Magazine 2015
International Peer-Reviewed Journal
RESEARCH HORIZONS, VOL. 5 JULY 2015
A STUDY ON THE EFFECT OF MULTIMEDIA PACKAGE ON
ACHIEVEMENT AND RETENTION IN GENETICS
Jasmine Sheeba, Rexlin Jose
ABSTRACT
Today’s world is empowered by information technology. There is nothing which is untouched with the use
of technology. Education sector is no exception to it. In this context, an attempt has been made to see the
effectiveness of multimedia package on achievement and retention among higher secondary students in
Genetics. This is an experimental study with pretest-posttest Equivalent Group Design. A sample of 50
higher secondary students was used for the study. The investigators applied self-developed Achievement
test in Genetics (Biology) to assess the achievement and retention of the subjects. Data were analyzed
using ANCOVA and t-test to determine the performance by comparing the mean scores. Findings revealed
that students taught through multimedia package showed significant improvement in their achievement in
Genetics than the students taught through Conventional Method. The findings also implied that the multimedia
package had the power to make the students hold high retention than their counterparts.
Key Words : Multimedia Package, Genetics, Achievement, Retention.
Introduction
Education is a beacon for mankind; it is the right direction to surge. Education is an engine for the
growth and progress of any society. It is a powerful tool for social change, social mobility and transfers
the morals, values of culture to the next generation. Education is a lifelong process and it permeates
every aspect of an individual’s life (Suciu,2000). Education is the process to shape the quality of life
which in turn enhances the quality of the society and the universe as a whole (Rosca,2006). The
progress of any country depends upon the quality of education offered and its implementation of
technological practices. Education in India has undergone various phases and stages of development
starting from the vedic age to the post-independent period. At all stages of development, there was a
concern for bringing in quality education reflecting on the practical and technical aspects in education.
The dynamics of modern technology have created a complete new world of learning in recent times.
The novelty and newness always generates initial responses and interest in every human mind (John
Bransford,2000). In the techno era, the conventional method is not sufficient to arouse interest among
the students and does not meet up to the intellectual, psychological and emotional needs of the students
in the new millennium. Educating students through innovative ways and techniques channelize them
towards the urge to learn more and more, which in turn facilitate sustainable development
(
Kauffman&Sternberg, 2010). The world of multimedia technique, smart classroom concept, bag less
schools, online examination system all appear to be most attractive in the digital era (Daniel, 1999).
The advent of multimedia technology offers new insight into the learning process, merges multiple
levels of learning, allows individualized instruction and delivers exciting possibilities to meet the needs
st
of 21 century learners.
Multimedia
Multimedia technology is probably one of the most exciting innovations in the information age. The
rapid growth of multimedia over the last decade has brought about fundamental changes to computing,
entertainment and education. Multimedia is a melody sung in harmony with multi-channel and multi-
modal bits of knowledge and creation (Agarwal, 2007). The ultimate role is to inform, educate and/ or
entertain all. Multimedia is all pervading, thrilling and involving method of info-edu-tainment with multiple
facets and long lasting approbation. Multimedia refers to computer – mediated information that is
presented concurrently in more than one medium, consists of the following elements: text, still graphic
images, motion, graphic animations, hypermedia, photographs, video and audio i.e., sounds, music
and narration(Korakkis,2009). Multimedia can support multiple representation of the same piece of
information in a variety of formats. Learning through multimedia is an active and engaged process,
and have a powerful impact on the learner’s problem solving abilities and can generate a positive
effect (Styliars, 2009). Multimedia enables learning more goal- oriented, more participatory, flexible in
time and space, unaffected by distances and tailored to individual learning styles and increase
collaboration between teacher and students (Rosa and Preethi, 2012). The importance of multi channel
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communication which confirms that when information is presented by more than one channel, there will
be an additional reinforcement, resulting in greater retention and improved learning (Ellis, 2004). Multimedia
offers an excellent alternative to traditional teaching by allowing the students to explore and learn at
different pace in accordance with their potentiality.
Multimedia on cognition
Multimedia that combines text, sound, videos, colourful moving ages, opportunity to connect with real
people and to participate in real world events provide challenging and authentic content that will enhance
the cognitive skills of the learners. Multimedia builds up right brain-oriented abstract thinking, scientific
attitude, reflection, problem solving ability and critical thinking which are the important aspects of learning.
