Comments on applications of microcomputers in teaching

Castellan, N. John

doi:10.3758/bf03203830

Cited by 7 publications

(7 citation statements)

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“…Some views have been influenced by my experience as a judge for the EDUCOM software awards program-an experience that not only exposed me to a large variety of instructional applications and documentation of their evaluation, but gave me the opportunity to discuss and debate some of these ideas with others more insightful and experienced than I on matters dealing with the instructional application of technology and its evaluation. Although I have discussed the effective use of instructional technology and its evaluation before (e.g., Castellan, 1986Castellan, , 1987aCastellan, , 1988, I find that those earlier views must be refined and expanded in light of new developments and experience.The theme that I would like to stress is that the effective evaluation of instructional software and technology is a continuing and dynamic process that is never complete and may change in character over time. Traditional 233…”

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confidence: 99%

Evaluating information technology in teaching and learning

Castellan

1993

Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers

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The effectiveness of instructional technology depends on appropriate evaluation of the technology, with special focus on outcomes. Because evaluation assesses how effective the technology is in enabling learners to master a particular subject, what students learn becomes an important criterion for evaluation. But how and when to assess learning and comprehension is an important and continuing problem. This paper deals with strategic evaluation, which emphasizes technical accuracy, pedagogical soundness, substantive fidelity, integrative flexibility, and cyclic improvement. Effective strategic evaluation is a continuing process-ranging from querying immediate comprehension, to modifying instruction, to assessing long-term effects.The effectiveness of instruction depends on an appropriate evaluation of that instruction. Evaluation has several components, perhaps the most important of which is the evaluation of outcomes. As a result, what students learn becomes an important criterion for evaluation. But how and when to assess learning and comprehension is an important and continuing problem. Do we evaluate just at the time at which the student learns an important concept-say, at the end of a class; or at the end of the course-say, in a final exam; or by considering a portfolio of products that the student develops over a period of years? Clearly, the effective evaluation of instruction is a continuing process, which ranges from queries about immediate comprehension to the assessment of long-term effects.In this paper, I will sometimes appear to refer to instructional software and information technology interchangeably. This is not because I consider the two to be equivalent, but because the evaluation of instructional software has a long history, and it is sometimes simpler to refer to it. However, the use of instructional software is only a small part of the rapidly growing genre of information technologies used in instruction. While instructional software is one type of information technology that can be used in teaching and learning, information technology embraces a wide range of media, including software, CD-ROM, interactive video, and sound. As I survey the new information technologies that are available to educators, I am convinced that effective evaluation is essential, and some of the lessons that we have learned about the effective use of instructional software also apply to all aspects of information technology in education. Moreover, as new and more sophisticated information technologies become available, it is even more critical that Requests for reprints should be addressed to the author at the Department of Psychology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405 (e-mail: castellan@indiana.edu).appropriate evaluations be done if we are to make intelligent and effective use of the media.It is especially heartening to hear the discussion of evaluation presented in this session. Duncan (1993), Ransdell (1993), and Welsh (1993) have described not only the importance of evaluation, but the critical need for ...

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confidence: 99%

Evaluating information technology in teaching and learning

Castellan

1993

Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers

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“…Similar success with other psychophysiology systems, such as LabVIEW, has also been reported (Bates, 1991). The important factor is, as emphasized by Castellan (1988), that the computer and software have become tools for the student (rather than the professor); the technology is a servant to real research and inquiry. And though the "yield" ofpublishable results from these student-initiated projects may be low, nothing else can contribute as much to a student's scientific education.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 63%

Using microcomputer-based eeg to enable and encourage student-designed projects

Beagley

1998

Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers

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“…Comparisons were also made with performance on the exams from 2 previous years. The results indicate a significant enhancement of performance by CAL A number of logical, insightful articles have been written on how computers could, theoretically, be effectively used to teach advanced courses in psychology (e.g., Butler, 1988;Castellan, 1986Castellan, , 1988Eamon, 1986;Peterson, 1989). However, only limited research on the efficacy of computer-assisted instruction (CAl) has been published, and the research which has been conducted has yielded mixed results.…”

Section: Inmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…As Butler (1988) and Castellan (1988) have stated, it is essential to select software that is appropriate for a particular course. Toward this end, software that supports course objectives, including teaching appropriate content, is more likely to be effective.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

CAI-enhanced exam performance in a research design course

Duncan

1991

Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers

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. InThe efficacy of computer-assisted instruction (CAl) for increasing test performance in an experimental design course was tested using two commercially available programs to supplement course material. CAl was used to supplement course content for one of three examinations. Comparisons were also made with performance on the exams from 2 previous years. The results indicate a significant enhancement of performance by CAL A number of logical, insightful articles have been written on how computers could, theoretically, be effectively used to teach advanced courses in psychology (e.g., Butler, 1988;Castellan, 1986Castellan, , 1988Eamon, 1986;Peterson, 1989). However, only limited research on the efficacy of computer-assisted instruction (CAl) has been published, and the research which has been conducted has yielded mixed results. Some (Belmore, 1983; Goolkasian, 1989;Lowman, 1990;Ware & Chastain, 1989) have found no effect of CAl on performance criteria when compared with that obtained with other methods of teaching. Other investigations have shown an enhanced effect of CAl on performance (Petty & Rosen, 1990Rosen, , 1991, on attitudes toward the course supported by CAl (Goolkasian, 1989;Ware & Chastain, 1989), and on attitudes toward computers (Spivey, 1983). Welsh and Null (1991) found that traditional methods of teaching a laboratory component in a research design course were superior to computerbased methods of teaching.Although a meta analysis on the effectiveness of CAl at the college level found moderate effects (Kulik & Kulik, 1987), the statement by Eamon (1986) that "there is precious little research showing that computer assisted instruction in psychology laboratory courses makes any difference at all," constitutes a valid summary of the present situation.Given the expense and time required to implement CAl, it is imperative that more applied research be conducted to determine its efficacy. The research presented here describes the use and effectiveness of CAl in a laboratory course in research design. METHOD SubjectsThe subjects were 139 junior and senior psychology majors enrolled in an advanced course in research design.This research was partially supported by Grant P120A80053 from the Minority Science Improvement Program of the Department of Education. The author wishes to thank Perry Duncan for his editorial comments and Benton Gardner for assistance in data entry. Requests for reprints should be sent to Nancy C. Duncan, Department of Psychology, Hampton University, Hampton, VA 23668. Software and ApparatusTwo software packages written by Fazio andBackler (1986, 1987) and available from CONDUIT, Power and Main Effects and Interactions, were used to teach concepts of research design. Power, a simulation based on an actual experiment, provides for the manipulation of six design features (increasing sample size, matching, use of aggregate measures, homogeneity of the sample, including an important source of variation as an independent variable and use of a pretest) to demonstrate how the power of an...

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Comments on applications of microcomputers in teaching

Cited by 7 publications

References 10 publications

Evaluating information technology in teaching and learning

Evaluating information technology in teaching and learning

Using microcomputer-based eeg to enable and encourage student-designed projects

CAI-enhanced exam performance in a research design course

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