Date of Graduation

2001

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

MA

Committee Chair

Floyd L. Stead

Abstract

A broad research literature base on the instructional effectiveness of intensive-format courses often finds the intensive courses equal or superior to semester-length versions, but many of the studies from which those conclusions are drawn were theoretically or methodologically flawed. This examination of student characteristics and instructional effectiveness in one matched pair of educational psychology classes found that students in the intensive version of the course performed significantly better than students in the semester-length course on posttests of content and questions tapping higher-order learning. Despite indications of better learning in the intensive-course group, the two groups of students did not differ significantly in their affinity for learning (need for cognition), age or GPA, suggesting the superior performance was the result of the intensive-course format and not any pre-existing student characteristics. An examination of long-term differences in instructional effectiveness between intensive and traditional formats remains the most important frontier for future research on intensive courses.

Download

Share

COinS