Learners attitude towards learning the causeware funtioning in business through dyned software a survey evalution by the second year non english major students at hanoi university of business and technology

i VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HA NOI THE UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES THE FACULTY OF POST GRADUATE- STUDIES ********************************************** NGUYỄN THỊ NHƯ QUỲNH TÓM TĂT LUẬN VĂN LEARNERS’ ATTITUDE TOWARDS LEARNING THE COURSEWARE “FUNCTIONING IN BUSINESS” THROUGH DYNED SOFTWARE: A SURVEY EVALUATION BY THE SECOND YEAR NONENGLISH MAJOR STUDENTS AT HANOI UNIVERSITY OF BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY (Thái độ sinh viên việc học giáo trình “Functioning in Business” phần mềm DynED: Một khảo sát đánh giá sinh viên năm thứ hai trường Đại Học Kinh Doanh Công Nghệ Hà Nội) M.A.MINOR PROGRAM THESIS FIELD CODE HANOI, 2011 : METHODOLOGY : 601410 ii VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY THE UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACUTY OF POST GRADUATE- STUDIES **************************************** NGUYỄN THỊ NHƯ QUỲNH LEARNERS’ ATTITUDE TOWARDS LEARNING THE COURSEWARE “FUNCTIONING IN BUSINESS” THROUGH DYNED SOFTWARE: A SURVEY EVALUATION BY THE SECOND YEAR NONENGLISH MAJOR STUDENTS AT HANOI UNIVERSITY OF BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY (Thái độ sinh viên việc học giáo trình “Functioning in Business” phần mềm DynED: Một khảo sát đánh giá sinh viên năm thứ hai trường Đại Học Kinh Doanh Công Nghệ Hà Nội) M.A MINOR PROGRAM THESIS FIELD : METHODOLOGY CODE : 601410 SUPERVISOR: NGUYỄN BÀNG, M.A HANOI, 2011 vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page PART I: INTRODUCTION 1 Rationale of the thesis Aims of the thesis Significance of the thesis Scope of the thesis Design of the thesis PART 2: DEVELOPMENT Chapter 1: Literature Review 1.1 Courseware in Language Teaching and Learning 1.1.1.Definition of Courseware 1.1.2.Reasons for Courseware Evaluation 1.1.3.Role of Teaching Courseware in General English 1.1.4.Types of Courseware Evaluation 1.2 Courseware Evaluation Framework 10 1.2.1 Presentation and Organization of the Content 12 1.2.2 Evaluation of Learning 16 1.3 Dynamic Education 17 1.3.1.Introduction of Dynamic Program 17 1.3.2.Pegagogical Framework of DynED 17 1.3.3.“Functioning in Business” Courseware of DynED Program 21 1.3.4.The Role of DynED as CALL 23 1.3.5.Related Studies 23 1.4 Summary 23 Chapter 2: Research Methodology 25 2.1 An overview of current English Teaching and Learning at HUBT 25 2.2 Research Methods 26 2.2.1 Research Questions 26 vii 2.2.2 Research Design 26 2.2.3 Research Instrument 26 2.2.4 Participants 27 2.2.5 Data collection procedures 27 2.3 Summary 27 Chapter 3: Data Analysis and Discussion 28 3.1 Results of the Content in “Functioning in Business” Courseware 28 3.2 Results of the Interactivity in “Functioning in Business” Courseware .30 3.3 Results of the Navigation in “Functioning in Business” Courseware .31 3.4 Results of the Feedback in “Functioning in Business” Courseware 32 3.5 Results of the Screen Design in “Functioning in Business” Courseware 33 3.6 Results of the Students’ Learning to“ the Courseware 35 3.7 Results of the Students’ Preference to the Courseware 38 3.8 Recommendations for material improvements 39 3.9 Summary of major findings 41 PART 3: CONCLUSION 43 3.1 Conclusions 43 3.2 Implications 44 3.3 Limitations 45 3.4 Suggestions for further study 46 REFERENCES I APPENDIX V viii HUBT CALL ICT CAI CAL HC DynED LIOJ ix LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES Figures Figure 1: Diagram of the Evaluation Framework Figure 2: Video Interaction in DynED Figure 3: Sample of Vocabulary question in DynED Figure 4: Sample of sentence construction in DynED Figure 5: Record Manager in DynED Tables Table 1: Analysis on the Content in the “Functioning in Business” Courseware Table 2: Analysis on the Interactivity of the “Functioning in Business” Courseware Table 3: Analysis on the Navigation of the IMM Courseware Table 4: The analysis of the feedback of the “Functioning in Business” courseware Table 5: Analysis on the Screen Design of the Courseware Table 6: The analysis on the students’ learning towards the courseware Table 7: Analysis on Students’ Preferences towards the Use of “Functioning in Business” Courseware Compared to Traditional Methods of Learning PART I: INTRODUCTION Rationale of the thesis In the past, English lessons were normally taught through conventional classroom instruction, in which, most often than not, the teacher would be teaching in front of the classroom, while students were passive recipients of knowledge However, presently technology has had a great influence on the educational practices in the classrooms in which computer-based technology is very much in use to enhance instruction and transfer the focus from the teacher to the students in the learning process (Bork, 2001; Ertmer, Gopalakrishnan & Ross, 2001) Incorporating technology in the classroom is beneficial to the students in a number of ways: assisting students‟ understanding of concepts, enhancing students‟ motivation in exploring, investigating, conjecturing, creating and discovering principles, and making generalization and connections (Wertherimer, 1990); engaging students involvement in the learning process (Guha, 2003) and motivating them The advent of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has brought the concept of Computer-Assisted Instruction (CAI) into the classroom CAI is a kind of instruction that exploits computer software to assist teachers to teach information or skills related to a particular topic (Roblyer, 2004), and students can interact directly with lessons programmed into the computer system (Smaldino, Russell, Heinich & Molenda, 2005) There are many types of software that teachers can use to develop their own teaching courseware Studies demonstrate that the DynED software can be used to help improve students‟ achievement in English hence, to eradicate much English anxiety and fear of using computer software and learning English Aims of the thesis The purpose of this study is to evaluate a courseware for the Business Communications course The courseware is specifically known as “Functioning in Business” It consists of additional information on the subject and quizzes to complement the Business Communications course The objective is the evaluation of the courseware by the students and that of the researcher on its strengths and weaknesses of the courseware The study is conducted primarily to find out the attitude of students towards the use of the Business Communications courseware as a supplementary teaching/learning material in HUBT Significance of the thesis Many teachers often face problems and difficulties in teaching English namely due to shortage of instructional media, students‟ lack of understanding of the basic concepts of English, students‟ incomplete work and negative learning attitude Researchers have shown that students also tend to „find school much less interesting than the myriad of devices they carry in their pocket and backpacks‟ (Prensky, 2005) Thus, teachers need to find interesting strategies and tools to make teaching and learning more effective and interesting to the students Practically, the findings of the thesis will be of great use not only to the researcher but also to the teachers who are teaching DynED software to students at HUBT Furthermore, the findings of the thesis will form a foundation toward improving the quality of the courseware which is currently in use for the students at HUBT Scope of the thesis In courseware evaluation, there has been a great number of criteria that should be taken into consideration such as: the content, the organization and presentation, the design factors, the pedagogical parameter, and so on In this study, the researcher focuses on the following criteria: content, interactivity, screen design, navigation, feedback, students‟ learning and preference towards the courseware Due to the limited scope of a minor thesis, research subjects are primarily confined to English students who have been learning the courseware for year However, to ensure the validity and reliability of the given information, teachers‟ views, which are collected in an informal way through their observation and experience in working/talking with students, is also taken into account Design of the thesis There are three main parts in this thesis: introduction, development, and conclusion The introduction provides the rationale, the aims, the significance, the scope, and design of the thesis The development consists of three chapters: Chapter one presents a review of literature concentrating on the issues related to courseware evaluation It discusses the definition of courseware, the roles and types of courseware evaluation in language teaching and learning, and presents major issues in courseware evaluation including purposes for courseware evaluation, types of courseware evaluation, and courseware evaluation framework Chapter two focuses on the methodology employed in this thesis including an overview of current English teaching and learning at HUBT, research methodology, and the data collection procedures Chapter three discusses the findings of the study; points out the strengths, weaknesses of the courseware, and suggests the recommendations for the courseware improvement The conclusion provides a brief summary of all the major parts being present in the study, the conclusions drawn out and suggestions for further research 44 provides sufficient and varied opportunities for the learners, they will learn effectively because the infusion of all features as well as enough practice items will promote better teaching and learning The study shows the importance of summative evaluations on instructional materials introduced at HUBT Although the courseware on the Business Communications course which was studied had been developed following theoretical steps, principles and procedures, minor weaknesses were discovered It is evident from this study that the learners‟ responses to the courseware as a supplementary material indicated overwhelmingly positive ratings Findings from this study, if combined with other studies, would help support the use of different types of courseware as supplementary materials at the university Although this evaluation was undertaken at the students‟ level, more research can be done to elicit the responses and views of lecturers and experts (Dick and Carey, 1991) Generally, the instructional design is effectively used in the Business Communications courseware as a supplementary material 3.2 Implications of the Findings Institutions of higher education need to consider whether they are ready to meet growing learner demands in the coming years First of all, most respondents agreed that hypermedia learning would have greater significance in higher education in the future Although some institutions have already embraced blended learning, many others are slower at adopting it for various reasons Perhaps leadership from the institution is crucial for faculty to receive adequate support to implement changes in the teaching process If the quality of software education is to improve as projected from this study, campuses must also look at the pedagogical issues in software learning Collaboration and case learning are likely to be the preferred methods of software instructors, with few relying solely on traditional methods The data presented here also indicate that the continued explosion in software learning will bring increased attention to workshops, courses, and degree programs in how to moderate or mentor with hypermedia learning Given that many respondents expect to receive some sort of training and support from their institutions to be 45 ready for hypermedia teaching, colleges and universities need to consider how they will respond to these needs In addition, the study indicates that universities are finally focusing on how hypermedia learning can develop students‟ collaboration and evaluation skills In fact, most educators now see the potential of the software in the coming years as a tool for virtual teaming or collaboration, critical thinking, and enhanced student engagement, though not necessarily as a tool for creative and individual expression Does current courseware provide tools to realize the potentials for innovative teaching and learning? Perhaps recent developments in open source courseware will force DynED vendors to develop and market more pedagogically engaging tools and resources This survey also forecasts enormous growth in software certification and recertification programs, as well as some growth in associate's and master's degree programs during the coming decade In terms of technology, the study reveals interest among software instructors in modern technologies, simulations, and reusable content objects Perhaps we are entering a world where learning objects will be at our fingertips However, the university has to equip good-conditioned computers so that students can achieve their best goals In addition, the courseware needs improving better to meet the students‟ demand and satisfy their learning motivation 3.3 Limitations of the study Due to the limited scope of a minor thesis, questionnaire has been used as a principal instrument to collect data Also, the research subjects are confined to students who have been involved with learning the courseware rather than to teachers who have taught this courseware Therefore, evaluation on the part of teachers is not thoroughly discussed In short, the findings and discussion would have been more comprehensive and insightful if the study had used more instruments for data collection and if the study had involved teachers in the evaluation process This, without doubt, would have added more weight to the findings and recommendations for further improvements of the courseware in particular and the teaching/ learning of English at HUBT in general 46 3.4 Suggestions for further research Suggestions are directed to English teachers and future researchers DynED can be implemented as an alternative method in improving students‟ English proficiencies It is because DynED makes students comprehend language faster and easier than using traditional method Moreover, DynED makes students experience interactive experiment, which previously seemed hard or impossible, such as interacting with a native speaker Besides, DynED also improve students‟ motivation in learning English Yet, the teachers are suggested to have technical competence in implementing CALL in order to build effective and directed teaching-learning process The program used in implementing CALL not only DynED, it can be other program The most important thing which was selected in the program is it must be suitable with the students‟ needs I REFERENCES http://www.DynED.com Bork, A (2001) Tutorial learning for the new century Journal of Science Education and Technology: 57-71 Beatty, K (2003) Teaching and Researching Computer-Assisted Language Learning Great Britain: Pearson Education Limitted Criswell, Eleanor L (1989) Computer-assisted instruction; Authoring programs, Macmillan (New York and London) Ertmer, P A., Gopalakrishnan, S & Ross, E M (2001) Comparing perceptions of exemplary technology use to best practice Available on http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/ Publications /JRTE / Issues/Volume_331/ Number_5_Summer_2001/ jrce-33-5-ertmer.pdf/ Egbert, J., Paulus, T M and Nakamichi, Y (2002) The impact of CALL instruction on classroom computer use: A foundation for rethinking technology in teacher education Language Learning & Technology: 108-126 http://llt.msu.edu/vol6num3/pdf/egbert.pdf - accessed May 29, 2009 Gueulette D G (ed) 1982, Microcomputers for adult learning: Potientials and Perils, Follett, Chicago, Illinois Gagné, R M., Briggs, L J., & Wager W W (1988) Principles of Instructional Design, N.Y.: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston Georgiadou, E., & Economides, A (2000) Evaluation Factors of Educational Software In Kinshuk, Chris Jesshope & Toshio Okamoto (Eds., CA: IEEE Computer Society, 113-116 10 Gray, S H (1989) The effect of locus of control and sequence control on computerised information retrieval and retention Journal of Educational Computing Research: 459-471 11 Haugland, S.W (1992) The effect of computer software on preschool children’s developmental gains Journal of Computing in Childhood Education: 15-30 12 Ihsanudin (2009) The Implementation of Computer Assisted Language Learning in Teaching EFL Classroom Unpublished Thesis II 13 Jonassen, D H (1992) Designing Hypertext for Learning In Scanlon, E., & O’Shea, T (Eds.) 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Storyboard Development for Interactive Multimedia Training Journal of Interactive Instruction Development, Winter:18-31 III 26 Preece, J (1993) Hypermedia, Multimedia and Human Factors In Latchem, C., Williamson, J., & Henderson Lancett, L (Eds.) Interactive Multimedia, London: Kogan Page, 135-149 27 Prensky, M (2005) Engage me or enrage me: What today’s learner demand Educause Review: 61-65 28 Peter Norton (2001) Introduction to computers, fourth edition Singapore: McGraw Hill 29 Powell, G C (1993) Incorporating learner cultural diversity into instructional systems design: An investigation of faculty awareness and teaching practices Unpublished doctoral dissertation, The University of Georgia 30 Poncelet, G M., & Proctor, L F (1993) Design and Development Factors in the Production of Hypermediabased Courseware, Canadian Journal of Educational Computing: 91-111 31 Roblyer, M D (2004) Educational Technology in Action: Problem-Based Exercises for Technology Integration Columbus, Ohio: Prentice-Hall 32 Ross, S M., & Morrison, G R (1989) In Search of a Happy Medium in Instructional Technology Research Educational Technology Research and Development: 19-33 33 Reigeluth, C M (1987) Instructional Theories in Action, Hilsdale, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates 34 Smaldino, S E., Russell, J D., Heinich, J D., Molenda, M C (2005) Instructional Technology and Media for Learning (8th Ed.) Upper Saddle River, New Jersey:Prentice Hall 35 Soe, Kyaw and Juvenna (2008) Effect of Computer-Assisted Instruction (CAI) of Reading Achievement: A meta-Analysis Available on www.pre.org/CAI.html 36 Southern Regional Educational Board (2002) Criteria for evaluating Computer Courseware,http://www.sret.sreb.org/criteria/courseware.asp 37 Schimmel, B J (1988) Providing Meaningful Feedback in Courseware In D H IV 38 Tresnanwati, Fitria (2011) The implementation of computerAssisted Language Learning (CALL) by using Dynamic Education (DynED) program in improving EL proficiency of vocational high school students Avalable on web: www.repository.upl.edu/kripsiview.php 39 Wertherimer, R (1990) The geometry proof tutor: An intelligent computer-based tutor in the classroom Mathematics Teacher, April: 308-317 V APPENDIX QUESTIONNAIRE FOR STUDENTS This questionnaire is designed to collect attitude of non-major English students of HUBT on the current English courseware “Functioning in Business” in DynED software Please answer the following questions carefully based on your own experience in learning the courseware Your responses would be very valuable to the evaluation research and the improvement of the courseware for future use Your cooperation, therefore, is highly appreciated Read the following statements and TICK (v) them from to where Α Strongly Disagree Disagree Somewhat Agree Agree Strongly Agree Evaluation of the content No The content is reliable and suitable The distribution of speaking) are equal The distribution of completing sentences…) are equal Correct use of grammar Concepts and vocabulary relevant to learners‟ abilities Logical progression of topics Topics in the courseware are related to business communication Variety of activities, with options for increasing complexity The structure allows learners to move around freely in different units 10 The structure of courseware permits learners to advance, review, see examples, repeats the unit or escape to explore another unit VI Β2 Design Factors Β.2.1 Interactivity – Navigation - Feedback Β.2.1.1 Interactivity No 10 11 12 13 14 Item Questions The interactivity of this courseware is according to the maturity