Evaluating the instructional efficacy of computer-mediated interactive multimedia: Comparing three elementary statistics tutorial modules

This study evaluated three tutorial modules, equivalent in content but diff erent in mode of presentation, for introducing elementary statistics concep ts. In a single session, fifty-seven college students participated in one o f four randomly assigned conditions: paper-and-pencil, basic computerized, computerized multimedia, or control group. Participants completed a demogra phic questionnaire, a survey of attitudes toward math and computers, the Pe rsonal Need for Structure (PNS) scale, a basic math proficiency test, an ev aluation of assigned module, and a post test statistical comprehension test . The results suggested that participant evaluations of the modules were co mparably positive. Although participants in the modules performed significa ntly better on the statistical comprehension posttest than those in the con trol group, there were no significant differences between the modules. The basic computerized module took significantly less time to complete than the other modules.