Article Critique Hove, M., & Corcoran, K. J. (2008). Educational Technologies: Impact on Learning and Frustration.

Teaching Of Psychology, 35(2), 121-125. Summary of Article Introduction The learning outcome has been influenced as educators replacing traditional lectures with educational technology to their postsecondary level curriculum. However, research has shown more frustration among college students who are exposed to slide show-supplemented lectures and virtual learning. Assumption The main assumption in the article is that students who are exposed to high technology or virtual learning environment in the classroom tend to have a higher level of frustration than students who are exposed to low technology or traditional learning environment. Subject For this research study 154 (78 woman, 76 men) undergraduate students, raging from 18 to 24 years old were selected to meet 2-hour required research participation associated with a psychology class. Instrument In this research study an academic pretest and posttest, self report measure of frustration, and debriefing method was used. The pretest and posttest contained a total of 30 multiple-choice questions concerning the conformity and obedience that was obtained from the introductory psychology textbook by Kassin (1998). Researchers used videotape to randomly record experimental lecture sessions with use of MOVANO to better examine the teaching style; and debriefing at the end of each experimental lecture session.

Hypothesis The hypothesis is not quit clear in this research, yet the researchers stated their primary goal that was to investigate three main methods of instructions such as traditional lecture (TL), slide-show-supplemented lecture (SSL), and virtual learning environment (VLE) in the postsecondary level classroom setting to identify which method creates a better learning experience and cause greater frustration among the college students. Procedure In this research, researchers randomly videotaped two of the four traditional lecture sessions and two of the slide show-supplemented lecture sessions thus differences in the teaching style could be identified. During the 2 hour required research study associated with a psychology class session, participants were required to complete informed consent, an academic pretest, and a demographic questionnaire before the instructor randomly assign the individuals to TL, SSL, and VLE experimental lecture conditions. First, during the first 40-minute lecture, participants received a presentation from the instructor regarding the academic content (concepts of psychological conformity and obedience). Second, The instructor varied the question, Is conformity good or bad? in each lecture based on the method of presentation and lecture condition. For example, in the TL condition the question was asked verbally; in the SSL condition the question was asked verbally and written; and in the VLE the question was asked in written format. Third, during the lecture session, participants were given 5-minute review period and a 10-minute break before completing the required academic posttest along with the self-report measure of frustration. Lastly, participants received a debriefing from the instructor at the adjournment of each experimental lecture session.

Analysis Researchers carefully observed the classroom, instructor, academic content, and lecture duration among the three experimental lectures conditions to evaluate and determine the difference in the teaching style and measure the students level of frustration in respect to the mode of the condition/presentation they were placed in. Questions on the pretest and posttest were divided into two groups thus each test contained 15 questions; questions were based on the academic content and its relative equivalency in difficulty, defined by Kassin (1998). Questions were randomly assigned to the selected participants as either a pretest or posttest. In order for the scores on either tests could be measured from 0 to 15, researchers summed the correct responses on both pretest and posttest. Results As researchers compared the demographic features of their selected participants based on the TL, SSL, and VLE lecture conditions they were placed in, no significant difference was identified in the division of male and female in the experimental conditions. The MOVANO statistic that was conducted to examine the teaching style and the ANOVA to analyze the data, showed no significant difference in terms of the participants mean age, mean year in school, or mean performance on the academic pretest among the experimental lecture conditions. However, examining the TL, SSL, and VLE lecture conditions on the adjusted posttest scores using the ANOVA method, revealed a moderate difference between lecture conditions and posttest scores. Researchers also used the Fishers Least Significant Difference (LSD) test procedure to conduct a follow-up test to evaluate pairwise differences among the experimental conditions and to control for Type 1 error across the three pairwise comparisons; results showed a significant difference in the adjusted means between the TL and VLE lecture conditions as well as TL and

SSL lecture conditions. Thus, VLE and SSL formats created greater learning outcome than the TL condition. As for the frustration level, researchers did not find any significant difference between the TL and the SSL conditions, however, participants who experienced the VLE condition reported greater frustration relative to the other two conditions. Conclusion In conclusion the researchers discovered that the SSL and VLE lecture conditions are more effective in producing a greater learning experience among college students in relative to the TL lecture condition. Thus, the study revealed that both SSL and VLE integrate academic content with visual multimedia, colors, graphics, images that create an active learning environment in which results in greater learning outcome compare to the passive learning environment found in the TL condition. Lastly, due to the lack or absence of direction and guidance that commonly provided by an instructor in the classroom setting, students reported greater frustration in VLE lecture condition relative to the other two conditions. Article Critique Problem The topic of this research study is definitely an on going debate among the researchers as schools integrate educational technology into their curriculum. In this article, three commonly used lecture formats: traditional lecture (TL), slide show-supplemented (SSL), and virtual learning environment (VEL) were presented that are currently in practice in the postsecondary classroom level. Researchers identified a problem by arguing that these three lecture formats can effect learning outcome and cause frustration among the college students. The problem presented seems researchable and can be easily investigated through appropriate collection and analysis of data. Yet, hardly any background information or educational significance of the problem was

