In the last few years, many schools and universities have incorporated personal digital assistants (PDAs) into their teaching curricula, in an attempt to enhance students' learning experience and reduce instructors' workload. One of the most common uses of PDAs in the classroom is as a test administrator. This study compared the usability effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction of a PDA-based quiz application to that of standard paper-and-pencil quizzes in a university course in order to determine whether it was advisable to invest time and money in PDA-based testing. The effects of computer anxiety, age, gender, and ethnicity on usability were also evaluated, to ascertain that these factors do not discriminate against individuals taking PDA-based tests. Five quizzes were administered to students participating in an engineering introductory course. Of these, students took two PDA-based quizzes and three paper-and-pencil quizzes. One PDA-based quiz and one paper-and-pencil quiz were compared in terms of their effectiveness, measured as students' quiz scores and through a mental workload questionnaire; their efficiency, which was the time it took students to complete each quiz; and their satisfaction, evaluated using a subjective user satisfaction questionnaire. Computer anxiety was also measured, using an additional questionnaire. It was hypothesized that the PDA-based quiz would be more effective and efficient than the paper-and-pencil quiz and that students' satisfaction with the PDA-based quiz would be greater. The study showed the PDA-based quiz to be more efficient, that is, students completed it in less time than they needed to complete the paper-and-pencil quiz. No differences in effectiveness and satisfaction were found between the two quiz types. It was also hypothesized that for PDA-based quizzes, as computer anxiety increased, effectiveness and satisfaction would decrease; for paper-and-pencil quizzes there would be no relationship between computer anxiety and effectiveness and no relationship between computer anxiety and satisfaction. Findings showed an increase in quiz score (increase in effectiveness) and an increase in mental workload (decrease in effectiveness) as computer anxiety increased for both quiz types. No relationship was found between computer anxiety and satisfaction for either paper-and-pencil or PDA-based quizzes. The final hypothesis suggested that user satisfaction would be positively correlated with effectiveness (quiz score and mental workload) for both PDA-based and paper-and-pencil quizzes. No relationship was found between quiz score and satisfaction for either quiz type. User satisfaction was positively correlated with mental workload, regardless of quiz type. The usability comparison of paper-and-pencil and PDA-based quizzes found the latter to be equal, if not superior, to the former. The effort students put into taking the quiz was the same, regardless of administration method, and scores were not affected. In addition, different demographic groups performed almost equally well in both quiz types (white students' PDA-based quiz scores were slightly lower than those of the other ethnic groups). Computer anxiety was not affected by the quiz type. For these reasons, as well as other advantages to both students (e.g. real-time scoring) and teachers (e.g. spending less time on grading), PDAs are an attractive test administration option for schools and universities. / Graduation date: 2004

A new version of a Computer Aided Teaching System, CATSY-3, was created in order to allow greater flexibility and efficiency than older versions of CATSY. In the implementation of CATSY-3, the menu was transferred from the screen to the data tablet. In the process, the control structure of CATSY was rewritten to allow complete freedom of movement from one menu option to any another.A keyboard input feature (KEYIN) is also included in CATSY-3 in order to allow a more rapid mode of menu selection and to allow the option of precision coordinate input. Additional menu options are included in CATSY-3, namely, COPY, MOVE, REFRESH_OBJECT, interactive COLOR change, automatic set-up for input devices, among others.The history and description of various electronic chalkboard` implementations are also presented in this thesis.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of an expository advance organizer on the achievement of students in a general chemistry course. The subjects included 181 first year college students enrolled in 12 sections of general chemistry at the Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy, Thailand. The subjects were randomly assigned by section into two treatment and control groups. The treatment groups received an advance organizer or an introductory passage prior to instruction. The control group received no treatment prior to instruction. The equivalence of the control and two treatment groups at the beginning of the study was determined by the application of a teacher-made pretest. No significant differences in chemistry achievement were found among the three groups. Prior to classroom instruction and laboratory instruction, the advance organizer group received expository organizers, and the introductory passage group received introductory passages to read and study. The treatment period covered 21 days of instruction. Upon completion of all study material, a teacher-made achievement posttest covering the material taught during the study was administered to all groups. The posttest was administered again two weeks later as a retention test. Achievement test scores were analyzed by use of a one-way analysis of variance. The results indicated that the advance organizer group performed significantly better than the control and introductory passage groups on the achievement posttest and retention test. Theses findings provided evidence that an expository organizer facilitated learning and retention of general chemistry more than an introductory passage and no treatment. These results supported Ausubel's Advance Organizer Theory in the facilitating effects of advance organizers on student achievement. / Graduation date: 1992

