Effects of computer -mediated learning instruction on community college intermediate algebra students' attitudes and achievement

This study focused on student mathematics achievement and attitudes of community college students learning Intermediate Algebra through the use of a computer mediated learning program. This study investigated: (1) mathematics achievement as measured by exam performance, course grades and course completion rates of these Intermediate Algebra students when compared to lecture-taught students; and (2) any changes in students' mathematics attitudes over the course of the study.;A sample of 146 community college students self-enrolled into three large sections of Intermediate Algebra. On the first class meeting, students in each of the three sections were randomly assigned to either a lecture or computer mediated learning-taught (CML) class, which resulted in six sections. Three instructors participated in the study, each having one of each type of treatment. The study lasted for 16 weeks.;Dependent variables were student performance on four exams given throughout the semester and on a final exam, mathematics skills improvement from the beginning to the end of the study and student attitudes at the beginning and end of the study. Data collected also included student demographic information. Additionally, both students and instructors completed end-of-course questionnaires.;Data analyses for 100 participants with complete data revealed that there were no significant differences between the two groups in mathematics achievement or attitudes. However, when comparing effect sizes for achievement, several trends emerged based on instructors. Consistently, Instructor C has positive effect sizes, favoring the CML group. Instructor A also had effect sizes, all small, in favor of the CML group for Exams 1, 4 and the final. Instructor B consistently had effect sizes favoring the lecture group. Significant differences were found for grade distributions between the groups. In comparing the percentages of letter grades by treatment, the computer mediated learning group had a greater percentage of As and a lower percentage of Fs. The lecture group had a higher percentage of Bs while the CML group had a higher percentage of Ds. Both groups were similar in percentage of Cs.;The lack of any other difference between the groups suggests that both methods enable student success in the learning of Intermediate Algebra.