This first part of a preliminary study considered the impact of students' gender, cognitive learning styles, and computer anxiety on students' academic achievement and performance. The sample consisted of 60 male and 80 female undergraduates enrolled in two basic/developmental mathematics courses taught by one male and one female instructor at a four-year public and religiously affiliated institution in the southeastern part of Texas. Students completed a questionnaire that focused on their perceptions of instructors' classroom attitudes and teaching effectiveness; perceived computer anxiety and attitude; and visual/global embedded figures. The study concluded that: (1) gender and computer anxiety were not significant factors and that none of the interaction effects were significant; (2) female students achieved and performed about the same as male students, although they were more likely to be more computer anxious and field-dependent and less satisfied than male students; and (3) cognitive learning styles were a significant factor. Field-dependent students had the highest marginal means for both academic achievement and performance, and were more likely to be satisfied with their course than field-neutral and field-dependent students. Appended are the survey instruments. (Contains about 132 references.) (RH)