An evaluation of web-based study methods used in a plant science laboratory

The purpose of this study was to test for differences In students' performance when plant material was studied over the Web, traditionally in the laboratory, or traditionally in the laboratory using the Web as a supplement. The traditional delivery method was conducted at the Horticultural Gardens greenhouse classroom at TTU where students were introduced to live herbaceous and woody plant material. The web site entitled 'TechHort" (www.pssc.ttu.edu/techhort) hosted the web-based delivery method and the web-based supplement. The TechHort web site linked PSS 1411 students to the plant material laboratories.

In Experiment One, students in two lab sections studied herbaceous and woody plant material using traditional and web-based delivery methods. Students took a live plant material identification quiz at the greenhouse. Students' scores measured their quiz performance. A questionnaire was used to collect self-reported study times and responses to questions about attitudes, frustrations, and plant identification and computer experiences. Web-based students identified 73% of the plant material correctly in less than half the time it took the traditional students to learn 80%. Correlations between students' study times and their quiz performances were not significant regardless of the delivery method assigned.

In Experiment Two, students in twelve lab sections were divided into three groups: Traditional, Web-based, or Web-based supplement for the plant material laboratories. Students took the same quiz and questionnaire as given in Experiment One. The Traditional Group's mean score was 84%; the Web-based Group's 78%; and, the Web-based Supplement Group's 78%. Students' scores across the delivery methods were not significantly different. Students reported they spent significantly more time studying using the Web-based Supplement delivery method than students did in the other two delivery methods. Correlations between students' study times and quiz performances were significant for the Traditional Group, but were not significant for the Web-based and Web-based Supplement Groups.