Efficacy of Two ICT-Based Presentation Modes on Secondary School - PDF document

A. Olusegun Egunjobi and I. Abiodun Sangodoyin: Efficacy of Two ICT-Based Presentation Modes… 63 Efficacy of Two ICT-Based Presentation Modes on Secondary School Students’ Cognitive Performance in Biology Egunjobi, A. Olusegun a and Sangodoyin, I. Abiodun b a Abadina Media Resource Centre, Faculty of Education, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Olusegunegunjobi@Yahoo.Com , 08023298265/08052366719 b TESCOM, Oyo State, Nigeria,08055305922 Abstract This study investigated the effects of Two ICT based presentation modes (computer graphics and animation) on students’ cognitive performance in Senior Secondary School Biology. The pretest-post-test control group, quasi experimental design was adopted for the study. Two hundred and seventy nine Senior Secondary School II Biology students from three purposively selected federal government colleges in three states in southwestern Nigeria participated in the study. Four instruments were developed, used and validated for data collection viz: Computer Graphics Learning package in Genetics (OGLPG), Computer Animation Learning Package in Genetics (CALPG), Conventional Instructional Package in Genetics (CIPG) and Biology Achievement Test (KR-21 = 0.85). One hypothesis was tested at 0.05 level of significance. Data collected were analyzed using analysis of covariance and scheffe post-hoc test was used to explain sources of significant effects. Finding showed that there was a significant main effect of treatment on students’ cognitive performance in Biology (F (2,226) = 21.33; p < 0.05). Students in the computer animation presentation mode group obtained highest adjusted post-test score ( x = 19.77) followed by those exposed to computer graphics presentation mode ( x = 18.44) while those in the conventional teaching method scored the least ( x = 16.23). Therefore, computer animation and computer graphics presentation modes were effective in improving students’ cognitive performance in Biology. They have been found to be good and viable alternatives to the conventional teaching method. Computer animation and graphics presentation modes should, therefore, be used to teach biology to students in Nigerian secondary schools. Keywords: Computer animation mode, computer graphics mode, secondary school biology, Nigeria. Introduction The dynamics of technology has created a complete new world of learning in recent times. Every country of the world is embracing new technologies in order to stay current and be relevant in professional fields like medicine, transportation, manufacturing, entertainment and education (Willis and Raines, 2001). Therefore, technology has become vital in the advancement towards a more meaningful life. This trend is increasingly evident in the use and application of technology in business, industry and education. Collins, Brown and Newman (1990) submitted that technology has the exciting potential of

64 IJES (2013) Vol. 10 serving as useful catalyst for change in education. They claimed that, there is a shift from didactic to constructivist approaches, from competitive to cooperative social structures and from singular modes of expression to interaction of visual and verbal thinking. Therefore, rather than being passive consumers of information, teachers and classrooms are now active contributors to learning environment. Demonstrating the place of technology in the classroom, Okediran and Augustus (2002) showed that employing technology in teaching introduces better efficiency in the instructional system by some measures of reality, increasing the perceptual scope of the learner, motivating learners by making learning and record keeping easier, the prominent role being played by these products of technology in the field of education cannot be underestimated. Therefore, as technology advances, its impacts are greatly felt in the development of educational process. According to Abimbade, Aremu and Adedoja (2003), the various products of technology being introduced into the teaching learning process have given birth to the branch of education called educational technology. They stressed further that educational technology is all about facilitating and using information to elicit responses in the cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains. Awoseyin (1990) conceived educational technology as a system of using all educational resources including research information in human learning and communication principles and all planning strategies including educational needs, resources, procedure analysis, assessment and evaluation to solve problems or improve the qualities of education. Like other technologies, the definition actually shows that it is a practical discipline in which the nature and limits are explored daily by devoted practitioners. Another major and influential aspect of technology is information techno-logy. Information technology is concerned with the handling and processing of information using the electronic devices (Adedoja, 2002). It encompasses information storage tools such as Compact Disc Read Only Memory (CD-ROM), magnetic tapes, computer files, databases and networks and internet-based tools and technologies. Its immense contribution to the field of educational technology cannot be underestimated. For instance, according to NCET (1995) as quoted by Aremu (2002), it creates opportunities to handle text and to process information, by organizing and recognizing storing and retrieving, sorting and analyzing, presenting and communication. In addition, information technology exposes student teachers and even their lecturers to practice of teaching across the world. The network arrangement through satellite has made this possible. Both the students as well as their teachers through IT have access to the latest in the world of knowledge in their rooms, offices and designated centres (Salawu, 2002). This might have led Omekwu (2004) to stress that advances in information technology offer great potential for teaching and learning and even research. Without science, there will be no technology. In the history of educational development all over the world and particularly a developing country like

A. Olusegun Egunjobi and I. Abiodun Sangodoyin: Efficacy of Two ICT-Based Presentation Modes… 65 Nigeria, science education has been of great concern to the generality of the people (Olowojaiye, 2003). Therefore, science can be conceived as a body of knowledge which has meant so much to mankind and has completely changed opinions and old beliefs. The advantages of learning science even from primary school according to Okebukola (1997) include improvement of power of observation, enhancement of critical thinking, facilitation of understanding of natural world, satisfaction of curiosity, stimulation of interest in science and early learning of difficult scientific concepts. To the society in which we are, according to Ogunniyi and Oboli (2007) research and scientific discovery play prominent role in healthcare delivery, agriculture, building and construction industries, family life and most essentially in education. Due to the above mentioned advantages of science, it has been made compulsory in both primary and secondary school curricula. In spite of the position accorded science in the school curriculum the performance of students in it has been on a decline. More striking is the fact that the senior secondary school certificate results in sciences, biology in particular are no longer encouraging in this country and this has also been affecting the students in the National Examinations Council (NECO) and other public examinations like UME now known as Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). The public is reminded of this state of affairs whenever the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSSCE) results are released (Bilesanmi, 1998; Abiona, 2008; Ojo, 2009; Sangodoyin, 2011). Biology is an integral part of science that focuses on living things (plants and animals). The study of Biology ranges from microscopic cellular molecules to the biosphere, encompassing the earth surface and its living organisms (Ramilingam, 2001). Biology is very useful in medicine, dentistry, veterinary science, agriculture and horticulture, food production industries and biotechnology which include fields, like genetic engineering among others. With all these, it presupposes a high academic performance by students but surprisingly, the performance has been very poor (Balogun, 1992; Bilesanmi, 1998; Ige, 2001). Research findings have pointed out that some concepts have been identified as presenting difficulties to teachers to teach as well as to students to learn (Okebukola, 1997; Osisoma, 1994; Orukotan, 1999; Ige, 2001; Olaseinde, 2008; Abiona, 2008; Ojo, 2009). These concepts include genetics, ecology, micro-organism and health, nervous coordination, population education, regulation of internal environment and variation in population just to mention a few. Literature on these concepts have shown a consistent decline in the performance of students in genetics especially in the area of mitosis and meiosis (WAEC Chief Examiner’s Report, 2002, 2003 and 2005). The analysis of WASSCE results in Biology as a subject from 1996 to 2008 confirmed this deplorable performance of students. Table 1 reveals the discouraging results.