EFFECTS OF INSTRUCTIONAL PACE AND TASK ELABORATION ON GERIATRIC CLIENTS' LEARNING ABOUT MEDICATION (NURSING).
Contributors: University of Florida.
Published: 1985
Number of pages: 122
Subjects: Education, Health.; Gerontology.
Description: The purpose of this study was to determine whether slowing the pace of medication instruction delivery, or increasing the preciseness of task elaborations, or an interaction of the two factors could be effective in facilitating learning for noninstitutionalized geriatric clients. The effects of verbal instructional pace and task elaboration precision were assessed using an instructional program of diuretic medication information designed for use with older learners.

The investigation took place in an urban retirement community of 500 older adults responsible for independent management of their medication regimens. Residents meeting sample selection criteria of a minimum age of 62 years, ability to use the English language, mental status orientation, and absence of uncorrected sensory impairments (N = 20) volunteered participation. The typical subject was female, 77 years old, and took two prescription medications. The investigator developed a multiple-choice examination to measure subjects' knowledge about diuretic medication at pretesting and posttesting. Pretest scores served as a covariate to control for differences in subjects' initial levels of medication knowledge. Two independent variables, each with two levels, were studied. Slow and normal pace of instruction and precise and imprecise task elaboration were the levels investigated. The dependent variable was the posttest score of diuretic medication knowledge.

The instructional factors of pace and task elaboration precision were tested through an experimental multigroup pretest-posttest design. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of four treatment conditions: normal pace/imprecise elaboration, normal pace/precise elaboration, slow pace/imprecise elaboration, and slow pace/precise elaboration. The normal pace/imprecise elaboration treatment served as a control representing the usual method of client health teaching.

Data were analyzed using a two-way analysis of covariance. Although at the .05 level no treatment effects due to instructional pace, task elaboration precision, or an interaction of the two factors were statistically significant, a trend in the observed means supported the inference of the effectiveness of a slow instructional pace and precise task elaboration. Additional research substantiation of the factors of pace of instruction and task elaboration precision with older learners is indicated.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 46-09, Section: A, page: 2577.

Thesis (PH.D.)--UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA, 1985.

School code: 0070.