Does E-Learning Contribute to Secondary Three Pupils Learning of Circle Properties in Mathematics?

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1 Does E-Learning Contribute to Secondary Three Pupils Learning of Circle Properties in Mathematics? Florence Leong, Feroze Amzah and Rafi Mohd. Rais Coral Secondary School Abstract In recent years pupils in Singapore schools enjoy widespread availability of computers and access to the Internet. Electronic-learning or e-learning is becoming popular as it can offer new and eciting possibilities for individualised and customised learning eperiences for learners. However there is little information regarding e-learning s beneficial use and contribution to pupil learning. This action research is aimed at eamining the use of HeyMath an e-learning platform for Mathematics learning. A total of 85 Secondary Three pupils from two Epress course classes and one Normal Academic course class participated in this study to use the e-learning platform for learning a Mathematics topic on Circle Properties. A 12-item test on Circle Properties was used to assess pupils learning achievement before and after the e-learning intervention. In addition, a survey questionnaire was used to eamine their attitudes towards e-learning. Results obtained from this study will be presented and implications for Mathematics instruction at Coral Secondary School will be discussed. Introduction With the launch of the first IT Masterplan in education in 1997, schools in Singapore are now well-equipped with computers, internet access and various technological infrastructure. In recent years, there is a trend towards information technology for e- learning. E-learning, which is broadly defined as instruction and learning eperiences delivered via electronic technology such as the internet, audiotape and videotape, satellite broadcast, interactive television and CD-RM (Imel, 2002), is viewed by some educators as a good complement to conventional teaching and learning. Its individualised and customised features allow learners to choose and review different learning materials and at their own pace (Kirk, 2002). As computers and internet access become more readily available in our local schools, it is pertinent that teachers consider and eplore e-learning for pupil learning. We are a group of Mathematics teachers at Coral Secondary School interested in eamining and understanding the effects of using e-learning in Mathematics. In this action research study, we aimed at using HeyMath, an e-learning platform for

2 Mathematics learning given the initial positive responses from teachers and pupils about using HeyMath for topics involving abstract concepts. We posed the following questions for this research. (1) How does e-learning help pupils understand concepts better? (2) What impact, if any, does it have on their achievement? (3) What are their attitudes towards e-learning? Methods Participants A total of 85 Secondary Three pupils (14-15 years old) participated in this study. They were drawn from two Epress course classes and one Normal Academic course class. Pupils from both courses offered the same Mathematics syllabus as a school subject. Each class was taught by one of the three teachers in this research team. Table 1 shows the distribution of the final sample. Due to incomplete data collected from participants, the final sample size was less than the actual class enrolment. Table 1. Distribution of the Final Sample Class Actual Enrolment Final Sample Size 3E E N : Epress course of study 2 : Normal Academic course of study Instruments HeyMath The HeyMath platform comprises a series of online lessons based on topics in the Mathematics syllabus. It adopts a step-by-step approach in the teaching of concepts. These concepts are further illustrated with worked eamples using graphics and animation. Practice questions and specimen eamination papers are also provided. In addition, teachers are given the option to post on-line assignments, administer tests and survey using the platform. ther contents of the platform include a personalised calendar, a bulletin board and a pupil monitoring facility. In this action research, the e-

3 learning contents for two Mathematics topics were used, namely, Coordinate Geometry for a pilot study and Circle Properties for a main study. Test on Circle Properties A 12-item test was constructed to assess learning outcomes on Circle Properties (see Appendi A). Each test-item required pupils to find the unknown angles by applying specific properties of circles. The items range in difficulty level and the overall test carried a maimum score of 20 marks. A marking scheme was prepared for scoring pupils responses. ne mark was awarded for correct computation of angle, and for the higher order thinking questions, marks were also awarded for the correct method used. This test was used both as a pre-test and post-test in this study. Survey A specially-designed survey was used to gather feedback about pupils use of HeyMath for learning of Circle Properties (see Appendi B). This 12-item survey was aimed at tapping pupils perception of: (a) HeyMath use for understanding the 4 properties of circles [4 items], (b) HeyMath use for solving problems by applying the 4 properties of circles [4 items], (c) HeyMath s features (step-by-step approach, the use of graphics and animation) [3 items], (d) their overall enjoyment in using HeyMath [1 item]. A 4-point Likert scale ranging from 1 for Strongly Disagree to 4 for Strongly Agree was used to elicit pupils responses. Procedure A pilot study was conducted in April 2004 to use the HeyMath e-learning platform for the topic on Coordinate Geometry. The main objective was to familiarise pupils with the use of the e-learning platform. The main study to use HeyMath for the Mathematics topic on Circle Properties was conducted in July 2004 over a two-week period. A pre-test on this topic was first administered to the pupils of each class to assess their prior knowledge. Four lessons using HeyMath were conducted in a computer laboratory. Each of the four properties of circles was first introduced to the pupils using a teacher-directed approach, together with eamples illustrating the applications of the property. Thereafter, the pupils

