Impact of Multimedia-Based Instruction on Learning and Retention

Studies measuring and evaluating the impact of the same multimedia-based education on learners in universities and high schools are a relatively new phenomenon. This study provides a summary of the results from research on the effects of multimedia-based safety education conducted by the M. E. Rinker Sr. School of Building Construction at the University of Florida. The findings are presented along with their related statistical test results. The findings indicate multimedia-based, self-paced learning offers very distinct advantages over traditional, instructor-led classroom learning. Overall, both the high-school and university student groups involved in the study exhibited superior retention rates when learning from the multimedia-based materials. Higher scoring students in the classroom showed little difference in either media, while students who tended to score at the low end of the grading scale uniformly scored higher on multimedia-based materials. The reduced variation in student performance based on test scores in the CD-ROM instruction indicates the positive effects of multimedia-based instruction.