The Effectiveness of Computer-Assisted Instruction in Teaching Tennis Rules and Strategies

Abstract

This study assessed the effectiveness of computer-assisted instruction in teaching tennis rules and strategies. The subjects were enrolled in two beginning tennis classes at The Pennsylvania State University. The control group (n=24) received instruction by traditional means. The experimental group (n=19) received no instruction on tennis rules and strategies during regular class periods but did interact with computer-assisted tutorials during two scheduled classes. A written test was used to measure learning and was administered during pretest, posttest, and retest. A two-factor analysis of variance with repeated measures on one factor (ANOVR) was employed to determine significant differences between mean performances. The between-groups analysis and the interaction analysis were not significant, but the within-group analysis revealed an F ratio of 99.72 (p<.001). It was concluded that both groups learned tennis rules and strategies significantly from the pretest to the posttest, their learning performance on the retest differed significantly from pretest administration but not from posttest to the retest, and there was no significant difference between the performance of either group on all three testing occasions.