Downloads & Free Reading Options - Results

A study was conducted to determine how verbal instruction could be supplemented by visuals, and in particular, how to take pedagogical advantage of the excellent capabilities of the PLATO 4 computer-based instructional system. Literature research disclosed little previous information of value on the subject. Three versions of a lesson on the sine-ratio concept were prepared, one with verbal text supplemented with animated graphics, one supplemented with still graphics, and one without graphics (text only). Forty-five students from the Basic Electrivity/Electronics School at the Naval Training Center (NTC), San Diego, were randomly assigned to the three versions. A comparison of the pretest and posttest mean scores for each group revealed learning took place in each group, and a questionnaire administered after the posttest revealed that the students gave positive ratings to the instructional materials and presentations. The groups did not differ in time required for training. On the posttest, the animated graphics group had the highest mean performance, but none of the differences between groups were significant. It was concluded that these results are consistent with previous findings suggesting that graphics are more useful for teaching concepts involving time and motion than for concepts involving space, and more useful for tasks involving stimulus identification than for tasks involving terminology or comprehension.