The Effects of Online Multimedia Project Development Learning Style and Prior Computer Experiences on Teachers Attitudes Toward the Internet and Hypermedia Author Carol Bates Source Journal of Research on Computing in Education Summer 99 Vol 31 Issue 4 p 341 Authors Takacs J Reed W Wells J G Dombrowski L Abstract The study was based on the effects of online multimedia project development learning style and prior computer experiences on teachers attitudes toward the Internet and hypermedia The purpose of the study was to determine if various learning styles and prior computer experience had a significant effect on teachers attitudes toward the Internet and hypermedia Thirteen teachers at West Virginia University who were attending a workshop on developing online courses for their classrooms participated in the study The study revealed that teachers attitudes toward the Internet changed nominally Changes in teachers attitudes toward hypermedia were significant Learning style did not have a measurable effect on either Internet or hypermedia attitudes The Internet and Multimedia Graphical browsers allow users to transfer graphics sounds and full motion video The Internet provides a nonlinear multimedia environment Multimedia hooks students through the use of sight sound and response Farmer 1995 Multimedia environment can be very motivating Educators now understand that learning is no longer a linear process The greatest constraint to incorporating the Internet into the classroom is time Multimedia based instruction appeals to different learning styles Learner Characteristics Differences in learning styles are a result of life experiences and present environment Kolb 1985 Teachers must address their students preferred learning styles when integrating technology into classroom instruction The LSI Learning Style Inventory instrument is one way of determining learning style Students score significantly higher on tests when taught with strategies that compliment their learning styles Brudness Carpenter 1990 According to Kolb 1985 there are four learning styles converger diverger assimilator accommodator World Wide Web Do not assume that your students final creation will be paper output Engst 1996 Expect your students to create Webbased journals virtual field trips and other multimedia productions Research Questions Will teachers attitudes toward the Internet and hypermedia be significantly changed as a result of attending a threeweek institute Does a teachers prior computer experiences effect their attitudes toward using the Internet and hypermedia Will the teachers learning styles influence their decisions to use the Internet and hypermedia Design of the Study Sample Thirteen teachers participated in this project sponsored by Bell Atlantic and the College of Human Resources and Education at West Virginia University Independent Variables Treatment Training Project development Instructors were assigned the task of creating an HTML Web page Assistance was provided as needed The presentation software used was Adobe Persuasion Instructors received training with QuickCam Instructors received training in the use of storyboarding Prior Computer Experiences A demographic instrument was used to determine the instructors level of computer experience on nine different computer skills general computer experience content area software word processing databases spreadsheets programming authoring hypermedia and the Internet Analyses of data was only based on experience related to online multimedia development programming authoring hypermedia uses and Internet use Learning Styles The learning styles of the thirteen instructors were categorized using the LSI instrument The sample included Five convergers Five accommodators Two assimilators One diverger Procedures The instructors responded to the Stages of Concern Internet and the Stages of Concern hypermedia instruments at the beginning of the institute and again at the end I am concerned about how hypermedia will affect me Analysis of the Data Paired t tests were conducted to determine if three days of intense training using online multimedia product development effected the teachers attitudes toward incorporating the Internet and hypermedia into their classroom instruction Multiple regressions were conducted to determine what effects prior computer experiences had on the attitudes of the teachers towards using the Internet and hypermedia Results The test results showed The dominant predictor of hypermedia attitudes few significant was hypermedia relationship between experience internet experience and Prior hypermedia internet attitudes and experience was the best no relationships with predictor of Internet internet experience and and hypermedia hypermedia attitudes attitudes Effect of Learning Style on Internet and Hypermedia Attitudes Learning styles of instructors had no effect on their attitudes toward using the Internet or hypermedia Summary The Internet is becoming more common in schools and teachers need access to multimedia instructional models One way to increase the development of multimedia instructional models is to train teachers to develop them This study provides guidance in designing professional development for teachers The study defines some of the factors that may affect instructors attitudes toward the use and creation of online multimedia curriculum References Engst T 1996 Bits rule The TidBits E Zine Online Document Available http wais sensei com su macarc tidbits 1996 TidBITS 311 22 Jan 96 html Kolb D A 1985 Learning style inventory Boston MA McBer and Company
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