DETERMING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ON-LINE VIDEOS IN MODIFYING STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS AND KNOWLEDGE REGARDING STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS
Open Access
- Author:
- Harder, Wilmara Correa
- Graduate Program:
- Agricultural Education
- Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Document Type:
- Dissertation
- Date of Defense:
- June 29, 2007
- Committee Members:
- Thomas Henry Bruening, Committee Chair/Co-Chair
Cynthia Pellock, Committee Member
Kristina Renee Ricketts, Committee Member
Tracy Scheidt Hoover, Committee Member - Keywords:
- agriculture
Study abroad
international programs
video - Abstract:
- The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of video on-line in modifying students' perceptions and knowledge gain regarding study abroad programs. In addition, this study aims to investigate the causes and effects of on-line videos in changing perceptions of students enrolled in AG 150S “Be a master student”. The population for the study was students enrolled in Ag150S “Be a master student” offered by CAS at Penn State University. A pilot study was conducted with students that had taken this course in previous years. In order to select the treatment group, a purposeful sampling method was used as professors and instructor of Ag150S “Be a master student” had to agree including the activity in their syllabus. A survey questionnaire was prepared and used to collect data from all the participants during pre and posttest. The survey included four parts. The first section was used to measure interest and perceived possession of knowledge in international issues, prior international experiences, and barriers to participation. The second section of the questionnaire included questions regarding learning and use of various sources of information. The third section included a 23-knowledge questions and the fourth section included the demographics. Between pre and posttest, respondents in the treatment group were asked to watch on-line videos and to complete a brief on-line survey after each of the videos. A total of three videos were available and students watched each of the videos every other week. Data were input and analyzed during Fall 2006 and Spring 2007. The majority of students were female and intended to enroll at the Animal Sciences major. They anticipated a GPA between 3.0 and 3.49. Most come from a European/Caucasian family and they come from an urban background. Overall, there was no significant change in terms of perceptions toward the importance of knowing international issues and students perceptions on possession of this knowledge between the control and treatment groups and between pre and posttests. Students tended to agree with all items related to the important of knowing international issues and they tended to agree with most of the items related with possession of international knowledge. Students in both groups perceived participating in study abroad programs as a positive experience. They believe international experiences are beneficial, fun, and good to participate in these activities while at the university. Students in both control and treatment groups were very similar in terms of prior and current Penn State University international involvement. The majority of the students mentioned going to an international restaurant and interacting with international students as prior activities. Participating in semester-based study abroad programs was the activity least performed by both groups of students. Regarding students’ level of interest in engaging in international activities, data collected demonstrated that students in both groups are interested in engaging in international activities at Penn State University. Students were interested in going to an international restaurant and slightly less interested in hosting an international visitor. Regarding the barriers to participate in study abroad programs, students that participated in the treatment seem to have learned from the videos. Students learned that financial costs, lack of opportunities to participate in CAS programs were not barriers to participate. On-line videos seem an effective way to teach some students regarding various aspects of study abroad programs. In this study videos seem effective in terms of transferring financial costs of programs and study abroad opportunities information to students and what it takes to participate in international programs offered by CAS. Data demonstrated that respondents were more likely to participate in shorter study abroad trips and somewhat less likely to participate in “semester long” programs. At the same time, data collected from the students after each of the videos was very positive. This data suggests that students not only retained a great deal of information about specific aspects of the videos but it also suggests that students might be inclined to participate based on what students wrote after each video was viewed. Students in the treatment group indicated that they significantly increased their learning from “Videos through ANGEL”, “Lectures”, “Outside classroom activities”, and “By themselves through the Internet”. Where as students in the control group indicated that they increased their knowledge about study abroad opportunities from “Lectures”. For both control and treatment group during pre and posttest there were no significant differences in terms of how students use and rely on different sources of information. A correlation analysis was run for trying to comprehend factors that contribute to students’ perceptions to participate in study abroad programs. Three independent variables were found to be significantly correlated with the dependent variable participation. Participation is positively correlated with “Interest”, “How important international issues are for the students”, and “How much students have learned during Fall semester”. In order to increase the participation intent within CAS students, interventions that boost students’ interest of participating, students learning on international issues, and the importance of international issues should the emphasized. Interventions should clarify and explain the costs involved in participating.