EDL 7510

RESEARCH CRITIQUE
NOTE: A COPY OF THE ARTICLE MUST BE INCLUDED.
Name ________Hadeel___________

Article Title: Technology and Teaching, Educational

Technologies: Impact on Learning and Frustration

1 pt.

Author(s): M. Christina Hove and Kevin J. Corcoran

Name of Journal: Teaching of Psychology
Date of Publication: Item not found. Year 2008 Volume 35

Directions: For each item below, put your answer on this

critique form and mark the appropriate number in the article
at the place where you found the necessary information to
give you the answer.
NOTE:
If you cannot find an item in your article, write, Item not
found. DO NOT LEAVE AN ITEM BLANK!
1 pt. Type of research: Please indicate the specific type of research as
discussed in class.
It was an educational research and the study can be considered as an
Experimental research
Nomothetic study
True.
1 pt. Brief statement of problem: (NOTE: In addition to writing the
statement, please mark a #1 at the place in the article where you
found it.)
The study was intended to explore and compare the effects of
traditional lecture, slideshow-supplemented lecture, and virtual
learning environment (VLE) on learning and frustration among college
students.
1 pt. Hypothesis(es) or Research Question(s): State the hypothesis(es) or
research question(s). (NOTE: Mark #2 at the place in your article where
you found the hypothesis(es) or research question(s).)

(1)Among the commonly used methods of instruction; traditional lecture

(TL), slide-show-supplemented lecture (SSL), and VLE which method
produces the greatest amount of learning among college students?
(2)Was VLEsmore effective than SSLs?
(3)Was there any difference in levels of frustration among participants
relative to those in the traditional lecture, slide-show-supplemented
conditions and VLE conditions?

1 pt. What is the population? (Mark #3)

All college students who learn under any of the three teaching
methods(1) traditional lecture (TL), (2) slide-show-supplemented
lecture (SSL), and (3)VLE
1 pt. What is the sample size? (Mark #4)
Total n=154
(TL=47, SSL= 56 and VLE =51)
1 pt. How was the sample selected? (Mark #4)
Participants were the undergraduate students at, Midwestern
University who were enrolled in the Psychology Departments
participant pool to fulfill 2 hr of required research participation
associated with a psychology class.
1 pt. Do you feel the sample is representative of the population?
Explain.
No. Since the sample consists of only the students from Midwestern
University, it is not a representative of the all student population.
1 pt. Dependent variable(s) (Mark #5) Please identify if the article doesnt.
(1)Teaching style score measured from duration of lecture, use of
humor, use of explanatory stories, number of student questions
asked, and instructors physical movements.
(2)Academic pretest and posttest scores
(3)NASATLX score ranging from 0 to 100 as a measure of frustration
1 pt. Independent variable(s) (Mark #6) Please identify if the article doesnt.

(1)duration of lecture, use of humor, use of explanatory stories,

number of student questions asked, and instructors physical
movements
(2) pretest and post test
(3) frustration task load index

1 pt. What type of data continuous or discrete? (Mark #7) If the article
doesnt specify, what type of data do you think they have?
All the observations were scores and hence the data was continuous.
1 pt. What measurement scale(s): nominal, ordinal, interval or ratio? (Mark
#8) If the article doesnt specify, what scale(s) do you think they have?
Pretest and post test score, Teaching style score and frustration

Scores were measured at interval level.

1 pt. What are the operational definitions? (Mark #9)
NASATLX is a multidimensional rating procedure that provides an
overall workload score by assessing the relative contribution of six
sources of workload, including frustration.
Academic pretest or posttest : Scores obtained from questions into two
groups of 15, which we randomly assigned to the experimental groups
as either a pretest or posttest
Traditional lecture: In TL condition, the instructor presented
participants with instructive oral lecture on conformity and obedience.
Slide show supplemented lecture (SSL) : In SSL condition, the instructor
presented the lecture interactive oral lecture and slide show
presentation on conformity and obedience.

Virtual Learning Environment (VLE): Students have the slide show

presentation access to Blackboard 1 pt. Are the procedures described
in sufficient detail so that the study could be repeated? Explain.
Yes. All the procedures were well defined with proper reference and
well defined scale of measurements. Hence, the procedures described
are such that the study could be repeated.

1 pt. State major results and conclusions. (Mark #10)

(1)Participants in slide-show-supplemented lecture and VLE conditions

demonstrated more learning than participants in the traditional lecture
conditions. VLE condition (M = 38.38, SE = 4.26) relative to the TL
condition (M = 23.62, SE = 5.00), Cohens d = .52 (medium effect),
and the SE condition (M = 21.31, SE = 4.15), Cohens d = .60 (medium
effect)
(2)Participants in the VLE conditions reported significantly higher levels of
frustration relative to those in the traditional lecture and slide-showsupplemented conditions F (2, 108) = 4.65, p = .01, 2 p = .08
(medium effect)
(3)Did not find significant differences in the distribution of men and
women among the TL, SSL, and VLE conditions, 2(1, N = 154) = 0.26,
p = .87.
1 pt. What are the statistical procedures and significance levels of the
results? (Mark #11)
(1) To test (1) authors used one way ANOVA at 1% level, to compare
the equality of means and then used Fishers LSD to identify the
significant effects
(2)To test (2) authors used ANOVA at 1% level, to compare the equality
of means and then used Fishers LSD to identify the significant
effects using pairwise comparison
(3)Used Chi-square test to compare the demographic conditions at 1%
level( p value = 0.26)

1 pt. Do the conclusions relate to the hypothesis(es) or research question?

Explain. (Mark #12)
Yes, Research questions 1 and 2 were answered by (1) and Research
questions 3 was answered by (2)

1 pt. Are the generalizations confined to the population being researched?

(Mark #13)

I have already pointed out that the sample cannot represent the all
population being under investigation and hence strictly speaking the result
cannot be extended. Here, the authors just resented the results obtained
from the participants and presented just like it is true for entire population.
1 pt. Are limitations discussed? What are they? Can you think of any that
were omitted? (Mark #14)
Yes. Use of only one research assistant in the videotape coding process
resulted in an absence of reliability data regarding their instructors teaching
style was one limitation. Additionally, the one-lecture paradigm we employed
limits extrapolation to quarter- or semester-long courses. Further exploration
of the cumulative influence of educational technologies in a more authentic
setting would be needed to fully understand the advantages and
disadvantages of these educational tools.

1 pt. What do the authors suggest for future studies to resolve ambiguities
in the present study or to answer questions raised by the present study?
(Mark #15)
Further exploration of the cumulative influence of educational technologies in
a more authentic setting is suggested to fully understand the advantages
and disadvantages of these educational tools. Future studies investigating
students self-reported emotional responses to educational technologies are
likely also warranted. Future research may also focus on the role of
assistance in VLEs.