DEVELOPMENT OF A LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR TEACHING DATA PROCESSING IN SCIENCE TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS IN NSUKKA EDUCATIONAL ZONE ENUGU STATE.

Abstract

The study was carried out to develop a learning management system for teaching data processing in science, technical and vocational schools in Nsukka educational Zone. Six research questions guided the study while one null hypothesis was tested at p ≤ 0.05 level of significance. Research and Development research design was adopted for the study. The target population for the study was

102, comprising of 17 Data processing teachers and 85 SS 2 data processing students. All the 17

DP teachers were used for the study while multistage sampling technique was used to select 61 SS 2

DP Students in two intact classes (30 and 31 respectively for the study). Data processing teachers and SS 2 data processing students in Science, Technical and Vocational Schools in Nsukka Educational Zone.   Data was collected using structured questionnaire and test items. The data collected were analyzed using grand mean and mean gain for answering the research questions while ANCOVA was used for testing the null hypothesis. Findings of the study identified 10 objectives,  15  learning  activities  for,  6  delivery  systems,  7  Evaluation  techniques,  and  19 assessment / features for the developed LMS. The inference drawn from the hypothesis tested showed that there was significant difference between the mean score of students taught using the developed LMS and those taught without using the developed LMS. The study therefore, recommended that government and vocational schools should organize training and workshop for data processing teachers, the developed LMS should be adopted by the National Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) and other curriculum development agencies for interactive teaching of Data processing in Nigerian Secondary schools. Furthermore, Instructional materials such as laptop/computer sets and internet accessories should be provided by the government and school administrators for teachers and students alike, to facilitate the adoption of the developed LMS.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

In recent times, there is a common focus on raising student’s achievement while integrating technology as a tool.  Policy makers and educators are renewing their commitment to programs and instructional practices that enhance maximum effects on instruction and student outcomes. More so, the use of technology in teaching and learning is essential to make a lasting impact on how students learn.  Furthermore, with the emphasis on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in this century, its use has become an even bigger priority in schools (Costley 2014).

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is the digital processing and utilization of information by the use of electronic systems. It comprises the storage, retrieval, conversion and transmission of information (Victor and Bolanle, 2017). The author further explained that ICTs have changed the nature of global interactions and educational practices. ICT has been adopted in both the public and private spheres and is intensively used in educational institutions (Nasser, Cherif, and Romanowski 2011). This has created a situation in which it affects all educational stakeholders including educators, parents, and students. For example, Teachers play an important role in influencing students with instructional practices that in turn motivates these teachers to use ICT (Batane, & Ngwako, 2017). Furthermore, student-perceived teacher expectations are strongly associated with ICT usage (Vekiri, in Nasser, Cherif, & Romanowski 2011).

Teachers integrate technology into their classroom and encourage students to learn basic skills such as generating spreadsheets, making PowerPoint presentations, and using digital cameras and word processing software among others. (Gibbs, Dosen, & Guerrero, 2009). Appropriate use of ICT can therefore transform the whole teaching-learning processes leading to paradigm shift in both content and teaching methodology. Its potentials can also transcend the barrier and space.   ICT

integration in the field of education has impacted hugely in improving the quality of education. It is

lp

widely believed that ICT integration will he

1in making education more accessible and affordable

(Anu, Kapil & Sameer, 2011). For example, Research suggests that, ICT brings about e-learning which is promoted as the newest and best educational practice to remedy the difficulty of access to quality education (Sener & Stover, in Nasser, Cherif, & Romanowski 2011).

Electronic-learning (e-learning) appeared at the end of the 20th century and has quickly become a new learning paradigm, having proved to be an effective educational technique (Alfadly,

2013; Boeker,Klar, Mijatovic, Cudanov, Jednak, & Kadijevich, in Emelyanova & Voronina 2014). It supports students’ active involvement in the learning process and prepares the shift towards student-centered education. Effective E-learning enhances collaboration and communication thus encouraging group activities and a constructive approach to knowledge acquisition (Lin & Hsieh; in Emelyanova & Voronina 2014). This is because E-learning can be of two forms, that is online E- learning and offline E-learning. These two forms are categorized on the base of the internet. In this context, online E-learning can be facilitated when the computer is connected to the internet. In other words, E-learning is the instruction that is received electronically, in parts or wholly via a web browser, through the internet or can interact or through multimedia platforms such as CDs, ROM or DVD. In the context of this study, the researcher shall foresee on the online E-learning, that is learning through internet.

