PSYCHOLOGY MASTER'S THESIS ABSTRACT

Jonathon Coy
Industrial/Organizational
May 1999

Effects of Multimedia on Intrinsic Motivation and Learning in a Computer-Aided Instruction Environment

    The relationships between media, motivation, and learning in a computer-aided instruction (CAI) environment were investigated.  Eighty-eight undergraduate students at a southern California university participated in the study.  The sample was composed of 22 men and 66 women with ages ranging between 17 and 43 years.  Participants learned American Sign Language (ASL) fingerspelling in either a high or low media CAI environment.  Learning was assessed with paper-and pencil pretest and posttest and motivation was assessed with a free-choice activity.  The results indicated no difference in the amount of learning and level of motivation between the participants in the high and low media groups.  There was no difference in the amount of learning among the participants in the high and low motivation groups.  The results indicated that motivation did not mediate the relationship between the amount of media and learning.

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