The effects of two modes of instructional delivery: Two-way forward facing interactive television and traditional classroom on attitudes, motivation, on-task/off-task behavior and final exam grades of students enrolled in Humanities courses.

This study compared learning outcomes, motivation, attitude, and on-task/off-task behaviors of students in the same Humanities course presented in two environments: classrooms using two way forward facing video and audio interactive television (ITV) and traditional classroom. This study assumed ITV would be of practical use if it produced results equivalent to a traditional classroom. Students were enrolled in three sections of a Humanities course taught by the same teacher. One group (n = 29) received instruction in a traditional classroom and the other two groups in ITV host (n = 6) and remote (n = 9) classrooms. The distance learning classroom configuration was unique with the teacher located behind students. Students received instruction from the monitor at the front of the classroom with interaction at both the host and remote site available through the forward facing ITV technology. Students were evaluated using the School Attitude Measure, instructor-developed Knowledge of Humanities test, final exam grades and observed on-task/off-task behaviors. Three research questions, comparing student outcomes, motivation, and attitudes, were assessed with analysis of covariance. Planned comparisons between traditional classroom and ITV classrooms and remote and host ITV classroom were conducted for each variable. Group equivalencies were addressed using a criterion based on both statistical probabilities and effect sizes. Using this criterion, classes were found to be equivalent on all measures of student outcomes. The fourth research question concerned student behavior. The percentage of off-task behaviors for the traditional classroom and ITV classrooms taken together showed the traditional classroom exhibited more off-task behaviors. The chi square on ITV remote classroom versus ITV host classroom was not significant. The percentage of on-task/off-task behaviors showed no differences, but ITV classrooms experienced fewer off-task behaviors which may have been a function of the greater number of students in the traditional classroom versus the ITV classrooms. As a result of this study, it appears forward facing distance learning may be a viable method of instruction for students and content similar to that explored here. Additional research is needed to determine reliability and generalizability of these results.Doctor of Education (EdD)EducationUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/103169/1/9308254.pdfDescription of 9308254.pdf : Restricted to UM users only