The growing use of online systems for learning in schools and their rapid spreading has been seen as an appropriate response of higher education systems to current processes of integration and building of a global learning society. The quest for an online system that will guarantee for a global learning society have given rise to a Learning Management System.

Learning Management Systems (LMS) is a platform for delivering learning material online. It is a web-based system that ties together 21st century education with effective and creative uses of technology.  LMS  provides  functionalities  beyond  instructional  content  such  as  management tracking,  personalized  instruction  and  integration  across  the  system.  An  LMS  can  effectively support instructions and facilitate learning using an organized learning structure to provide support for teaching and learning (Uzunboylu, Ozdamli, & Ozcinar, 2006). According to Nasser, Cherif,

and  Romanowski  (2011),  an  LMS  continues  well  beyond  the  classroom  by  blended  learning through emails, discussion groups, student and teacher, question and answer sessions, the transfer and posting of administrative information, and course content.

A learning management system does not replace the teacher rather it multiplies the teacher’s reach (Trucano, 2015). Teacher-directed instruction integrated with the use of technology does have the power to transform students learning. The LMS provides an organized space for teachers to house components of learning. The system contains videos, text, lessons, quizzes among others that can be housed in easily recognizable places for students to access. LMS provides students with the ability to work ahead of others in the class when and if they are ready to do so (Coble, 2016).  In addition, these systems provide an opportunity for students who need more time with a concept to go back, review it, get more information or practice with it, or even repeat something they need. Therefore, an LMS creates a perfect partnership between students and their teachers.

Teachers create learning opportunities that speak to each student and students access the information at any time. Basically, an LMS allows students to manage and own their learning and also allows learners to perceive information at their own pace. For the teachers, it can become a valuable tool to provide an individual approach and improve their existing teaching practices in general (Coble, 2016). Obviously, there are a lot of learning patterns and every student have their own ways of perceiving knowledge that cannot be effectively catered for in the classroom settings (Emelyanova, 2014). So, the integration of technology will help therefore to enhance learning, meeting different learning interests, and result in successful learning outcomes.

However,  despite  increasing  interest  in technology-assisted  education,  technology-based instructional design still lacks support from a reliable body of empirical research (Wiley, in Annick

& Robin, 2009). It seems that many teachers remain resistant to using technology in the classroom (Johnson, Shayo and Olfman; in Annick & Robin, 2009). In order to encourage uptake of new educational technologies, fundamental research on the potential impact of technology on school teaching and learning must be conducted (Roblyer; in Annick & Robin, 2009). This line of inquiry

needs to offer a clear research agenda and provide evidence that will help drive effective classroom practice. Indeed, in Roblyer’s view, it is only when the impact of technology on school teaching and learning is clearly articulated and demonstrated that educators will start to adopt technology widely. In order to overcome science, technical and vocational education teacher’s resistance to technology in the classroom, the researcher intends to develop an LMS using Digital Learning Objects (DLOs) that will be used for teaching and learning of data processing.

Digital Learning Objects (DLOs) can be used in a variety of ways to support learning in every subject area. A DLO is ‘any digital resource that can be reused to support learning’ (Wiley; in Annick & Robin, 2009). It enables students, both individually and collaboratively, to work actively with complex content and ideas. However, integration of DLOs will inevitably creates challenges as teachers need to invest extra time and energy learning about and implementing DLOs (Annick & Robin, 2009). Teachers also need to overcome the technological challenges that come with such innovation (Freebody; in Annick & Robin, 2009). Once DLOs are integrated into the classroom, the way they are used and what benefits they provide are shaped by the teacher’s technological competence and preferred teachers’ modes of teaching. However, in the context of this study, the LMS developed using DLO was a web-based application platform for teaching data processing

Data processing is simply the conversion of raw data to meaningful information through a process.  Data  is  manipulated  to  produce  results  that  lead  to  a  resolution  of  a  problem  or improvement of an existing situation (Rudo, 2013). Similar to a production process, data processing follows a cycle where inputs (raw data) are fed to a process (computer systems, software, among others) to produce output (information and insights). Data processing is simply the mechanical or electronic operation on data to achieve a desired result. Generally, organizations employ computer systems to carry out a series of operations on the data in order to present, interpret, or obtain information (Rudo, 2013). The process includes activities like data entry, summary, calculation, storage, among others. Useful and informative output is presented in various appropriate forms such as diagrams, reports, and graphics. Data processing subject is practical oriented and technical in

nature and most students finds it difficult to understand. Students therefore need time and computer facilities to learn the subject in order to imbibe the techniques involved in data processing.

