Effectiveness Of Using Synchronous, Two Way Ip Video To Teach Basic Electrical Knowledge And Skills To First Year 4 H Electric Members

The purpose of this research study was to determine the effectiveness of using synchronous, two-way IP (Internet Protocol) video to teach knowledge and hands-on skills to elementary-aged youth in comparison to traditional, face-to-face educational methodologies. This study focused on the use of synchronous, two-way IP video to propagate knowledge and hands-on skill. Pretests and posttests were used to examine youth’s knowledge and skill gains on material covering basic electrical concepts, theories, and skills. A comparative field study was conducted in the spring of 2004. Fifty-two Indiana 4-H members enrolled in the Indiana 4-H Electric 1 project voluntarily participated in this study. The participants came from a total of nine sites from across the state of Indiana. The sites were selected from a randomly stratified sample to participate in the study. Each site received one of the two educational methodologies; traditional, face-to-face instruction or instruction via synchronous, two-way IP video. Based on the findings of the study in comparison of the two methodologies, it was found that participants in both the traditional, face-to-face methodology and the synchronous, two-way IP video methodology were able to increase knowledge and hands-on skills from pretest to posttest. Additionally, the study found there to be no statistically significant difference in participants’ knowledge or skill gains between the two educational methodologies.