The effects of e-Instruction in the Teaching of Introductory Computer Concepts to Non-IT Courses at Arellano University

School of Computer Science, AU- Main Campus

Prof. Amelita M. De Los Reyes

IntroductionTechnology is used as a tool to support the

efforts of teachers to promote different learning styles among students to become interested in the learning process.

Computers are increasingly being incorporated into school curricula: Teachers use Presentation Graphics Software Students use application software and the

Internet

Internet technology is becoming a global tool used in a mediated classroom with: e-Instruction, e-learning or distance learning.

CS/IT faculty members who teach computer concepts to non-IT programs employ the traditional mode A lecture style approach where the teacher

discusses lessons in front of the class using whiteboard and pen marker

Overhead Projector (OHP) and acetate Laptops to show Lectures in Power Point

AU’s IT infrastructure: 5 Computer Laboratories catering to Computer subjects; Mac Lab for visual graphics and animation, and a Multimedia Computer Center, having 90 computers with free access to the internet.

OBJECTIVE: Determine the effects of e-Instruction approach in the teaching of Introductory Computer Concepts to NON-IT Courses. 1. The difference of student performance in

the pre-test and post test in Introduction to Operating System; Introduction to Word Processing; Editing Tools and Techniques in Word

Processing 2. Relevance of using e-Instruction in the

teaching of Introductory Computer Concepts as utilized by the students.

3. The significant effect of e-Instruction in the results of the post test performance of the students as shown by their GAIN Score.

Research Paradigm

Traditional Learning

Environment

e-Instruction

Mode

PerformanceOutcome

after every lesson

discussion in class

PRE-TEST

ASSESSMENT

PerformanceOutcome

after every e-module in the

LAB

POSTTEST

Conduct of the StudyThe students from 7 different classes

were considered , Hotel and Restaurant Management (HRM), Tourism, Physical Therapy, Psychology, Commerce and Accountancy.

Self-prepared tests consisting of three quizzes with 20 items for each topic were selected.

Actual tests were conducted, the pre test, which is classroom based; and post test, which is Internet based.

The pretest (PR) and post-test (PO) quasi experiment was used to assess if the e-modules had an effect on the students’ performance.

Statistical treatment applied in this study is analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), which was used to compare the gain scores and interaction effects of the treatment condition.

The ANCOVA was used to determine the effect on the outcome variable, the post test score after removing the variance for which the covariate is accounted.

ANCOVA TEST

Quasi-Experiment (Interrupted Time Series Design)

• The pretesting phase - the baseline data, is the observation of a behavior prior to any treatment.• A treatment effect is demonstrated only

if the pattern of post treatment responses differs from the pattern of pre-treatment responses.

 Multiple

pretests

Treatmen

t

Multiple

posttestsInterrupted time-series

design

PR1 PR2 PR3 X1 PO1 PO2 PO3

Table 1The interrupted time-series design of the study

RESULTS

QUIZ 1 QUIZ 2 QUIZ 3

PR PODiff GS PR PO Diff GS PR PO Diff GS

MEAN 7.13 13.03 5.89 5.54 7.5513.2

2 5.67 5.29 7.40 12.51 5.11 4.74

VAR 5.05 6.89 1.85 4.24 4.19 -0.05 3.08 4.52 1.44

STD DEV 2.24 2.62

0.38 2.05 2.04 -0.01 1.75 2.12 0.37

Summary of measured Values in the Three (3) Quizzes

Overall Result

Overall MEAN

PR PO Diff GS

7.36 12.92 5.56 43.96%

4.12 5.20 1.08

2.01 2.26 0.24

MEAN

VAR

STD DEV

ANCOVA TESTSource SS Df MS F P

Adjusted Means 42.61 2 21.31 4.68 0.01

Adjusted Error 2111.13 464 4.55    

Adjusted Total 2153.74 466      

This revealed that the scores of the student participants who took the pretests and post-tests had increased their scores from the traditional mode to the e-instruction mode. It is noteworthy that the results clearly show that the use of e-Instruction in teaching Introductory Computer Concepts had helped to improve the scores of the students with computed F-value=4.68, at α=1% , p= 0.0001.

Directions for the FutureBased on the findings and conclusions of the study, the following recommendations were drawn:Students who were subjected to e-Learning mode

of instruction have higher performance, thus, Computer Science/IT faculty members should be encouraged to develop e-modules in their assigned subjects.

 The development of e-Learning modules should be based on formative evaluation which provides feedback for further improvement. The series of feedbacks can be used in revising the original material until the author and the users are satisfied with the revision.

Directions … contThe creation of an e-Learning Center for Arellano

University should be given a thought, since this was proven to enhance the performance of the students.

Aside from e-Learning mode, it is also recommended that other types of teaching methods can be utilized in teaching different courses : case-based method, problem-based method and inquiry-based method

The developed e-modules can be used by other courses who were not part of the study, other courses who are also taking Introductory Computer Concepts.

As offshoot to this study, the following may be considered:1.A replication of the same study;

2.Identification of other variables deemed significant to the academic performance of students in Introductory Computer Concept s.

The website with screenshots

Thank You