Research have shown that one of the reasons why students lack technological skills is because administrators, teachers, and parents may not be persuaded of the benefits of technology in schools or might not think it is integral to the educational process (Brown-Yoder, in Nasser, Cherif, and Romanowski 2011). Sule (2012), noted with sympathy what lack of skills in schools have caused Nigeria in terms of economy and development. Pat, Clarke & Isobel (2000), confirmed that Nigeria have unemployment problems, but however noted that real problems is in the lack of technical skills among our students. The author further added that, the educational system is faulty because the teachers who are in the secondary schools today are also products of the system that failed to produce skilled manpower and so they cannot give what they do not have. Enemali (2008), stated that in most of the science, technical and vocational schools’ lessons were mostly theoretical; and the students virtually did not have opportunity to apply what they have learnt in solving new or unfamiliar problems. This may be due to inadequate time allotted to data processing practical or the inadequate skill possessed by the data processing teacher. The challenge of inadequate time for practical, knowledge and skills of the teachers can be overcome through the effective learning management system.

Technical  schools  are  post  primary  schools  where  students  learn  skills  in  various occupations. According to Bakare (2009), technical schools are designed to prepare individuals to acquire practical skills, basic scientific knowledge and attitudes required as teachers and technicians at sub-professional levels. Okoro (2006), stressed further that technical schools are regarded as principal vocational institutions in Nigeria that give full vocational training intended to prepare students for entry into various occupations as artisans and craftsmen. Umar &Ma’aji (2010), stated that in most technical schools, classes are mostly conducted in theoretical form and students do not have the opportunity to apply what they learnt in solving new/unfamiliar problems. Studies revealed that the products of technical schools are inadequately prepared in the basic skills needed for

gainful employment (Mohammed, 2008). This inadequate skill acquired by students could be because of insufficient time allocated for practical classes, lack of materials, tools and equipment’s to conduct practical and expertise to conduct practical classes in technical schools. This is evident in technical schools where several subjects offered in the schools are contending for time, this insufficient time necessary for practical work may have resulted in poor skills acquisition (Audu & Umar, 2006).

To achieve the objectives for effective skills acquisition, the use of relevant facilities and equipment should be emphasized to increase student’s practical knowledge (Mohammed, 2008). The objective of Data processing subject in secondary schools was to enable the students acquire basic skills for data management, use the computer to facilitate business transactions; and develop reasonable level of competence in ICT applications that will engender entrepreneurial skills (NERDC, 1999). Data processing is a skill, vocational and technical subject which are taught in vocational schools. Therefore, if the subject is practically taught, it will make students to achieve the aims of inculcating the subject into the senior secondary curriculum, which is to make the students acquire skills that will help them to be self-employed after graduation.

Vocational and Technical Schools delivers vocational education which develops student’s entrepreneurial skill, economic transformation and high productivity (Ewere, 2011). Enhancing vocational education in Nigerian technical and vocational schools is the bedrock for manpower development, self-reliance and employment creation hence, students have early exposure that will take care of their immediate problems and the future (Madumere, Igwe, & Olikag, 2015).It is also a type  of  education  which  is  designed  for  Science,  Technical  and  Vocational  education  with objectives to develop students in Science, Technical and Vocational education.

Science, Vocational and Technical education helps individuals in acquiring of skills to live, learn and work as a productive citizen in a global society. It is a form of education that comprises of the training in skills necessary for gainful employment as well as acquisition of basic educational foundation in both sciences, applied sciences and humanity, all aimed at developing individuals

with the right attitude to work and the competency necessary to compete favorably in a global society (Lawal, 2013). The Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC,

1999) integrated data processing as one of the trade subjects into the school curriculum with the aim for  students  to  acquire  basic  skills  for  data  management  and  the  use  of  computer  facilities. However, the researcher observed that most teachers in the schools and found out that many of these schools do not to offer data processing; this is because many of the schools do not have the requisite facilities for teaching the subject thereby making students not to register for the course. To see that the NERDC aim is achieved in Science, Technical and Vocational School in Nsukka educational Zone, the researcher intends to develop a Learning Management System (LMS) that will be used by both the teachers and students in teaching and learning data processing and also acquire basic skills.