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The potential of the Internet as a learning tool has emerged as a result of its increased development and its use as a means of communication in various academic institutions. Online learning is one of the ways in which the Internet can be used as a learning tool which can provide support to educators in a classroom. The tools which support online learning cover a wide range of different applications, such as discussion forums, chat and file sharing. These tools can be used to support different activities in the learning process, such as content delivery and encouraging collaboration between the various people that participate. It is possible to link these different tools into a single system such as a learning management system (LMS). WebCT, BlackBoard and Moodle are examples of such LMSs. It is within the context of this background knowledge that the study on hand investigated the use of a LMS. The focus of this study was to investigate the use of an LMS in the teaching and learning of a Grade 10 Information Technology (IT) class, with emphasis on the attitudes and experiences of learners in relation to implementation of the LMS as a teaching and learning tool in the classroom. This study employed a mixed-methods approach (a combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches). The quantitative approach included an attitudinal survey in the form of a questionnaire which used a Likert scale to assess responses to statements. The qualitative approach concerned itself with production of in-depth data. Focus group interviews were conducted with Grade 10 IT learners. These instruments generated data that were used to answer the main research questions. In terms of analysis of the data thematic analysis was used, with texts representing qualitative data and tables and statistics representing quantitative data. In order to discuss all of the findings the characteristics (attributes) of an innovation, as explained in the Diffusion of Innovations Theory, the constructs of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology and the principles of connectivism were used. The research findings indicated that the learners had a positive attitude towards the use of the LMS to support teaching and learning. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Edgewood, 2012.

A large sample (N = 206) of expert instructional designers was surveyed in order to determine how developmental testing is designed and conducted. The majority of respondents indicated that they did conduct formative testing of prototype instructional materials for purposes of revising them. Both one-to-one and small group testing were recommended with both the developer and the test subjects assuming active roles during the testing sessions. Both quantitative and qualitative (including attitudinal) data are gathered with an emphasis placed on the analysis of the posttest data. Based on a review of the literature and the results of the survey, an experiment was conducted in order to investigate the effects of different roles that the participants might play during testing sessions with different numbers of participants within sessions. Individuals assigned to small groups did not produce as many comments during instruction as the one-to-one procedure. A content analysis of the qualitative data revealed that test subjects generally comment by indicating comprehension/recall problems. As a source of feedback, the attitudinal survey provided a considerable amount of data especially with small groups which were reluctant to make critical comments during instruction.

No description available.

No description available.

This study investigates the use of the Learn with Echo newspaper supplement as an educational/pedagogical tool in classrooms of adults in the Greater Pietermaritzburg area. The Learn with Echo newspaper supplement is supplied to many adult education centres in Pietermaritzburg and other areas once a week, but there is little empirical evidence of how it is used. Learn with Echo is a four page weekly adult literacy and basic education newspaper supplement. It is produced by the Centre of Adult Education at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Pietermaritzburg. This newspaper supplement was founded partly as a response to one of the deeply rooted social problems that we have in South Africa, illiteracy. This problem is prevalent particularly among older persons who were marginalised from educational opportunities during the apartheid era. Current national statistics reveal that about half the country's adults have less than nine years of schooling, and three million no education at all (Baatjes et al, 2002). This study worked within a qualitative, as opposed to a quantitative research approach and used interviews and classroom observations as tools to elicit data. The variety of techniques used enhanced the validity, reliability and authenticity of this research. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2006.

This is an empirical study of how teachers in the Maths Centre for Primary Teachers project use instructional materials in teaching mathematics in junior primary schools. The key question of the study is whether teachers use instructional materials in ways that promote quality education. Instead of being guided by the "school effectiveness" paradigm, one which is based on a production function model, this study adopts an approach used in "quality education" research which argues that it is not simply the availability of instructional materials, but the effective use of instructional materials that determines quality instruction, and in turn quality education. Huberman's model of a teacher as an independent artisan describes the role of a teacher I envision as one that is likely to bring about improvements in the quality of instruction. The approach adopted in Huberman's model emphasises teacher-centred methods. (Teacher-centred does not mean "not child-centred", but simply focuses on what role the teacher needs to play). In this study it was found that, with regards to certain aspects, teachers used instructional materials in ways that were appropriate and contributing to improvements in the quality of education. Teachers valued MCPT materials for their power to illustrate and teach mathematical concepts. Teachers applied methodologies that were informed by a constructivist theory of learning, within a classroom environment conducive for this. However, teachers hardly prepared and used their own materials, and they presented MCPT materials in ways that deprived them of opportunities for teacher development in curriculum management. It is argued, therefore, that there is need for advanced training of teachers on the use of instructional materials - training that enables teachers to use materials in ways that fit in with their design of classroom curriculum. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of Natal, 1995.