of the students This courseware provides opportunities for interaction with standardized icons The content is divided into small segments and includes examples and summaries for each segment This courseware frequently poses questions to the users that not interrupt the learning process This courseware asks students to apply what they have learnt rather than memorises it This courseware allows learners to discover information through active exploration Β.2.1.2 Navigation No Item Questions 15 Answer key to answer a question 16 Glossary key to see the definition of any term 17 Objective key to review course objectives 18 19 Summary and review key to review the entire lesson or parts of it Menu key to return to the main page 20 Exit key to exit from the programme 21 Comment key to record a learner's comments 22 Example key to see examples of an idea 23 Key for moving forward or backward in a lesson 24 Key for accessing the next lesson in a sequence VII Β.2.1.3 Feedback No Item Questions 25 28 This courseware provides feedback immediately after a response The placement of feedback is varied according to the level o objectives This courseware provides feedback to verify the correctness of a response Feedback is enough and consistent 29 Feedback is related to correct answer 30 Student‟ marks are recorded 31 The lecturer knows how I in the quizzes 32 33 For incorrect responses, information is given to the student about how to correct their answers or hints to try again This courseware allows students to print out their feedback 34 This courseware allows students to check their performance 35 There are enough questions for students to practice 26 27 Β.2.2 Screen Design No Item Questions 36 Screens designed in a clear and understandable manner 37 The presentation of information can captivate the attention o students The presentation of information can stimulate recall 38 39 40 The use of space is according to the principles of screen design The design uses proper fonts in terms of style and size 41 The use of text follows the principles of readability 42 The colour of the text follows the principles of readability 43 The number of colours in each screen is no more than six 44 There is consistency in the functional use of colours VIII 45 The quality of the text, images, graphics and video is good 46 Presented pictures are relevant to the information included the text 47 The use of graphics meaningfully supports the text provide 48 There is only one moving image 49 The video enhances the presentation of information 50 The sound is of good quality and enhances the presentation information 51 The sound is an alternative means of presenting information and not a necessity 52 The integration of presentation means is well coordinated C Evaluation of learning No Item Questions 53 The courseware is easy to learn; the user can quickly get some work done with it The courseware is efficient to use; once the user has learnt it, a high level of productivity is possible The courseware is easy to remember; the casual user is able to return to using it after some period without having to learn everything all over The structure of the courseware is comprehensive and the average performance learners can easily follow it Learners not make many errors during the use of the courseware or if they so they can easily recover them Learners are subjectively satisfied by using the courseware 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 Learners find the courseware is suitable for the people with self-consciousness After listening to the sentences in the courseware, learners can repeat it Learners find the courseware interesting Learners find the role of teachers very important when using the courseware IX D Students’ Preference No 63 64 65 66 68 69 Item Questions I prefer to learn English with textbooks than via an interactive multimedia courseware I prefer to learn English with an interactive multimedia courseware instead of using textbook The courseware has more strength than the textbook The activities provided in this interactive multimedia courseware are more effective compared to classroom activities 67 The courseware provided improves students skills better than textbook I prefer to learn English using an interactive multimedia courseware with a teacher acting as a facilitator I will suggest my friends to use an interactive multimedia courseware in learning English instead of textbooks Thank you very much for your cooperation! ... ATTITUDE TOWARDS LEARNING THE COURSEWARE “FUNCTIONING IN BUSINESS? ?? THROUGH DYNED SOFTWARE: A SURVEY EVALUATION BY THE SECOND YEAR NONENGLISH MAJOR STUDENTS AT HANOI UNIVERSITY OF BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY. .. in a clear and understandable manner 37 The presentation of information can captivate the attention students The presentation of information can stimulate recall 38 39 40 The use of space is according... enrich, and clarify the concept of the learning materials they are learning In line with them, Mc Donough, et al (1994:211) stated that there are several advantages by using computer as learning