Something New about Notetaking: A Computer-Based Instructional Experiment.

MF01/PC01 Plus Postage. Academic Achievement; *Computer Assisted Instruction; Computer Uses in Education; Higher Education; *Learning Strategies; *Notetaking; Programmed Instruction; Undergraduate Students Little research has been conducted related to the integration of notetaking as an instructional strategy into computer-based instruction (CBI) . This report studies the effect of computer-based notetaking on both achievement and instructional completion time. Background information is provided on both CBI and notetaking, and the problem of developing effective computer-based instruction is examined. A study was conducted where notetaking was added to computer-based instruction. The strategy involved forced notetaking where students were not allowed to advance instruction until notes had been taken. The purpose of the study was to test the effects on both achievement and time of forced notetaking and optional notetaking when incorporated into CBI. Eighty-one Eastern Illinois University undergraduate novice students participated in the first test, and 53 undergraduate expert students participated in the second test. Students were randomly assigned to one of three groups: forced notetaking, optional notetaking, or a control group with no notetaking. The lesson was an instructional unit on the human heart, accompanied by terminology and comprehension tests. Students were alluwed to review their notes before the tests were administered. Software was adapted to collect student responses during evaluation, collect typed notes, and keep track of time spent on the in3tructional unit. Results showed that achievement of the treatment groups, optional and forced notetakers, was significantly better than that of the control group, non-notetakers. The forced notetaking group performed slightly, yet statistically significantly, better on the posttest than the optional group. (Contains 16 references.) (MAS) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. * * ******************************************************************** 1995 ASCUE Proceedings Something New About Notetaking: A Computer-based Instructional Experiment Donald Armel School of Technology Eastern Illinois University Charleston, Illinois 61920 217-581-2216 cfdja@eiu.edu Introduction U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educattonal Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) o pus document has been reprOduced as recerved born the person or orgeruzahon orqpnahng . 1 C Mrnor changes have been made to moron* reproduchon Qualdy Points of vew or oprruons stated on this document do not necessanly represent othc,el OE RI POsrhon or policy Notetaking as an instructional strategy has had little research conducted related to its integration into computer-based instruction (CBI). The fashionable phrase related to CBI is interactive. Notetaking has been lauded for its ability to increase student activity in the learning process. It would seem a natural progression of notetaking to move into CBI, but documented studies and instructional development experiences are lacking. Notetaking has often been stuched determining the effects of its process or product attributes. Consideration is given to notetaking's media attribute by studying its effect on both achievement and instructional completion time when part of CBI. Computer-Based Instruction The focus for most current education research is centered around improving learning, and to do so, educators attempt to facilitate the information processing of the learner. In theory, the media by which instruction is delivered should not have an effect on thc learning process. Clark ( t983) attributes differences in learning from instruction delivered via different media more to the design of the instruction or to the novelty effects of new media. The challenge to education is to make media selections that are appropriate, cost effective, and which will provide the greatest educational benefit. Computers in education have proven themselves to be a very flexible medium, able to adapt to a variety of uses and thus offering instructional designers many attributes in one medium. When computer-based instruction is used for an individualized instruction setting, it offers students experiences which may only be available through a personal level of interaction. Research on computer-based instruction has generally shown that it is at least as effective as other instructional delivery methods but cannot claim to be better (Kulik, Bangert, & Williams, 1983); however, well developed computer based lessons can be effective instruction (Kulik, Kulik, & Schwalb, 1986). Notetaking Notetaking has been proven to be helpful with information processing (Ladas, 1985). Carrier (1983) found that teachers and students alike place a high degree of importance on notetaking as part of effective learning. Students almost universally employ notetaking during lecture, "even though they have never bccn explicitly instructcd to do so this seems to indicate that some importance is attached -PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY