Comparison of Effectiveness of Different Learning Technologies

Abstract

E-learning has become one of the powerful supporting tools that expand traditional teaching in higher education. Designers of learning objects (LOs) for blended learning higher education face number of challenges; one of them is choosing the right technology to develop learning objects. This study adopts the Bloom-Redeker-Guerra (B-R-G) mapping model which guides designers to transform the contents and objectives of a traditional course into a number of suggested LOs for a blended course. The study attempts to empirically validate the first dimension of its evaluation scale which measures the effectiveness of learning objects that targets achieving lower order thinking skills (i.e. Knowledge and Comprehension) according to Bloom's Taxonomy. This paper presents the results of the empirical study that validates the students' learning achievement and students' perceived satisfaction differ for receptive learning objects that have been developed with different learning technologies. The empirical study has been implemented using pretest-posttest experiments, in addition to a questionnaire that measures students' satisfaction. Participants were about 100 Information Technology (IT) students enrolled in different courses. Results show that students' learning achievement and students' perceived satisfaction improve with learning objects designed with advanced learning technologies (according to Guerra scale), hence better achieve the targeted learning objectives.