An analysis of multiple means of providing library media orientation to sixth-grade students

The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to analyze multiple means of providing school library media orientation to sixth grade students in a suburban middle school. This study employed convenience sampling in order to utilize the incoming population of 369 sixth grade students at Jackson Heights Middle School in Seminole County, Florida, during the 2001–2002 school year. The study tested the following hypotheses with statistical significance being established at p ≤ .05: (1) There will be no statistically significant difference between short-term knowledge demonstrated by students oriented to the school library media center using three different methods of instructional delivery of the same content: (a) face to face accompanied by videotape; (b) videotape of the face to face session delivered using a videocassette recorder; and (c) videotape of the face to face session transferred to and delivered using a computer. (2) There will be no statistically significant difference in long-term knowledge of students oriented to the school library media center using the three different presentation methods.; The students participating in the subject study were divided into each of the three different methods of instructional delivery and tested with the same knowledge-based instrument twice, once immediately after orientation and again six weeks later. The data collection was conducted during the first semester of the 2001–2002 school year. Neither null hypothesis was rejected because there was no statistically significant difference between the knowledge, whether short-term or long-term, demonstrated by students oriented to the school library media center using any one of the three different instructional delivery methods. Additionally, there was no statistically significant interaction between the knowledge, whether short-term or long term, demonstrated by students oriented to the school library media center using any one of the three different presentation methods and factors of gender, race, socioeconomic status, or type of classroom (regular, specific learning disabled or gifted).