An examination of the validity of the telecourse self-assessment prediction instrument : "Are telecourses for me?"

• Main Author: Wetle, Victoria L.
• Other Authors: Drunham, Daniel B.
• Language: en_US
• Published: 2012
• Subjects: Television in adult education; Video tapes in education
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1957/34065

There is a need for a simple tool to assess the learner's match to distance delivery methods such as telecourse and modem classes. The concept of a prediction instrument is a practical approach to identifying the at-risk student in the distance delivery environment. The purpose of this study was to determine if the Telecourse Self-Assessment Predictor Inventory (TSAPI), entitled "Are Telecourses for Me?" predicted the likelihood of student success in a telecourse. The utility of this instrument was analyzed using descriptive statistical procedures to describe the relationship between the total TSAPI scores, the scores on each instrument item, and the two student success categories of completers and noncompleters. The study compared academic achievement with scores on the TSAPI of 133 students enrolled in Medical Terminology I MED051, Medical Terminology II MED052, Personal Health HE205, and Aging and Society HS220 telecourses at Chemeketa Community College from 1994 to 1995. The TSAPI did not predict student telecourse success in this study. Completion rates differed by gender, grade point average (GPA), and total credit hours but did not differ by instrument total scores or distribution of scores. Several individual instrument questions had some predictive value and needs assessment utility for both students and instructors. Only three of the instrument's 10 questions confirmed a positive relationship between the questions and prediction of student success. The categories explored by these questions were (1) independence in receiving directions from instructors, (2) expected time spent on telecourse compared to a traditional face-to-face class, and (3) student self-assessment of reading ability. Questions not found to predict success elicited responses concerning motivation for taking the class, the need for interactivity, technology anxiety, ability to come to campus, and organization of required course work. The key recommendation of the study was to develop an instrument that has greater utility in predicting student success. The results of the study support the premise that a short, easy-to-administer score prediction instrument would be valuable in assessing student needs and identifying the at-risk population in the distance learning environment. === Graduation date: 1997