USING COMPUTER-ASSISTED-INSTRUCTION TO TEACH AXIS-II OF THE DSM-III-RTO SOCIAL-WORK STUDENTS

An Apple Macintosh HyperCard interactive educational program was desig ned to train social work graduate students in making accurate diagnose s with DSM-III-R Axis II diagnostic criteria. The teaching efficacy of this hypermedia program (HyperAxis II) was tested in an experiment in which 22 first-year social work graduate students were randomly assig ned to one of two groups. One group used HyperAxis II, whereas the sec ond group used a training manual containing the same information. Both groups had statistically significant increases in diagnostic speed an d accuracy. Although the HyperAxis II group rated the computer program more difficult to use than the control group rated the training manua l, they demonstrated significantly stronger liking for the computer pr ogram as an instructional medium.