Development is the systematic step or process that is taken in order to meet specific objectives or requirements. According to Isaias & Issa (2015), development consists of this process of creating an information system, with all variables that it entails and which usually need to be considered; its ability to be user-friendly, how well it functions, and if it meets the needs of the organization in which it will be integrated.

The development process of LMS involves a sequence of successive phases from analysis phase to the implementation phase. This research adopted the ADDIE development model. The ADDIE model is the common process traditionally used by instructional designers and training developers.   It has five phases which are Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation phases and it represent inactive and flexible guideline for building effective training and performance support tools (Niari, 2017). This model is an approach that helps instructional designers, content developer, and also teachers to create an efficient, effective teaching design. The process of development using ADDIE model starts from the analysis phase which is the most important phase in this process. The analysis phase requires four steps which the researcher will observe the four steps. Firstly, the learner has to be analyzed, (what are skills the learner needs and

the learners’ location). Secondly, an instructional analysis would be developed (providing necessary opportunities to learn and use new information in an instruction), thirdly, instructional goals would be created (aimed at specifying the end desired result); and fourthly, there would be analysis of learning objectives (how to measure the attainment of goals) (Peterson,2003). When these steps in the analyses stage are appropriately gone through, then the next phase in the ADDIE model is the design phase.

The design phase is the phase that determines all goals, tools to be used to gauge performance, various tests, subject matter analysis, planning and resources. In the design phase, the researcher will focus on learning objectives, content, subject matter analysis, exercise, lesson planning, assessment instruments used and media selection (Kurt, 2017).

The Development stage starts the production and testing of the methodology being used in the project. In this stage, the researcher makes use of the data collected from the two previous stages and uses this information to create a program that will relay what needs to be taught to participants. If the two previous stages required planning and brainstorming, the Development stage is all about putting it into action. According to Kurt (2017), this phase includes three tasks namely; drafting, production and evaluation. Drafting is the stage of the writing process in which you develop a complete first version of a piece of project, Production phase is a term used mostly by developers to describe the setting where software and other products are actually put into operation for their intended uses by end users. A production environment can be thought of as a real-time setting where programs are run and hardware setups are installed and relied on for organization or commercial daily operations and the Evaluation phase is a systemic process that determines the quality and effectiveness of the designed instruction as well as the final product. Evaluation is an ongoing process. Development also involves creating and testing of learning outcomes which the researcher observed in the context of this study.

Implementation phase is the transformation of plans into action. In order to go through this phase, the researcher has considered the three above steps in ADDIE models, which are training the

instructors (teachers), preparing the learners and organizing the learning environment. With these three steps, the course (data processing) contents can be display in a very active and authentic way to achieve the implementation phase which lead to the evaluation phase (Sadeghifar, Jafari, Tofighi, Ravaghi, and Maleki 2015).

The evaluation phase is the final phase in ADDIE model which is of two types; first, the formative evaluation which is the continuing process that is carried out while working on the instructional materials. The second is the summative phase which is very important because it help the researcher to see the real value for the instructional design when the whole instruction for the course is finished. Fisher (2017) asserts that with the summative evaluation, student’s outcomes as well as the effectiveness can be evaluated.

The phases of development using the ADDIE model was used in the development of the LMS using digital learning objects to ensure that teaching and learning challenges/ constraints are reduced. This development is also intended to solve the problem of technicality and short period of time allocated in teaching and learning of data processing (Leonie, Bronwyn, Elizabeth, Sue, & Sue

2012). However, as the problem has remained without addressing it and all researchers could do was comparing teaching methods.

