A Comparison of Different Formats for Presenting Example Problems in Basic Engineering Web-based Learning Modules

The purpose of this experiment was to compare three different formats for presenting example problems within Basic Engineering Web-Based learning modules. After seeing a lecture over the shear flow concept on-line, students in a Basic Engineering Class viewed example problems covering this topic in either a video, static text/graphic, or animation format. Students then completed a number of outcome measures. High ability students scored higher on a quiz covering the materials and rated the materials as less motivating than their low ability peers. However, there were no significant objective or subjective outcome differences as a function of presentation format, nor did ability and experimental condition interact. A number of possible explanations for these findings are discussed