Abstract:

Purpose of Study:
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of an adaptive web-based tutorial on students’ performances, motivation and learning time. Two versions of the tutorial were developed; adaptive and non-adaptive. The main question we sought to answer was which groups (adaptive and non-adaptive) would achieve the maximum benefit from the tutorial. The independent variable was the group and the dependent measures were knowledge, motivation, and learning time. In addition to these, students’ satisfaction levels with the tutorial were assessed.

Method:

Participants:
A total of 134 undergraduate students (79 females and 55 males) were randomly assigned to adaptive (n=74) or non-adaptive (n=60). Participants came from an undergraduate introductory technology course in a large southwestern American university.

Tutorial & Content:
A web-based adaptive tutorial on basic introductory statistics was developed by utilizing adaptive hypermedia methods with strategies proposed by instructional theory and motivation models. The content presented in the tutorial came from an undergraduate statistics course where basic introductory statistics topics are introduced.

Data Collection & Instruments:
Achievement was measured using a locally developed 20 item multiple choice instrument over the topics covered in the tutorial.
Items adapted from the Instructional Materials Motivational Scale (IMMS) were used to measure student motivation level (Keller, 1987).
A Student Questionnaire was used to collect student satisfaction ratings about the adaptive tutorial.
System logs were used to analyze the time spent on task.

Results:
A series of ANOVAs and ANCOVAs were conducted to answer the research questions. Results revealed that there was a significant difference between adaptive (M= 6.63; SD=2.50) and non-adaptive (M= 5.20; SD=2.51) groups in terms of knowledge differences, F(1,131)=10.299, p=.002. However, there was no significant difference in terms of student post motivation scores. In addition, the students in the adaptive group spent significantly more time on the tutorial then the students in the non-adaptive group, F(1,132)=4.249, p=.041. Furthermore, students in both groups had similar satisfaction ratings about tutorials’ visual design, content presentation, feedback/support, and adaptivity.

Discussions and Conclusion:
Consistent with the previous research (Brusilovsky et al, 2009; Bell et al, 2006; Azevedo et al, 2005), the participating students in the adaptive group outperformed the students in the non-adaptive group in terms of knowledge gains. On the other hand, both adaptive and non-adaptive group students had similar motivation levels upon completion of the tutorial. Contrary to previous research (Cook et al, 2008; Brusilovsky & Pesin, 1998), students in the adaptive group spent more time studying the tutorial than the non-adaptive group. Students in the adaptive group were provided with hyperlinks within the tutorial therefore, they may not have followed a linear study path resulting in spending more time exploring the content of the tutorial.

Keywords:

Adaptive Web-Based Learning Environment, Individual Differences, Adaptive Instruction, Adaptive Hypermedia, Online Learning.