Instructional Television versus Traditional Teaching of an Introductory Psychology Course

Abstract

In this study we compared the effectiveness of an introductory psychology course delivered through instructional television (ITV) with the same course taught in a traditional classroom. We compared 3 groups of undergraduates, with 83 receiving traditional classroom instruction one quarter. The next quarter, new enrollees were split into 2 groups: One received instruction in an ITV studio with the instructor (n = 29); the second received televised broadcasts in a remote classroom on campus (n = 29). The 3 instructional formats produced similar outcomes in performance, attrition, and attendance. Likewise, attitudes toward the course were favorable and rarely differed by format. Student attitudes toward ITV were positively affected by exposure to the experience.