Instruction via an Intelligent Videodisc System versus Classroom Instruction for Beginning College French Students. A Comparative Experiment

摘要

This study investigated the effectiveness of two instructional methods, videodisc instruction and classroom instruction. The experiment was conducted at the United States Air Force Academy. Subjects were cadets enrolled in the first semester beginning French course. The cadets were randomly assigned to three treatment groups: (1) Videodisc Instruction, (2) Classroom instruction, (3) No instruction (Control). Group 1 received instruction via an intelligent videodisc system that included a videodisc player interfaced to a microcomputer and courseware designed for beginning language students. The Classroom group received instruction over exactly the same materials in a normal classroom setting. Group 3 received no instruction. Students in Groups 1 and 2 received ninety minutes of instruction. Students in all three groups took a 28-item multiple choice/completion posttest. Although the mean score of the Videodisc Group was higher than the mean score for the Classroom group, the difference was not large enough to be statistically significant. Analysis of the survey responses indicated very positive student attitudes toward the videodisc system. The results of the study provide empirical support for the underlying assumption of this research: An intelligent videodisc system can be used to provide instruction for certain basic components of language learning which are prerequisite to communication.