The Effectiveness of Multimedia and Activity-Based Supplemental Teaching Resources in Materials Science Education

Abstract

A comparative study investigating the integration of supplemental teaching resources in materials science education was developed for the purpose of determining the effectiveness of teaching strategies. Digital stories created by students, excerpts from the Nova Making Stuff documentaries, YouTube educational videos and student generated demo-kits were used as part of the investigation whereby two 9th grade science classes (n~26) were evaluated. Each participant in the study received one period (40-min) of a traditional lesson on Materials Science including specific content, vocabulary, and a pre- and post- lesson assessment. Additionally, the students in each class participated in a 30-min supplemental component, e.g. video or activity-based demonstration using aforementioned kits or video compilation. Pre- and post- evaluations (e.g. open-ended and likert questions) were administered to all of the participants. As hypothesized, the students’ feedback and performance on assessment activities reveal that the use of multimedia and activity-based resources may be equally effective teaching methods as traditional methods.

A Comparison of Two Engineering Statics Courses: Traditional Lecture-based and Lecture-based with Online Supplemental Video

“…The students in the experimental group reported they were more prepared than those in the control group even though they prepared in advance less for class. This supported the findings of several researchers (Day et al, 2012;Dong et al, 2012;Green et al, 2012;Jordan et al, 2010, Kao, 2008Ruthven, 2012) who note videos and supplemental information can be beneficial. The students also agreed an appropriate number of videos were provided.…”

“…In addition, class lectures that were previously delivered once in the classroom can be viewed over and over again by students to assimilate the material. Day et al (2012) found multimedia education can be effective in science as supplementary resources. According to Jordan, Pakzad, and Oats (2010) students in engineering should be "encouraged to expand their knowledge of the material being taught through media, images, animation and streaming audio/video" (p. 1).…”