Multimedia augments ones knowledge and self-confidence and encourages students to take responsibility
for their learning. It promotes the deepening of understanding of basic principles and promotes the spirit
of enquiry and accurate observation. Through this innovative multimedia, students develop constructivist
thinking. They construct their own knowledge and understanding of the world and develop manipulative
skills. It also enhances individuals to act independently to act purposefully; to think rationally and to
deal effectively with the environment. This mental capacity or mental energy helps an individual to face
new challenges and problems of life as successfully as possible.
Design of Multimedia Package
In designing a multimedia package, “we should take into the account the fact that learning task need to
be placed within a specific content of psychological, cognitive & social process (Nathan & Robinson,
2
001). Creating the multimedia package is both challenging and exciting. The subject content is broken
down into small logically discrete instructional steps. Positive examples, related to subject area are
provided as reinforcement with a text enriched with a static picture or though dynamic videos gathered
from e-resources. Then the verbal and visual information of subject content are sequentially arranged
and the required operation, procedure or skills give with appropriate explanation through animation or
videos or through audio narrations simultaneously. Appropriate Pacing should be provided in
accordance with cognition, learning styles and skills of the learners.
Multimedia package based on instructional design theories and psychological principles of learning
would facilitate self-paced independent learning. Students using web-based programmes rich in
multimedia with integrated live demonstrations performed significantly better on skill and overall
competence than their counterparts taught using traditional methods of instruction (Kinshuk, 2000).
The clarity of expression comprises three processes namely easy and simple language, clearly stated
objectives. Besides them, provision for reinforcement is identified as the fourth factor contributing to
effectiveness of multimedia package (Ashok Kumar, 2012). By designing multimedia package, the
students are challenged to learn more about their chosen subject material and to develop their abilities
to analyze and draw conclusions from it.
Need for the study
As the world moves forwarding the era of innovative technology where learning become borderless,
enhanced efficiency, competitiveness, productivity, quality and values will take precedence in
determining our wellbeing and success in the global era. Quality education is universal goal and is
associated with the developing competency among the learners. A teacher needs to prepare the
students to learn, work and live successfully in knowledge-based, global society. (Grey Bryce 2006). In
the techno-era, the rapid growth of biological knowledge is placing its prominence among the science.
Genetics is the corner stone of modern biology. The molecular aspects of genetics become a central
th
importance in the second half of the 20 century with the discovery of DNA structure by Watson and
Crick and influences societal practices such as disease diagnosis, and treatment, crop production,
drug development, industrial production, criminal investigation and so on (Nelson & Cox, 2000). However
many teachers and students regard the topic of genetics as very difficult, both to teach and to learn
(
Templin & Fetters, 200) due to the web of complex abstract concepts. The traditional instruction in
genetics leaves the students an insufficient understanding of recent techniques in genetics with any
multiple representation encourage rote learning. The role of multimedia based instructional design
takes on greater responsibility and becomes a critical component to give an accurate and rich picture of
genetic concepts which are often very hard to grasp from text – based presentation of information
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(
Kubika Sebitosi, 2007). It will be extremely beneficial to the learner in the contemporary educational
scenario, to build proficiency, meaningful mental representation and desirable behavioural outcome
by scaffolding or gradual removal of a tutor’s support and become an independent problem solver.
The major significance of this study is that it drives the educator and the learners to realize the importance
of techno-pedagogical practices during the teaching-learning process. This study facilitates the instructor
in find the “right” technology to support “good” pedagogy.
Objectives of the Study
(
i) To develop a Multimedia Package in Genetics.
(
ii) To study the effect of Multimedia Package on achievement in Genetics of higher secondary students
after experimental treatment.
(
(
iii) To study the effect of Multimedia Package on retention in Genetics of higher secondary students
after experimental treatment.
iv) To find out the attitude of students in Genetics after experimental treatment.
