Evaluation of Cognitive Learning in Intermediate Students at the Central Wisconsin Environmental Station
File(s)
Date
1985-05Author
Klippel, Judy K.
Publisher
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, College of Natural Resources
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
During the 1983-84 academic year, a formal evaluation
of cognitive learning was conducted at the Central Wisconsin
Environmental Station. A modified pretest-posttest design
was used to assess fourth, fifth, and sixth graders'
achievement of performance objectives in ten of the center's
40 curriculum units. Comparisons were also made between
student gain scores on the tests and their perceptions of
the amount of fun they had and between gain scores and their
perceptions of how much they learned in the onsite activity.
Test scores were compiled by curriculum unit and grade
level for data analysis, resulting in a total of 19 cases on
which t tests were conducted. In 14 of the 19 cases,
treatment groups experienced significant gains without
showing a pretest learning effect (p<.05). There were
several uncontrolled variables which variously influenced
gains in the units. These included classroom participation
in unit-related pre- and post-activities, classroom
instruction in other environmental education activities,
onsite instruction in other units with some of the same
concepts, and initial academic status of participants. In
seven of the cases, significant gains could be attributed to
treatment variables which included the study unit and pre
and post-activities. In the remaining seven cases, gains
could be attributed to participation in treatment variables
including the study unit, without pre- and post-activities.
The results imply that instruction provided by a large
teaching staff at the Environmental Station is an effective
means of assisting students achieve cognitive knowledge
objectives. The results also indicate that learning is
occurring whether or not students are exposed to the pre-
and post-activities.
In two of the ten curriculum units there were
significant differences in mean pre- to posttest gain scores
between students who rated the activity as "really fun" and
those who rated it "sometimes fun". In none of the
curriculum units was there any significant diference in
mean gain score between students who rated their
participation in the activity as “discovered lots of new
things”, "discovered some new things", and "did not discover
anything new".
Further inquiry is suggested to determine what aspects
of activities students regard as having been fun and
learned. Such information may have value for making
decisions about program changes. A more complete program
evaluation will require studies focusing on higher levels of
cognitive thinking and on the affective and behavioral
domains.