Effect Of Supporting Computer Based Instruction With A Paper Based Worksheet On The Performance Of 5 Th Graders

Abstract NOTE: The first page of text has been automatically extracted and included below in lieu of an abstract Effect of Supporting Computer-based Instruction with a Paper- based Worksheet on the Performance of 5th Graders Abstract The use of computer-based instructional technologies in educational settings has created a debate on the possibility of computer technology completely replacing traditional methods of teaching and learning. While supporters of this notion have based their arguments on the effectiveness of computer-based instruction, others have argued that the effectiveness can be better harnessed if used in conjunction with traditional methods of instruction. This study explores the effect of providing a supplemental paper-based worksheet to a self- instructional interactive CD ROM on the performance of students in an elementary science class. Data were collected by means of a pre- and post-test experiment on a 5th grade science class (N=91). The school’s administration had previously divided the class into four periods on the basis of the students’ academic abilities. Period 1 is the group of least achieving students and Period 4 the most achieving students. The specific objectives of the study were to determine if a supplemental paper-based worksheet when coupled with an interactive CDROM improved the performance of 5th graders, and, if the impact of the supplemental worksheet differed across periods. For the purpose of this study each period was randomly divided into control and experimental groups. While the experimental groups worked with both the self-instructional interactive CD ROM and paper-based worksheet, the control groups worked only with the interactive CD ROM. Performance was measured by calculating the difference between the scores of the students in the pre- and post-tests. The results revealed that there was a significant difference between the control and experimental groups (P=0.0132) A two way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) showed that class period had no significant effect on the performance of the students (P=0.0674). Likewise, the result showed that there was no interaction between the use of the worksheet and class periods (P=0.1772) The study concludes that supplementing a CD ROM with a paper-based worksheet may improve the performance of students. The result of this study fills an existing research gap. Most of the experimental research on computer-aided learning involved the comparison of learners using computer-based instruction with learners using traditional methods. There have been very few experimental studies comparing groups of learners using computer-based instruction with learners using both computer-based and traditional paper-based instruction. Introduction The rapid development of information and communication technologies continues to have a major influence on the education of all students. Computer-based educational technologies have been tested and proven to enhance teaching and learning in American classrooms. In particular, Computer Based Instruction (CBI) has been used to enhance self directed learning in educational settings. The advantages of this form of instruction can not be overemphasized. For example,