Design of the study
The present study is an experimental study with pretest-posttest Equivalent Group Design. Achievement
and Retention were treated as dependent variables while Multimedia Package was treated as
independent variable in this study. Instructional treatment was studied at two levels namely experimental
group (E) which was taught Genetics through Multimedia Package and control group (C) which was
taught Genetics through conventional method.
Sample
The study was carried out on a sample of 50 higher secondary school students of Kanyakumari district.
The 50 samples were selected after the administration of Intelligence Test. All the 50 students were
equally divided and formed experimental group (E) and control group (C).
Tools Used
The following tools were used for the purpose of collecting data related to different variables covered
in the study:
(
1) Standardized Test: General Intelligence Test for Higher Secondary Students (GIT) by Roma Pal
Rama Tiwari to measure the intelligence of the students.
&
(
2) Self- Developed Tools: Achievement Test in Genetics and Genetics Attitude Scale.
Procedure for Data Collection
Stage- I: Grouping the sample into two equivalent groups
At this stage, the sample representing the population based on the intelligence test score was divided
into both control and experimental group. The pre-test scores proved the homogeneity of the two
groups.
Stage- II: Administering treatment to both the groups.
At this stage, both the control and the experimental groups were given treatments. The control group
was given treatment through conventional teaching. The experimental group was administered treatment
through Multimedia Package.
Stage- III: Conducting post-test and retention test for both the groups.
At this stage, both the control and experimental groups underwent post-test when the treatment period
was over. The retention test is conducted to both the sample groups 20 days after the posttest was
over.
Stage- IV: The Results of the Treatment
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The effectiveness of the multimedia modular approach was found out by the results of the post-test and
delayed post-test scores.
Statistical Techniques Used
Data were analysed by using Mean, Standard Deviation, t test and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA).
Major Findings of the Study
The experimental group performed better than control group students in their post test mean scores.
There is significant difference between Multimedia Package and Traditional learning methods. Hence
it can be inferred that the achievement level of the students depends upon the method of teaching and
learning.
Table:1
Difference between the Control and the Experimental Groups in the Overall Posttest Scores of
Achievement
*
*Significant at 1% level
In the above table, since p value is less than 0.01, the null hypothesis is not accepted at 1% level of
significance. Hence, it is concluded that there is significant difference between the posttest scores of
the overall achievement of the control and experimental groups. The mean scores show that the
experimental group performed better than the control group in the achievement.
Table: 2
Difference between the Control and the Experimental Groups in the Overall Posttest Scores of
Achievement with regard to the Level of Intelligence
*
*Significant at 1% level
In the above table, since p value is less than 0.01 irrespective of the level of intelligence, the null
hypothesis is not accepted at 1% level of significance. Hence, it is concluded that there is significant
difference between the control and experimental groups in the posttest with regard to level of intelligence.
The mean scores show that the experimental group performed better in the posttest scores of
achievement than the control group irrespective of the level of intelligence.
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The significance of difference between the Control and Experimental Groups in their Overall achievement
with regard to their level of intelligence is shown in following graph given below:
Table: 3
Difference between the Control and Experimental Groups on the Overall Scores of Retention
Test
*
*Significant at 1% level
In the above table, since p value is less than 0.01, the null hypothesis is not accepted at 1% level of
significance. Hence, it is concluded that there is significant difference in the delayed posttest scores
between the control and the experimental groups. The mean scores show that the experimental group
performed better in their achievement than the control group in the retention posttest.
Table: 4
Difference between the Control and the Experimental Groups in the Scores of Retention Test
with regard to the Level of Intelligence
*
*Significant at 1% level
In the above table, since p value is less than 0.01 irrespective of the level of intelligence, null hypothesis
is not accepted at 1% level of significance. Hence, it is concluded that there is significant difference
between control and experimental groups in the delayed posttest with regard to the level of intelligence.
The mean scores show that the experimental group performed better in the retention posttest than the
control group with respect to the level of intelligence.
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The significance of difference between the control and experimental groups in the retention scores
with regard to the level of intelligence is shown in the bar diagram.
Table: 5
Difference between the before and after treatment of Experimental Group towards the Attitude of
Genetics
*
*Significant at 1% level
In the above table, since p value is less than 0.01, the null hypothesis is not accepted at 1% level of
significance. Hence, it is concluded that there is significant difference in the attitude towards Genetics
of the experimental group before and after the treatment. The mean scores show that the experimental
group had better attitude towards Genetics after the treatment than before the treatment.
