The influence of a multimedia physics tutor and user differences on the development of scientific knowledge

Abstract

This research examines high school students' performance on an interactive multimedia tutorial for learning physics concepts in conjunction with their individual differences. Students' performance were compared between two sections of the tutorial, the initial portion where the students learned concepts and the final portion that required the students to apply the concepts. Results indicated students most troubled with the concepts exhibited their best performance in conjunction with learning the concepts and with less abstract material presented early in each program segment. Also, students exhibiting right-hemispheric preferences (global, intuitive), performed better than left-hemispheric (i.e., linear, sequential, logical) students in the initial phase of the tutorial. These findings counter previous research associating left-hemispheric preferences with computer aptitude, and are discussed in terms of the special demands of working with computers for instructional, rather than programming purposes. The final phase of the tutorial appeared to be more difficult for all students. Implications in terms of the design of future student models for interactive multimedia tutorials that take into account individual differences are discussed. Recommendations for future research that explores the development of mental models of scientific phenomena via instructional strategies appealing to visual or verbal cognitive processing are suggested.