A Comparative Study on Student Performance using Traditional and Interactive Textbooks

David Pabst; Lee A. Dosse; Samantha E Wismer; Matthew M. Barry

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Conference: 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Baltimore , Maryland
Publication Date: June 25, 2023
Start Date: June 25, 2023
End Date: June 28, 2023
Conference Session: Virtual Training, Online and Open Education; Instructional Technology
Tagged Division: Educational Research and Methods Division (ERM)
Page Count: 17
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--42369
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/42369
Download Count: 207

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Lee A. Dosse is a PhD candidate working with the Engineering Education Research Center at the University of Pittsburgh.

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Samantha E Wismer University of Maryland

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Samantha Wismer is currently a graduate student at the University of Maryland pursing a Ph.D. in Reliability Engineering. Previously, she was a student at the University of Pittsburgh where she studied mechanical engineering and conducted research in engineering education.

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Matthew M. Barry University of Pittsburgh

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Dr. Barry is a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science department at the University of Pittsburgh. He earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, a B.A. in History, and a Nuclear Engineering Certificate from the University of Pittsburgh in 2010. In 2012, he completed a M.S. in Mechanical engineering, and was awarded a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, both from the University of Pittsburgh. Before joining the University of Pittsburgh as a full-time visiting faculty member, Dr. Barry taught in the Mechanical and Industrial Engineering and Mechanical Engineering Technology departments at Youngstown State University intermittently between 2013 and 2018, and worked at Brush Aftermarket from 2016 to 2017. His research interests include space power propulsion systems and Engineering Education.

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Abstract

The use of digital learning materials has garnered attention in recent years in an attempt to increase higher-education student engagement with course materials. These materials include, but are not limited to, online lecture videos, online homework assignments, and digital textbooks. Of the latter, some textbooks have merely been converted into a portable document format (i.e., a static textbook), while others have been developed using various pedagogies and educational theories to increase student learning and satisfaction through the incorporation of various interactive features (i.e., an interactive textbook). Although the intent of these different online textbooks is to augment student learning, their efficacy has not thoroughly been scrutinized. To this end, a comparative study between the use of a traditional static textbook and an interactive, online textbook on student performance is presented.

The authors of this study previously developed an interactive online textbook titled “Statics and Mechanics of Materials: An Example-based Approach” using Top Hat’s teaching and learning platform [1]. The organization of the textbook followed Cognitive Load Theory (CLT) [2]. Using a concept-example-question format throughout the textbook, learning was compartmentalized. Students were presented with theoretical constructs and governing equations, followed by an in-depth, illustrative example. Immediately following the illustrative example, students would be presented with embedded questions. Embedded questions are interactive questions that exist within the body of the textbook. There was a myriad of embedded question types: multiple choice, word answer, numeric answer, fill-in-the-blank, matching, click-on-target, sorting, and long-answer. Regardless of the question type, students would answer multiple embedded questions related to the preceding material where both their basic understanding of the underlying concepts and ability to work through the presented problem-solving methodology were evaluated. By answering the embedded questions, students would receive immediate feedback on their understanding and problem-solving abilities. Previous studies concerning this interactive, online Top Hat textbook have indicated that students found the online textbook more engaging than a traditional textbook [3], and showed a positive correlation between engagement with the textbook and final course grade [4].

The current study consisted of two groups of undergraduate students enrolled in a Statics and Mechanics of Materials course. This course is administered to sophomore, junior and senior students from a variety of different engineering majors. One group (n = 73) used the curriculum-specific Top Hat textbook, while the other group (n = 109) used a traditional textbook, which was an abridged version of “Statics and Mechanics of Materials: An Integrated Approach” by W. Riley, L. Sturges and D. Morris [5], and “Mechanics of Materials” by W. Riley, L. Sturges and D. Morris [6]. Student performance was quantified through graded assessments, namely midterms and a final exam, and as well as their overall course grade. The effect of the assigned textbook on student performance was then compared using t-tests. Student perceptions of their respective textbooks were also collected through surveys and analyzed using qualitative methods. There was no statistically significant difference in student performance considering the use of the Top Hat textbook in comparison to the traditional textbook. However, students felt more engaged with the course and material when using the Top Hat textbook.

Citation
Format

Pabst, D., & Dosse, L. A., & Wismer, S. E., & Barry, M. M. (2023, June), A Comparative Study on Student Performance using Traditional and Interactive Textbooks Paper presented at 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Baltimore , Maryland. 10.18260/1-2--42369

TY - CPAPER
AB - The use of digital learning materials has garnered attention in recent years in an attempt to increase higher-education student engagement with course materials. These materials include, but are not limited to, online lecture videos, online homework assignments, and digital textbooks. Of the latter, some textbooks have merely been converted into a portable document format (i.e., a static textbook), while others have been developed using various pedagogies and educational theories to increase student learning and satisfaction through the incorporation of various interactive features (i.e., an interactive textbook). Although the intent of these different online textbooks is to augment student learning, their efficacy has not thoroughly been scrutinized. To this end, a comparative study between the use of a traditional static textbook and an interactive, online textbook on student performance is presented.

The authors of this study previously developed an interactive online textbook titled “Statics and Mechanics of Materials: An Example-based Approach” using Top Hat’s teaching and learning platform [1]. The organization of the textbook followed Cognitive Load Theory (CLT) [2]. Using a concept-example-question format throughout the textbook, learning was compartmentalized. Students were presented with theoretical constructs and governing equations, followed by an in-depth, illustrative example. Immediately following the illustrative example, students would be presented with embedded questions. Embedded questions are interactive questions that exist within the body of the textbook. There was a myriad of embedded question types: multiple choice, word answer, numeric answer, fill-in-the-blank, matching, click-on-target, sorting, and long-answer. Regardless of the question type, students would answer multiple embedded questions related to the preceding material where both their basic understanding of the underlying concepts and ability to work through the presented problem-solving methodology were evaluated. By answering the embedded questions, students would receive immediate feedback on their
understanding and problem-solving abilities. Previous studies concerning this interactive, online Top Hat textbook have indicated that students found the online textbook more engaging than a traditional textbook [3], and showed a positive correlation between engagement with the textbook and final course grade [4].

The current study consisted of two groups of undergraduate students enrolled in a Statics and Mechanics of Materials course. This course is administered to sophomore, junior and senior students from a variety of different engineering majors. One group (n = 73) used the curriculum-specific Top Hat textbook, while the other group (n = 109) used a traditional textbook, which was an abridged version of “Statics and Mechanics of Materials: An Integrated Approach” by W. Riley, L. Sturges and D. Morris [5], and “Mechanics of Materials” by W. Riley, L. Sturges and D. Morris [6]. Student performance was quantified through graded assessments, namely midterms and a final exam, and as well as their overall course grade. The effect of the assigned textbook on student performance was then compared using t-tests. Student perceptions of their respective textbooks were also collected through surveys and analyzed using qualitative methods. There was no statistically significant difference in student performance considering the use of the Top Hat textbook in comparison to the traditional textbook. However, students felt more engaged with the course and material when using the Top Hat textbook.
AU - David Pabst
AU - Lee A. Dosse
AU - Samantha E Wismer
AU - Matthew M. Barry
CY - Baltimore , Maryland
DA - 2023/06/25
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - A Comparative Study on Student Performance using Traditional and Interactive Textbooks
UR - https://peer.asee.org/42369
DO - 10.18260/1-2--42369
ER -