Abstract
<p>The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of music instruction via an interactive audio CD-ROM program on the music achievement of students with various learning styles. Specifically, the study compared achievement with respect to theme identification and other music learning objectives for students who reflected different learning styles. Secondary purposes of the study were to examine students' attitudes toward computer-assisted instruction and 20th-century art music and to examine the relationships between attitudes and achievement.The basic study employed a quasi-experimental nonequivalent-groups, pre-post design, with each group reflecting one of the four learning style types as defined by Gregorc: (a) Concrete Sequential, (b) Abstract Sequential, (c) Abstract Random, and (d) Concrete Random. Music education majors (n = 48) received (a) three pretests (a background survey, an attitude inventory, and the Gregorc Style Delineator), (b) the treatment, a 90-minute interactive audio CD-ROM program, and (c) three posttests (a theme recognition test, an achievement test based on information contained on the CD-ROM program, and an attitude inventory).Results revealed no statistically significant differences in achievement scores or in thematic recognition scores for students with different learning styles. Further, there were no statistically significant differences in attitudes toward CAI or toward 20th-century art music for students with (a) different learning styles and (b) different levels of achievement. A statistically significant main effect (p $<$.05), however, did exist between attitude scores obtained on the pretest and posttest. Virtually no discernible relationships existed between achievement scores and attitudes studied. There were no statistically significant differences in the sequence used and time spent in each program; however, there were statistically significant differences (p $<$.001) in the number of supplemental cards used for subjects reflecting the "random" learning styles.</p>