Project Context
The traditional approach in teaching and learning Computer Fundamentals is through lecture and discussion, board works, homework, and practice problems. This approach may affect the learning process of the students which includes the following: learners had different knowledge levels; there are delays in classes due to school activities; teachers attending meetings or seminars; and teachers do not have the luxury of time to review the lessons where students find difficult to comprehend due to time constraints.
In this premise, the researchers are challenged and will conduct a study on the development of a computer-based learning tool for education system entitled “Computer-Aided Instruction in Computer Fundamentals (CAI-CF)” that is easy to learn and use
The Computer Assisted Instruction in Computer Fundamentals (CAI-CF) is an interactive instructional tool whereby a computer is used to present the instructional material and monitor the learning of students.
The CAI-CF system will provide the students the following: self-pacing, which gives learners to bypassed mastered lessons; provides immediate feedback on test results; motivates learners by presenting concepts dynamically; monitors the learner’s progress through pre-test and post-test; maintain records of students performance; increases retention with the use of multimedia illustrations and lesson drills, and other features that will facilitate learning of the course. Multimedia illustrations can motivate learning, gain and sustain the interest of the students in learning Computer Fundamentals.
Purpose and Description
The main purpose of the study is to design and develop a computer-based instructional material that will assist students in their learning process. Students can use the system freely and independently from the IT Computer Laboratories through the school’s Intranet.
The Computer Assisted Instruction in Computer Fundamentals (CAI-CF) software will be designed and developed to assist the students in their learning process and provide them an instructional material that can be accessed through their desktops or laptops. The educational tool will be designed as a computer-based learning tool equipped with tutorial, lesson drills, and multimedia illustrations for easy and faster delivery of information.
The features of the system will focus on the following:
Log-in/log-out Services – This term refers to one of the important features of CAI-CF that will allow the user to enter a username and password in order to access their user account in the system. This feature will secure test results and student progress reports from alteration or loss.
Tutorials – This feature of the system will present new lessons using the following: multimedia illustrations, this refers to the content of the tutorial that combines text, still images, video, simulations, and interactive models that are intended for easy and faster delivery of information.
Lesson Drills – This refers to a series of practice drill in every concept presented where demonstrations and interactive illustrations are accessible for students, and this will allow the students to take as much time as they need or repeat the lessons until they are ready to take the post-test at the end of each lesson; and electronic glossary of terms, this refers to the library of terms used in Information Technology.
Test Evaluations – This refers to one of the important features of the system that will monitor the learning progress of the user through pre-test and post-test integrated in every lesson.
Database Maintenance – This feature of the system allows the system administrator can update users’ records, manage data and transaction log files, and backup the system.
Help Assistant – will serve as the help assistant that guides the learner on how to use the CAI-CF.
This project is beneficial to the following:
School Administrators – this project will provide important information that would lead and guide the administrators in finding ways and means to improve and enhance the instructional material in the curriculum.
College Deans – the results of this project will allow the integration of Computer-Aided Instruction as a supplementary learning tool in Computer Fundamentals.
Teachers – through this project, the teachers will be equipped with a teaching and learning tool that will be used in delivering the lessons using multimedia illustrations. The CAI system will minimize the workload of the teachers in giving illustrations, and allows more flexibility in the classroom by adapting exercises and drills.
Students – the students will be provided with an excellent easy to learn and use educational tool that will help improve their knowledge in Computer Fundamentals.
Researcher – this project will give the researcher the opportunity to further develop her skills in system design and development, also improve the research and thesis writing skills of the researchers.
Future Researchers – the result of this study will encourage other researchers to conduct further studies in improving this supplementary tool in Computer Fundamentals.
Objective of the Study
The main objective of this project is to develop a computer based educational tool for students that is easy to learn and use.
Specifically, this project aims to:
- Provide a lesson presentation based on the selected topics on the course outline of IT Department on Computer Fundamentals in order to provide accurate lesson content that suits the needs of the student.
- Provide a supplementary tool that the student can self-regulate their learning based on the instruction given by the teacher for the student to study.
- Provide a reviewer that student can review their lessons and multimedia illustrations for interactive learning.
- Provide a computer-based learning tool that can be updated and accessed through the schools intranet employing the client-server connectivity.
Scope and Limitations of the Study
The study will focus on the development of Computer-Aided Instruction in Computer Fundamentals for BSIT students. It covers selected topics of the course which were taken from the course outline of the school, specifically: Basic Computer Concepts; Components of a Computer System; Introduction to Internet Technologies; Number Systems; Operating Systems; and ICT Applications.
The CAI system shall be installed in the main server and shall be limited to the students and teachers to access the system. The database maintenance will focus on adding, editing, and deleting teachers and students account; maintaining and managing table entries of student progress report and user’s log; and monitoring of user’s activities in the system. Modifications of the lessons and its related media in the system shall be done by the teachers upon approval of the course coordinator.
The Lesson Tutorial and other features can be retrieved by students over the schools intranet. The pre-test and post-test shall be accessed by the students before and after studying the lessons. Teachers can add, edit, and delete test questions in the proposed system.
The features of the system will focus on log-in/log-out services, tutorials, multimedia illustrations, lesson drills, test evaluations, database maintenance, and help assistant.
Project Proponents for the Development of CAI-CF system
Project Manager
Supervise and monitors the entire project activities and its development.
System Analysis
Responsible for researching, planning and recommending software and system choices to meet an organization’s business requirements.
Programmer
Creates the source codes for the development of CAI system.
Researcher
Conducts researches on the content and other studies related to current system being develop.
Recommended Users
Back-end users – System Administrator
Maintains and manages the table entries of files; the user accounts; and updating of data.
Front-end users
Teacher
Guides the students on the tutorial, the one who have control on the lessons and test evaluation, and also updating the lessons and media content of the tutorial.
Students
One who have access to computer-based tutorial which includes the lessons, test evaluations, progress report, help guide and etc.
