A comparative study involving two approaches to documenting computer software for mathematics teaching programs

UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Talmon Clifton Blood (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/
Advisor
Keith Wright

Abstract: This comparative study was conducted to determine how college mathematics students respond to instructions that are primarily text as compared with instructions that are primarily illustrations. The sample consisted of 50 students enrolled in mathematics classes at Forsyth Technical Community College during August 1993. A pretest survey was used to balance the treatment groups in terms of gender, age, and computer experience. The test consisted of two treatments: 1) Completing tasks on IBM's Mathematics Toolkit using directions that were traditionally textual. 2) Completing the same tasks using directions that were primarily pictorial. Test data consisted of the time it took each subject to complete the task and the number of correct responses on the task. Post test data consisted of answers to an attitude survey which was administered immediately after the test. Analysis of the attitude survey focused on: 1) the ability of subjects to coordinate the documentation with the computer screen and 2) the subjects' judgement between the documentation used in the test and other computer documentation used by the subject.

Additional Information

Publication
Dissertation
Language: English
Date: 1994
Subjects
Mathematics $x Study and teaching (Higher)
Computer software $x Evaluation

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