provided in the introduction section of the article. Relative to the information provided and the researchers goal, a reader could identify the study as a quasi-experimental. Review of Literature In the review of the literature section, the researchers provided an efficient amount of articles and authors related to their research study. Using the Amares (2006) research finding as a reference by stating that, College students enrolled in a traditionally instructed class earned higher test scores relative to students enrolled in a slide-show- supplemented class, definitely validated the purpose of the research study and strengthened the researchers argument. The review was comprehensive yet cluttered in which made the readers lose track of what the researchers are trying to investigate. There was hardly a reference that was critically analyzed or a form of theoretical rationale for the hypotheses to follow. Most references used in the article were from primary source and concluded a brief summary of the researchers finding. Hypothesis The hypothesis in this article was not easy to identify and the researchers failed to raise any questions to help the readers understand the depth of the research goal. Variables were not presented well and no definition regarding operational or variables itself was provided. Yet, a primary goal and a prediction were clearly stated toward the end of the literature review in which guided the readers to what should be expected from the study. Subject Researchers briefly presented the subject for their research study without indicating major characteristics of their desired sample; thus a reader could not identify if the sample size meet the suggested guideline or if it was appropriate for the method the researchers presented in the article. The method of selecting sample was not described in detail. However, it was clearly

stated that the subject of this study was157 undergraduate students at a large (78 woman, 76 men), from Midwestern University who were enrolled in the Psychology Department. The researchers did not mention if the participants were on a voluntary basis, yet they did clarified that the individuals who were selected for the research study received credit in their psychology class in return for their participation. A main problem I identified with this selection was the researchers biased sample selection. Throughout the article, the researchers failed to identify the desired size and major characteristics of the sample they would like to investigate, thus they selected their participants from a pool of enrolled students in the Psychology Department, ranged from 18 to 24 years old, in which I believe the study resulted with a biased outcome. Instrument In this study several methods of instruments were used. The researchers used the pretest, posttest, self-report measure of frustration, and debriefing to collect data from the selected participants. Videotaped random lecture conditions to carefully control for instructor, lecture duration, classroom setting, and academic content in respect to the mode of the experimental lecture condition. Also, MANOVA was used to examine the differences in the teaching style of the instructor in three different lecture conditions; an ANOVA was used to analyze the data. One of the main flows in this section of the article was the lack of detail described by the researchers; not only they failed to describe the purpose and content of each instrument, but they failed to provide efficient information regarding the nature of the questions they used during their study. Furthermore, there was no evidence provided in the study that helped indicating if each instrument used was appropriate for the subject under study. The validity of the instruments was not fully discussed, however, it was stated in the Measures section of the article that the

questions used on the pretest and posttest were obtained from the introductory psychology textbook by Kassin (1998). Design and Procedure Based on the introductory of the topic by the researchers, it seemed like the design was quit appropriate for answering the questions. The procedure of the study was very well presented in terms of detail in which I believe the study can be replicated by other researchers for suture investigations. There was no discussion of confounding variables that the researchers believed were unable to control. The design and procedure were very well outlined and each experimental lecture condition was described in stuffiest detail. Results The researchers provided the results with an appropriate and well-described statistics along with an easy to understand table. The data found in the table was presented in the text. Researchers used an appropriate number of values/degree of freedom to interpret the relationships between the variables. After comparing the demographic features of their participants, using ANOVA, and Fishers Least Significant Difference procedure, the results revealed that the SSL and the VEL condition facilitate better learning relative to the TL condition; and the VEL condition causes more frustration than the other two lecture formats. Discussion The researchers provided consistent explanation of the overall research study. The theoretical and implication of the findings were fully discussed; the researchers also discussed the potential factors that played a key part in the final results along with the limitations and challenges they faced during completion of their study. Future recommendations made by the researchers were to investigate, Students self-reported emotional responses to educational

technologies are likely also warranted. Also, focus on the role of assistance in VELs. Overall, the research study was well outlined and appropriate method was used in achieving the results. However, the researchers could have given more description in terms of selecting their sample and the instruments they used for their study.