The impacts of an interactive whole class teaching CAI on students' earth science learning outcomes

In this study, a new teaching method named 'Interactive Whole Class Teaching CAI' (IWCTCAI) was developed and implemented in a senior high school of Taiwan. The format of the new experimental course is a mixture of teacher's lectures, interactive discussions among the teacher and students, and classroom activities using a CAI software. The instruction emphasized direct guidance and lectures, occasional demonstrations, and clear explanations of important concepts to the students given by teachers in the lecture classroom. Lectures were presented through combining the usage of a fast-speed laptop computer and a high-resolution LCD projector to display the CAI contents on a big white screen in front of a whole class. Besides, class discussions between the teacher and the students and among students were also embedded in this teaching format. Students' earth science learning outcomes were assessed through an achievement test and a survey of attitudes toward earth science subject before and after the course. The results indicated that the IWCTCAI could significantly help students' grasp of earth science concepts and greatly improve their attitudes toward earth science.