CLASS™ Project Research Study Summary
Startup Sequence (1999)

The purpose of this internal study was to examine learner experience and perspective while attempting to load the software necessary to run the CLASS courses. The study was a mixed method inquiry. A survey was designed to gain information about participant's computer skill. Qualitative method was used to gain information about student experiences. The questionnaire provided room for short answer responses to the questions.

Twenty undergraduate students enrolled in Teachers College Department of Educational Psychology at University of Nebraska-Lincoln participated in this study. They self-reported their skill with technology. Most had almost no knowledge or experience with computers. A small number self-reported that they have a moderate amount of experience. All students participated in exchange for credit in an undergraduate Educational Psychology course.

Participants were asked to load a CLASS™ course CD-ROM and follow instructions in the Handbook to get a course fully loaded and ready to begin the course. Students worked on one of three computers that were loaded with different levels of readiness for CLASS™ courses. Computer A was similar to what a user would experience with a brand new computer from a store: plenty of speed, ram and storage, but loaded with Internet Explorer rather than Netscape. Computer B was loaded with older versions of Netscape and plug-ins. Computer C was "CLASS™ ready", with the latest version of Netscape Communicator and plug-ins.

In general, comments per question were consistent by course and across courses. Most experienced extreme difficulty and frustration. Participants on Computer A experienced the most difficulty. The lab monitor reported that students were extremely frustrated. Participants were crying, self-esteem was dashed, and participants felt stupid and angry as they participated in this study. The cooperating professor expressed difficulty with getting enough students to agree to participate because of the stories that students shared with each other about the difficult experience. Only one participant was able to step through the instructions with little difficulty. This participant also self-reported as having little computer experience.

The Startup Sequence study resulted in recommendations for improving the course Handbook to be more useful and friendly for students.

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