A new web designed material approach on learning and assessment in science education

Abstract

There are a lot of classic learning tools and measurement techniques in science education. However, there are not web designed materials and measurement tools based on educational criteria such as program development, learning pedagogies, assessment techniques and advanced software knowledge. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness on students' achievement, acquisition and permanency of a new web designed material developed by means of multimedia design programs in Matter and Heat Unit, combining a diagnostic branched tree technique from alternative assessment techniques and vision development technique from contemporary learning approaches. The study was carried out with the participation of 64 primary school students and two experience science and technology teachers in city center in Samsun-Turkey. With an experimental research design, two classrooms were assigned randomly, named with experiment group (n=31) and control group (n=33). The study was carried out during 2009-2010 spring semester, covering four weeks. Concept achievement test (CAT) and science and technology attitude scale (STAS) were applied :is both pre-tests and post-tests. The test scores obtained from these data collecting tools were compared by using a t-test technique in SPSS 17.0 statistic package program. The results from this study showed that students' concept achievement increase by 53% in favor of experiment group at (p<.05) through branched vision development material (BVDM). It was seen that student' acquisitions increase by 51% in all acquisition categories after the study. However, student' attitudes developed in positive direction in the experiment group.