Katia Passerini, 
Doctoral Candidate in the Information and Decisions Systems, pkatia@gwu.edu

There is an on-going controversy in the literature dealing with the question of the learning effectiveness of instructional technology. In the last three decades, every time a new instructional technology has come about, researchers have tried to assess its impact on learning. Some scholars (Kozma, 1991) claim that media influences learning. Many others (Clark, 1983, 1985, 1991, 1994; Souder, 1993; Martin & Rainey, 1993; Barry & Runyan, 1995; McClure, 1996) claim that there is no difference in learning outcomes based on the medium. Few scholars (Moore & Kearsley, 1996) argue that researchers should not be asking effectiveness questions because “for any group of students, the environment in which learning occurs and the medium of communication between the teacher and the learners are not significant as predictors of achievement” (pg. 65). More recently, others (Jones & Paolucci, 1998) are calling for further research. There is no final answer yet. In spite of the several studies (Nugent, 1982; Mayer & Anderson,1991) and meta-analyses (Hartley, 1977; Burns & Bozeman, 1981; Kulik & Bangert-Drowns, 1983, Bosco, 1986; Kulik, Kulik & Shwalb, 1986; Kulik & Kulik, 1989, 1991; Roblyer, Castine & King, 1988; Kulik, 1994; Khalili & Shashaani, 1994; Fletcher-Flinn & Gravatt, 1995;) competing to answer the question: “do computers and other related technologies make a difference in learning?” this controversy is still alive. Theoretical Background

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Research Goals and Methodology

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There are three main goals associated with this research:

1.The elaboration of a simplified theoretical model to assess learning.

2.The application of a research methodology that overcomes limitations – such as temporal and instructor-based biases - of earlier studies.

3.The delineation of a task-driven matrix on the comparative advantages of different instructional environments.

 
To achieve these goals, the dissertation applies a quasi-experimental design, which involves one factor (learning project management topics such as scheduling tools and change control) with three treatments (learning from the in-class lecture, reading the textbook, or using the interactive multimedia CD-ROM). The participants in the study are graduates and undergraduates enrolled in business administration degree programs at a major University in the East Coast. The study is replicated, under comparable conditions, with the two groups. The purpose of the replication is to investigate whether effectiveness (in recall and application tasks) and satisfaction vary by age (graduate and undergraduate), and by subject topic characteristics (complexity). The latter include topics such as ‘scheduling tools’ (higher complexity topic, or ‘hard-topic’) and ‘change control” (lower complexity topic, or ‘soft-topic’) – where complexity definition is based on a well know cognitive taxonomy (Bloom 1953).

The main and secondary research questions focus on performance and behavioral outcomes:

§Question 1.1: Which environment is more effective at achieving the learning objectives of recall or application?

§Question 1.2: Which environment is more effective at delivering a low-complexity and high-complexity topic?

§Question 2.1: Which environment, if any, is more appealing to graduates and undergraduates?

 
Figure 2 presents the learning model tested in the dissertation, and summarizes the expected media relationships developed on the basis of an extensive review of the literature.

To test the model presented in Figure 2, several univariate and multivariate data analysis techniques are employed. In addition, exploratory factor analysis is used to identify the underlying model, the number of factors in the model, and the variables associated with each factor. The expectation is that the analysis supports at least a 2-factor model (the recall and application groupings), although it may support other combinations and explain knowledge hierarchies.  Expected Contributions

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This research contributes to research on technology effectiveness in several ways:

§Offering an actionable theoretical framework that integrates different learning models, enabling the research to draw conclusions on the comparative effects of the medium as a whole, rather than on the individual components, methods, or specific media characteristics.