Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not a significant difference exists between general chemistry students taught by a contemporary multimedia approach and those taught by a traditional lecture approach with regard to their achievement and overall satisfaction. The study differentiated between the level of achievement and satisfaction according to age group and gender. A comparison of student retention for each methodology, multimedia-based versus traditional, was also conducted. Methodology. The research design for this study was quasi experimental. The population consisted of first semester community college general chemistry students. A questionnaire was used to measure student course satisfaction and a standardized final exam was used to measure student achievement. Findings. Results showed no significant statistical difference in achievement when students' final exam scores were compared. When age group was considered, the older students showed statistically greater achievement than the younger, regardless of instruction methodology. There were no statistical differences in achievement by gender. A statistically significant difference was found in question nine on the satisfaction survey when students were asked if their interest in the subject had increased while taking the course. Students in the multimedia-based course responded more favorably than those in the traditional course. When gender was considered no statistical differences in satisfaction were seen. Additionally, no differences in student retention were seen. Conclusions and recommendations. Results showing no differences in achievement between the two instructional methodologies may be viewed as both positive and negative. Positive because changing to a multimedia-based lecture did not adversely impact student achievement, and negative because one might expect a multimedia-based lecture, when considering the cost of implementation, to yield a more positive outcome. Results showed the multimedia-based lecture increased student interest. As the possibilities of technology implementation increase, it is clear that teacher training on the effective use of these tools must expand with the chosen technology proving beneficial to student outcomes.