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Effects on children's achievement and curiosity of variations in learner control over an interactive video lesson

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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of variations in learner control on children's level of curiosity and learning from computer-based interactive video (CBIV). The content was presented as a videodisc visit to an art museum and contained both facts and concepts. A posttest-only control group design was employed with 101 first-and second-grade subjects randomly assigned to one of three experimental conditions—Program Control, Learner Control, Learner Control with Advisement—or a control group. The dependent variables were achievement and three measures of curiosity. Children in the Learner Control with Advisement group scored significantly higher on the achievement posttest than the Learner Control subjects or control group. No differences were found between the Program Control and either of the Learner Control groups. For the curiosity measures, the Learner Control with Advisement subjects scored significantly higher than the control group on Content Exploration, and the subjects in the control group scored significantly higher than those in the Program Control group on Persistence.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. the Department of Instructional Design, Development and Evaluation, Syracuse University, USA

    Marilyn P. Arnone

  2. Adult Education and Instructional Systems, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, USA

    Barbara L. Grabowski

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  1. Marilyn P. Arnone
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  2. Barbara L. Grabowski
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Arnone, M.P., Grabowski, B.L. Effects on children's achievement and curiosity of variations in learner control over an interactive video lesson. ETR&D 40, 15–27 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02296702

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