Statement of the Problem

Data processing is a practical oriented subject and technical in nature which needs time and computer facilities to properly deliver the subject. However, it is observed that many Science, Technical and Vocational Schools do not offer this subject and this  may be attributed to the inability to tackle the challenges involved in teaching the subject as a result of lack of inadequate facilities. However, the 45 minutes allocated to time given to cover the unit contents of the subjects is not enough and computer (ICT) facilities to teach are not adequate and almost not available in most  of  the  STV  schools  that  offer  data  processing.  The  researcher  observed  that  these inadequacies, technicality and allocated time to teach the subject contents tends to discourage students  from  enrolling  in  data  processing  classes  in  their  respective  Science,  Technical  and

Vocational Schools which may have informed the lack of interest of some computer studies/ data processing teachers in teaching data processing.

A learning approach advocated in this study to address these challenges is the use of a Learning Management System which promotes more practical time in learning of the subject matter and also overcome the challenges of inadequate facilities for teaching and learning.

Purpose of the Study

The major purpose of the study is to develop a Learning Management System for teaching and  learning  of  Data  processing  in  Science,  Technical  and  Vocational  Schools in  Nsukka Educational Zone of Enugu State. Specifically, the study attempted to:

1.   determine the objectives of the learning management system to be developed for teaching data processing.

2.   determine  the  learning  activities  required  in  the  Learning  Management  System  to  be developed for teaching data processing.

3.   determine  the  delivery  system  required  for  the  Learning  Management  System  to  be developed for teaching data processing.

4.   determine the evaluation techniques required in the Learning Management System to be developed for teaching data processing.

5.   develop the draft of the Learning Management System for teaching data processing.

6.   validate the draft developed Learning Management System for teaching data processing.

7.   determine the effectiveness/efficacy of the developed LMS for data processing using DLOs

Research Question

The following research questions guided the study:

1. What are the objectives of the Learning Management System to be developed for teaching data processing?

2. What learning activities are required in the Learning Management System to be developed for teaching data processing?

3. What delivery systems are required for the Learning Management System to be developed for teaching data processing?

4. What are the evaluation techniques required for Learning Management System to be developed for teaching data processing?

5.  What is the level of acceptability of the developed LMS among expects of data processing?

6.  What is the effect of the developed LMS on student’s achievement in Data processing?

Hypotheses

The following hypothesis was tested at 0.05 level of significance to guide the study:

Ho1: There is no significant difference between the mean scores of students taught data processing using the developed LMS and those taught data processing without the use of the LMS.

Significance of the study

The result of the study was beneficial to the teachers, students, curriculum planners and researchers in the area of Science, Technical and Vocational Schools in Nsukka Educational Zone of Enugu State.

The findings of this study were of immense benefit to teachers. The intended developed LMS in Data processing was to provide easy ways for teachers to organize lessons in Data processing in sequential steps and provide feedback during the learning process. The developed LMS  was  also  of  help  to  teachers  in  simultaneously  monitoring  and  assessing  students’ participation and performance. It was also be of help to the teachers for identifying evaluation techniques  without  any  bias  or  subjectivity  that  will  be  used  in  assessing  students  in  Data processing.

The findings of this study were of immense benefit to students. The developed LMS helped students to secure high rate of learning and also provide flexibility in learning whereby learning activities can take place whenever and wherever the students want to, thereby, allowing students to access their assignments and course activities from home and anywhere. It also helped students to

learn the subject contents through the learning activities using videos, photos, text, and interactive simulations.

The findings of this study were of immense benefit to curriculum planners, especially to Data processing  curriculum  development  experts.  The  findings  were  also  of  assistance to  the curriculum development experts during data processing review and update to absorb the use of LMS using Digital Learning Objects in teaching data processing in secondary schools, if it is found a better option and has been published in conference journals.

Furthermore, researchers will find the information from this study useful. The findings from the development of an LMS using digital learning objects in teaching and learning data processing can be used by other researchers as a frame work for other subject areas.

Scope of the Study

This research study was conducted in Science, Technical and Vocational Schools in Nsukka Educational Zone in Enugu State, that offer data processing subject. The study is strictly on the development of learning management system for teaching and learning data processing, which covers the following subtopics, Data model, Data modeling, Formal forms, Entity relationships model, Relational model and File organization. The study revolves around SS 2 students in Science, Technical    and    Vocational    Schools    in    Nsukka    Educational    Zone    in    Enugu    State.

₦5,000.00 – DOWNLOAD FULL PROJECT DOWNLOAD FULL PROJECT Added to cart

---

---

---

---

---

Related Project Topics :