Technology-Enabled Content in Engineering Technology and Applied Science Curriculum: Implications for Online Content Development in Teacher Education
Abstract
This preliminary study compared the effects of technology-enabled courses and face-to-face instruction using student learning styles and student preferences for content types. Two groups of students enrolled in problem-based courses (one in the College of Engineering and the other in the College of Applied Science) were included in this quasi-experimental research. A survey was used to collect information about the students’ preference for content types. Kolb’s Learning Styles Inventory was used to measure student learning styles preferences. The results indicated an expected preference in the engineering technology disciplines for concrete experience over abstract conceptualization. Neither the delivery medium nor the content type (face-face or online) had any statistically significant impact on students’ final performance. A significant finding was that both group profiles suggested differing needs for presentation of content and learning styles for students in the two colleges. The conclusion was that learning styles could influence content type preferences among students in either environment (face-to-face or online) but this hypothesis needs more research.