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To cite this article: Paul M. Biner (1993) The development of an instrument to measure student attitudes toward televised courses

Window preference research on a few settings has found that windows are generally preferred and that larger windows are preferred over smaller ones. No theoretical model of window preferences, however, has been proposed. The present experiment was designed to investigate window preferences across a large variety of common spaces and to examine reasons orfactors that may underlie these preferences with the ultimate goal of predicting them. Window preferences, in terms of size, number, and degree of transparency were made for 14 common spaces. Subjects then indicated the factors underlying their specific preferences from a list of 18 potential factors. Results showed that both window preferences and factors vary more widely than previous research would indicate. More important, however, it was demonstrated that the amount of windows desired in a space can be reliably predicted by knowing how important specific factors (e.g., having a view or good ventilation) are to individuals in that space.

Undergraduate college students in seventeen live, interactive telecourses at sixty-eight remote sites were asked to report their satisfaction with various facets of their telecourses, as well as their overall satisfaction with the courses. In addition, an index of relative performance was calculated for each student in which achievement in the current telecourse was compared to prior overall academic achievement. Results showed that remote-site group size (i.e., the number of individuals taking a course at a given site) significantly predicted satisfaction with all facets of the courses, overall satisfaction with the courses, and relative performance. Students attending class sessions with fewer students reported being more satisfied with the courses and were more likely to perform at levels exceeding their previous academic performance than students attending the sessions with a greater number of students. Practical and theoretical implications of these results are discussed.

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