Effective Uses of Technology-Assisted Instruction: An Investigation of Student Performance, Attendance, and Satisfaction

The usability of technology has put a new spin on education, redefining the role of educators and reshaping classroom learning experiences. A major movement today is the integration of technology into the classroom. Many universities, colleges, and community colleges are investing a great amount of money, effort, and training in developing innovative ways of using technology to increase student performance, learning, and satisfaction. This has resulted in the creation of multimedia classroom presentations, web-enhanced courses, online courses, and distance learning. However, research investigating the effectiveness of technology-assisted instruction has resulted in mixed findings. Some studies have found that integrating technology into the classroom creates a rich, effective, and efficient learning environment which improves student performance and learning (see Cronin, Meadows, & Sinatra, 1990; Funkhouser, 1993; George & Sleeth, 1996; Luna & McKenzie, 1997; Sammons, 1995; Sherry, Jesse, & Billig, 2002; Traynor, 2003; Zack, 1995). However, some studies have not shown a benefit in student performance and learning as a result of technology integration (see Avila, Biner, Bink, & Dean, 1995; Branton & Lee, 2003; Garrett, 1995; Guy & Frisby, 1992). In light of this mixed data, it is clearly evident that more research should be conducted to determine appropriate and effective uses of technology in education. When considering faculty workload, converting courses to multimedia presentations (e.g., PowerPoint) and web-enhanced courses (e.g., WebCT or BlackBoard.com) takes considerable time and effort. However, do these significant changes lead to improved student performance, learning, and satisfaction? The following study compared student performance, attendance, and satisfaction in General Psychology courses which were either technology-assisted using PowerPoint and WebCT or taught the traditional way using only a chalkboard. It may be the case that student performance will be better in the technology-assisted condition due to the rich learning environment. However, student performance in traditional condition may be better due to the activity of generating notes (i.e., the generation effect). Possible gender differences were also investigated.