Journal of Educational Sciences > Volume 24, No. 4, 2012

The Effect of Computer Assisted Instruction , CAI,  on Students' Computer Application Achievemen t/  Riyadh at Hassan

A review of literature showed a lack of research on the effect of CAI on students' acquisition of computer application skills. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine The effect of Computer Assisted Instruction , CAI,  on students' computer application achievement compared to traditional teaching methods. The study also compared students' achievement based upon their previous computer experience, and it also examined students' perceptions about the effectiveness of CAI in teaching computer skills. The study utilized a quasi-experimental methodology. Five sections of a Computer Education course containing 119 students were taught computer skills using traditional methods of teaching during the first semester. Five other sections containing 115 students were taught the same content using CAI during the second semester. The total sample size was 234 students. Findings from this study showed that students in the CAI groups achieved significantly higher mean scores in all computer applications than those in the traditional teaching groups. Moreover, students indicated that they were satisfied with learning computer applications through CAI. The study concluded with recommendations to improve the use of CAI in teaching computer application skills.