Graduate Thesis Or Dissertation
 

The effectiveness of introducing regular dictation of unpracticed material before the completion of Gregg shorthand theory

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  • The purpose of this study was to test, by means of a controlled classroom experiment, the effectiveness of an experimental method involving the introduction of regular dictation of unpracticed material beginning with Lesson 25 in the Gregg Shorthand Manual Simplified, Second Edition, by Gregg, Leslie, and Zoubek. The study involved one major hypothesis: the introduction of regular and frequent dictation of unpracticed material beginning with the 25th lesson in a beginning high school class in Gregg Shorthand will result in reaching a dictation speed of 60 words a minute with at least 95 percent accuracy in less time than if dictation of unpracticed material is delayed until all 53 theory lessons have been presented. The experiment was conducted simultaneously in four high schools. In each high school one of the two beginning shorthand classes was selected at random to serve as the experimental group and the other class served as the control group. At each school the same teacher taught both the experimental and control classes. The sample at the four high schools totaled 73 in the control classes and 55 in the experimental classes. The study measured shorthand achievement in terms of the number of periods of instruction required before the student was able to transcribe with 95 percent accuracy unpracticed material dictated at a rate of 60 words a minute for three minutes. All of the experimental classes devoted 15 minutes a period four days a week to the dictation of new material with transcription two days a week. All experimental classes used the same material for new-matter dictation. Dictation material for the first semester was so selected that students would not be required to write outlines involving shorthand theory they had not yet studied. The control classes used the same material for three-minute takes as that used by the experimental classes. Transcripts were scored according to a uniform, predetermined scoring plan. At the end of the school year, the mean number of periods of instruction received before passing the 60-word-a-minute take was computed for each class. A comparison of the means for the control and experimental classes at each school revealed a reversal effect between the results achieved at the two schools designated as School B and School D. In an effort to explain this reversal effect, the overall grade point average was secured for each student and the difference between the means was tested for statistical significance by computing the t-score with an analysis of covariance. The grade point average was considered the uncontrolled variable in this analysis. The t-scores were not statistically significant at the five-percent level except for School D. Thus, the analysis of covariance explained the reversal effect at School B but not at School D. Since the data from three out of four schools yielded t-scores which fell far short of statistical significance, the hypothesis was rejected. The study led to three conclusions: 1. The early introduction of unpracticed dictation material in beginning high school shorthand classes using the Gregg Shorthand Manual Simplified, Second Edition, does not reduce the time required to successfully transcribe unpracticed material dictated at 60 words a minute for three minutes. 2. The early introduction of unpracticed dictation material in beginning high school shorthand classes using the Gregg Shorthand Manual Simplified, Second Edition, has no discernible adverse effect on student achievement as measured in this study. 3. There is no evidence to justify early introduction of new-matter dictation before completion of the theory in the average beginning high school shorthand class using the Gregg Shorthand Manual Simplified, Second Edition.
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