing (WordPerfect (c) Version 5). Each student was randomly assigned into one of nine small classes (ranging four to six people for each). Five of the classes were taught through a direct instruction, and another four classes were taught using a guided exploration approach. The Direction Instruction group received direct, step-by-step instructions for performing specific word processing tasks, and the Guided Exploration group received general demonstrations and limited help to learn specific word processing tasks through individual exploration. Both groups were taught the same topics in the same sequences by the same instructor.
Statistical analyses of the data (p $<$ 0.05) showed significant achievement differences between the two instructional groups which were in favor of the guided exploration approach. Moreover, there were significant interaction effects between cognitive learning styles, and field dependent students were found to benefit more from the guided-exploration method than from the direct instruction method. Students with better typing skills tended to achieve higher scores on the posttest. Extra time spent on practice did not seem to influence students' learning achievements. No significant interaction effects were found between instructional treatments and variables of computer efficacy scores, attitude scores, gender, learning preference scores, basic or advanced levels of word processing tasks and typing scores.
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