Effects of Logo Instruction on Cognitive Style

Abstract

Twenty-five experimental fifth-grade students were given an instructional/experiential program in Logo for fourteen weeks. A control class of eighteen students had no Logo experiences during this time but did have occasional access to a computer for CAI purposes. Both groups were administered three cognitive style tests prior to and immediately following the instructional period. The experimental group scored significantly higher on the posttest in divergent thinking and field dependence/independence. The control class also showed gains but they were not statistically significant. When the classes were compared, group effects were evident on two of the divergent thinking subtests but not on the total score. On both subtests, differences were due to better posttest performances by the experimental group than the control group.