This is shown in the graphical representation.
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The findings of the study show that the multimedia package is a significant contribution to the process
of teaching and learning of Genetics in the Indian classrooms. The results of the study reveal that the
multimedia package can be introduced to the educational institutions especially to the school education
for the betterment and academic achievement of the students. Multimedia package helps teachers to
employ a variety of instructional resources and offer students new opportunities to explore important
ideas or to learn new skills that have relevance to their lives. The implication of multimedia package as
a tool in school education facilitates to maintain standard and are capable of providing students with
potential to fulfil the aspiration of tech-savvy society.
Discussion
The investigator finds significant difference between the overall posttest scores of the control and the
experimental groups in the achievement. There is also a significant difference between the posttest
scores of achievement of the control and the experimental groups with regard to the level of intelligence.
It shows that the students in the experimental group performed better in the posttest than that of their
counterparts in the control group and hence the multimedia package was effective to the students.
This positive result might be due to the effectiveness of multimedia accompanied by videos, pictures,
colours, music and sounds makes students feel enthusiastic, attracts their attention and makes the
students learn more efficiently and effectively. This finding is in harmony with the reviewed studies
(
Merlin & Nirmala (2014) and Yaspal (2014). The retention test was administered twenty days after the
posttest to both the sample groups. The scores of the retention test indicated that the performance of
the experimental group was better than that of the control group with regard to the achievement. This
show that multimedia can have strong pedagogical effect on mind elicit better understanding of concepts
and engage the students at a deeper level of learning with more sense of participation and facilitate to
hold the power of retention for longer period. This result is in agreement with the studies of Prasida &
Sumathy (2013), Hsiu-Ping (2012), Nicholas (2010) and Aldalah (2010), There is a significant difference
between the attitude towards genetics of the experimental group before and after the treatment. This
result in harmony with Helen (2014), Benjamin & Edward (2007), Nwaocha(2010) and Yoag (2012).
The findings of this experimental study made the investigator to arrive at a conclusion that the multimedia
package is effective in teaching of genetics and drives the students to acquire better achievement.
Recommendations
The Ministry of school education will draw up an innovative Multimedia Enrichment programme of
action to inform, guide and uplift the schools at all levels with respect to the digital trends of the society
viz., development of well equipped techno-infrastructure, management of the programme, development
of digital resources, capacity building, monitoring and evaluation of the programme.
The Directorate of Education define norms, standards, guidelines and frameworks to implement the
multimedia pedagogy in teaching learning process in schools at all levels. The Directorate of Education
develop a Multimedia literacy curriculum and establish E- technology lab in all government undertaken
schools. The Director of school education frequently evaluate the utilization of technology in the process
of teaching-learning at schools with the assistance of Chief Educational Officers, besides giving
training in the development of ICT tools, managing and maintaining data bases.
The educational planners and the developers of curriculum for school education may prepare
multimedia based resource materials for the teachers so as to foster effective teaching learning process.
The head master should equip the school with multimedia and made available to teachers and students
and facilitate innovation in academic process. The head of the school should invite computer experts
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and made arrangements to train teachers to access educational websites relevant to the subject and
encourage utilizing it properly during instructional delivery.
Teacher is an essential component for the qualitative improvement of education. Multimedia package
related to the subject content should be prepared by the teacher by proper accessing and filtering the
necessary relevant virtual information from the internet and presented to the students in accordance to
their learning styles and needs of the children. Teacher should engage the students in different educational
activities by providing school assignments, projects that stimulate them to browse scientific sites, access
to some useful, educational and amusement sites and guide them to achieve their objectives and satisfy
their needs.
Conclusion
Multimedia plays a key role in the modern system of education. Multimedia will provoke radical changes
in the teaching system because it is a woven combination of text, graphic art, sound, animation and
video elements. The learners are benefitted in terms of increased quality, relevance, self-pacing, flexibility,
resulting in greater learner achievement and met the diverse needs. Thus, multimedia is a boon to the
younger generation as more innovations are made to reduce teaching-learning burdens in the ensuring
years.
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