John K. Garland Washington State University
Pullman, 99163
A TV Based Study Guide for Freshman Chemistry
A n experimental program led to sharply improved student performances in Freshman Chemistry. I n the Winter 1970 semester a t the University of Missouri, Columbia, the Chemistry 5, Chemistry for Engineers, class was divided into two groups of ahout 75 students each, one of which was assigned to a regular series of TV tape sessions instead of the weekly 1-hour discussion class.' The TV group received 5% of their course grade based on short quizzes taken after each TV tape whiie the discussion group had an equal amount of credit based on homework and discussion participation. All students received a weekly handout sheet designed to go with the TV tape. Opinion responses on various aspects of the program were collected regularly as a part of the quizzes taken by the TV group.2 TV tapes were produced in a number of diierent experimental formats, principally to test student response, partially to adjust to differences in subjects being covered. The tapes were professionally produced in a studio with 3 cameras, special effects board, and access to prerecorded segrnenha Although each segment was a unique combination of exposures, principal formats tested were (1) Preplanned interchange between instructor and a student audience appewing on camera. (2) Presentation by instructor done with reference to questions students might bring up. (3) Working quizzes and examinations actually used in the same class at the same point in an earlier semester. (4) Incorporation of professionally prepared art work. (5) Prerecording TV segments of demonstrations wit,h audio comments added as thev were inserted into the live oroduc-
The actual segments were shot without rehearsal except an occasional run through on a difficult camera shifting sequence. All writing was done with a felt tip pen under an overhead camera adjustable by the instructor. The tapes include a number of errors, both written and oral, the more important of which were pointed out to the students on the handout sheet. These tapes have since been used successfully over a TVcable svstem as ootiond suu~lementarvmaterial for a nonscience mcljors"course s t - ~ a s h i n ~ t State bh ~iiversit~. The questions and a summary of responses are available from the author. a A list of the tape subjects is available from the author. The masters are maintained in the tape library of the University of Missouri Office of Instructional Television. D u ~ m N. , V., AND WALSH,J. H., J. CHEM. EDUC.,46, 392 (1969). A more detailed description of the grade shifts is available from the author.
Students did not seem to mind slips of the tongue or pen. Conclusions reached from the program included (1) Students did not like the segments with student audiences on camera. They seemed unnatural, and students were quite willing to accept the instructor's statement of all questions and problem areas. It should also be noted that at the heginning of the semester students had a 2 to 1 preference for assignment to a live discussion class instead of TV. Duffy and Walsh have reported a similar student resistance to TV.4 (2) Class performance during this experiment was substantially improved over earlier classes. A careful effort was made to make the grading standards equal to or very slightly higher than the previous semester, and the average grade point was 0.53 grade points higher during the experimenL6 (3) TV as s, form was not responsible for the improvement. The students attending TV sessions did slightly better than those in discussions, hut both groups were much better than earlier classes. The important factors in class improvement appear tc he: (a)the handout sheet. Several students not viewing the TV tapes commented that the handout was very useful to their study; (b) the clear requirement of regulltr work outside of class; ( c ) bhe prospect of better grades. When grades were high on the first few quizzes and it was made clear that it would he the grade distribution, not the standard, which would change, students were encouraged to work harder; and (d) improved sense of direction. With the handout sheet as an additional
Some segments were much more effective than others. The most effective segment (in terms of class performance on the weekly quiz) was on Atomic Structure during the second week of class. This was very fortunate for class morale as most students made nearly perfect scores on that quiz and sharply raised their aspirationsin the course. There were a number of positive factors a t work in that segment. The students were responding with interest because they realized they were involved in something new and different. The tape itself was interesting and effective. The iustmctor was the only person speaking or appearing on camera, the format students found they preferred. Most camera time was spent on visuals and writing. Good art work was shown, including a clever movable part to show the effect of a magnet on an electron beam, and 3 cathode ray demonstrations had been prerecorded under special exposure conditions to provide a clarity rarely seen beyond the first row in lecture. But the most important thing making this segment effective was its analytical approach in breaking the subject down into individual significant points. The handout sheet (and tape) states: "Let's apply the following two questions to each experiment: (1) What details must I know to know what happened? and (2) What results or key points came out?" The students found these points Volume 48, Number 3, March 1971
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simple to learn, and when they fit together into a sensible pattern, the students were encouraged. The poorest student performance was on terms of Thermodynamics. Although the tape may not have been equal to some others, it gave students a reasonably polished and orderly approach to the subject. The complete failure (students did noticeably worse than earlier classes without study aid help) was related to timing and weather. The subject came up the week immediately following the Spring Recess, and students were distracted by the first clear warm weather of the
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year. The incident emphasizes that aids can only assist organization and morale and encourage effort. They can never substitute for hard work by the students. Acknowledgment. The expertise of personnel in the University of Missouri Office of Instructional Television, particularly Producer-Director Roger Olson, was invaluable in producing TV tapes good enough to stimulate student interest. This project was supported by a University of Missouri (system wide) improvement of instruction grant.
