The impact of learning driven constructs on the perceived higher order cognitive skills improvement: Multimedia vs. text

The study aims at determining the impact of learning driven constructs on Perceived Higher Order Cognitive Skills (HOCS) improvement when using multimedia and text materials. Perceived HOCS improvement is the attainment of HOCS based on the students’ perceptions. The research experiment undertaken using a case study was conducted on 223 students split into two groups who used multimedia and text book instructional methods respectively, to determine the impact of exposure to technology on HOCS improvement of such skills as: decision-making, problemsolving, critical thinking, analysis, synthesis, interpretation. The data collected was analyzed using the independent sample t-test to examine the effects of Learning Driven constructs of multimedia and textbook on students perceived HOCS. The findings from the study suggest that multimedia materials had no measurable effect on HOCS as compared to the traditional text book approach. The study therefore concludes that there was no significant difference in the students’ attitudes, learning interest, learned from others, self reported learning, and HOCS of decision making, problem solving, critical thinking, and other skills when multimedia and text book materials were used.