A comparison of a multimedia Wiki‐based class text and a traditional textbook

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide an improved understanding of how a wiki text compares to the use of a traditional text, and to provide an improved understanding of how integrating audio and video into a learner‐created wiki class text impacts learning.Design/methodology/approachFor this case study, a causal comparative research design was used to compare students’ learning between the two groups. A one‐way multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was used to analyze the quantitative data. Cognitive learning, affective learning, psychomotor learning, and course points were used as dependent variables.FindingsFindings of the present study provided evidence that there was a significant difference in the learning, affective learning and psychomotor learning between the two groups; students who used the learner‐created multimedia wiki text reported higher levels of learning than the learners who used the traditional text book. No significant difference existed between groups in terms of course points.Research limitations/implicationsThe ability to generalize these findings beyond the present study are limited, since the study examined one course at one university taught by the same instructor. Since the sample was predominately Caucasian females, the result may not generalize to males and other ethnicities. The sample size was small. No experimental control was exercised in this study; therefore, a cause and effect relationship could not be confirmed. Only a possible cause and effect could be determined. Although the participants in each section were similar in demographics, academic achievement, and reason for taking the course, the selection threat due to non equivalent groups is a concern. Although, by using a web‐based survey, participants may have been more honest and felt safer to disclose attitudes and feelings, the self‐report instruments is a limitation. Finally, although migrated by the significant results and moderately large effect sizes, the assumption of the homogeneity of variance‐covariance was not tenable; thus, increasing the possibility of a Type I error.Practical implicationsThis study provided evidence for the adoption of learner‐created, multimedia wiki texts as a replacement or supplement to traditional textbooks in higher education. The results demonstrated that learner‐created, multimedia wiki texts are able to support academic achievement as well as traditional textbooks and that students perceive them as superior for cognitive, affective, and psychomotor learning.Originality/valueWhile a number of practitioners have described instructional uses for online technologies and many researchers have evaluated learners and faculty satisfaction and perceptions of them, fewer studies have focused upon the impact of web‐supported learning activities on academic success and learning outcomes and even fewer have focused on multimedia web‐supported learning activities. Higher education learning tasks, both traditional and web‐based, have been dominated by “rudimentary, text‐based”. Thus, a need exists to evaluate the ability of multimedia web‐based technologies to support learning tasks.