An Interactive Multimedia Instructional Program on Statistics: An Instance of Design-Based Research

• In Event: Research Contributions to Real Learning Contexts: Shaping Ideas, Enhancing Authenticity, Providing Feedback, and Increasing Motivation

Abstract

Students’ fail or demonstrate slow progress in research methods and basic statistics courses if they have difficulty on identifying different types of variables. A web-based interactive multimedia instructional program for bringing them up to speed on this topic was designed and evaluated for effectiveness with 90 undergraduate college students. A significant effect of this program on students’ knowledge gain was determined. Careful consideration of the elements that made the teaching principles effective was taken by: (1) grounding the instructional design approach in cognitive psychology; and (2) collecting empirical data to validate the program features and instructional design methods used.

Authors

• Natalya Koehler, Iowa State University

• Ann D. Thompson, Iowa State University

• Ana-Paula Correia, Iowa State University

• Linda Serra Hagedorn, Iowa State University