A Comparison of Computer-Assisted Instruction and the Traditional Method of Teaching Basic Statistics

Carmelita Y. Ragasa University of the East Manila
Journal of Statistics Education Volume 16, Number 1 (2008), www.amstat.org/publications/jse/v16n1/ragasa.html
Copyright © 2008 by Carmelita Y. Ragasa all rights reserved.

Abstract.
The objective of the study is to determine if there is a significant difference in the effects of the treatment and control groups on achievement as well as on attitude as measured by the posttest. A class of 38 sophomore college students in the basic statistics taught with the use of computer-assisted instruction and another class of 15 students with the use of the traditional method from the University of the East, Manila (SY 2003-2004) were the focus of this study. The research method used was the quasi-experimental, non-equivalent control group design. The statistical tool was the Multiple Analysis of Covariance. The researcher made use of the CD-ROM prepared by Math Advantage (1997) to serve as the teaching medium for the experimental group. The following summarizes the findings of the study. The achievement posttest of the treatment group has higher estimated marginal means than the control group and it is reversed in the attitude posttest. Using Hotelling’s Trace for the multivariate test, the achievement pretest, attitude pretest, and the two groups have a significant effect on the dependent variables, achievement posttest and attitude posttest. Using covariates to control for the effects of additional variables that might affect performance the attitude pretest accounts for about 56% of the variability in the two groups while achievement pretest about 15%. Levene’s test shows that the homogeneity of variances assumption between the two groups is met for achievement posttest but not for attitude posttest. The univariate effects for achievement posttest that are significant are achievement pretest, college entrance test overall score, and groups. The univariate effects that are significant for attitude posttest are attitude pretest and high school general weighted average.

Keywords: Descriptive statistics; Multimedia; Learning.

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