Effect of two learning treatments on the cognition of elementary students

Abstract

Purpose: This study compared the cognition of sixth grade students (by sex) exposed to two different learning treatments (male voice in conjunction with projected visuals versus female voice in conjunction with identical projected visuals) which incorporated thirteen cognitive elements necessary for completion of the final task (hand-drawn over head transparency). Method of Study: This investigation was conducted as a four-group controlled field experiment using a 2x2 randomized factorial design with two sexes of students and two learning treatments. Random assignment to the treatments was conducted separately for each of the two sexes of students. The sample consisted of two treatment groups, each containing forty students: twenty boys and twenty girls. A self-developed transparency problem was selected for the final task because: (1) the non-sex identifiable task helped eliminate bias reaction of the students; (2) the task had to involve concepts and principles common to the understanding of sixth grade students; and (3) the task had to lend itself to definable cognitive elements that could be communicated through a narrated-visual sequence. A composite list of the cognitive elements necessary for the construction of the self-developed transparency were gathered from current audio-visual texts.