4 reviewed the content at their own pace. Practice was provided using the questions from HeyMath and reinforced with more questions from the tetbook. At the end of the study, a post-test was administered to the pupils to re-assess their understanding of the topic. This was followed by a survey to gather feedback from pupils regarding their eperiences in using HeyMath. Results and Discussion Table 2 presents the results of the pre-test and post-test. For the pre-test, class 3N1 obtained the highest mean score compared to the other two classes. Inspection of pupils obtained scores showed that some pupils had no or minimal prior knowledge on Circle Properties while some pupils already had very good knowledge before learning the topic. For the post-test, classes 3E3 and 3N1 showed the highest mean score of verall pupils improved in their post-test scores over the pre-test. Some pupils in all the three classes obtained the maimum possible score of 20. Table 2. Means and Standard Deviations of Pupils Pre-test and Post-test Scores by Class Class N Pre-test Post-test Range of Range of btained Scores Mean (sd) btained Scores Mean (sd) 3E (3.3) (3.2) 3E (4.5) (5.0) 3N (4.3) (2.9) Table 3. Means and Standard Deviations of the Mean Difference of the two Test Scores and ANVA by the Class Variable Class N Difference Range of Mean (sd) F-Ratio Sig. btained Scores 3E (5.0) 3E (5.6) N (4.3)

5 To measure the pupils achievement, the difference between the pre-test and post-test scores was computed, that is, post-test score minus pre-test score. Table 3 shows the means and standard deviations of the mean difference of the two test scores. Class 3E3 showed the largest difference of 11.9 while class 3E4 had the lowest difference of 7.3. The ne-way ANVA was performed to test for any significant difference in the mean difference of the pre-test and post-test scores and the results are also presented in Table 3. A significant F-ratio was found at the 0.05 confidence level. Post hoc comparisons using the Scheffe test were performed and the significant results are presented in Table 4. Compared to 3E4, classes 3E3 and 3N1 showed the most improvement in their learning of Circle Properties. Table 4. Results of the Scheffe Test of Multiple Comparisons of the Mean Difference of the two Test Scores by the Class Variable Class (A) Class (B) Mean Difference (A-B) Significance Level 3E3 3E N1 3E E3 3N Table 5. Means and Standard Deviations of the four Subscale Scores obtained from Pupils Rating of HeyMath use and ANVA by the Class Variable Subscale 1 Subscale 2 Subscale 3 Subscale 4 Class N Mean (sd) Mean (sd) Mean (sd) Mean (sd) 3E (1.4) 14.6 (1.8) 9.0 (2.1) 3.0 (0.8) 3E (2.2) 13.3 (2.3) 8.5 (2.1) 2.7 (0.9) 3N (1.6) 14.1 (1.8) 9.0 (1.8) 3.1 (0.7) F-Ratio Sig Subscale 1: Understand all Properties Subscale 2: Apply all Properties Subscale 3. HeyMath Features Subscale 4: Enjoyed using HeyMath Table 5 shows the results of pupils perception of HeyMath s use. Pupils in all three classes were on the whole positive towards all aspects of HeyMath s use. An inspection of the mean scores for each of the subscale showed that 3E3 and 3N1 pupils

6 were more positive towards using HeyMath for their learning on Circle Properties compared to pupils of class 3E4. They felt that the use of learning resources in HeyMath had helped them to understand the topic and also apply concepts to solve problems. They also liked the HeyMath features and overall enjoyed using HeyMath. It is noted that for each class, the mean rating for Apply all Properties (subscale 2) is less than that for Understand all Properties (subscale 1). Possibly, the application of knowledge which required higher order thinking skills and not just knowledge recall affected pupils rating of HeyMath. The ne-way ANVA was performed to test for any significant difference in the mean score for each subscale and the results are also shown in Table 5. A significant F-ratio was found on Subscale 1 Understand all Properties at the 0.05 confidence level. However, no significant results were found on the other three subscales. Post hoc comparisons using the Scheffe test were performed and the significant results are illustrated in Table 6. Table 6. Results of the Scheffe Test of Multiple Comparisons of the Mean Score for Subscale 1 by the Class Variable Class (A) Class (B) Mean Difference (A-B) Significance Level 3E3 3E N1 3E E3 3N Compared to 3E4, pupils of class 3E3 perceived that HeyMath had helped them with their understanding of Circle Properties. It is interesting to note that class 3E4 had the lowest mean score on Understand all Properties (Subscale 1) and this class also made the least improvement in the test on Circle Properties. n the other hand, the use of HeyMath had helped pupils from classes 3E3 and 3N1 in understanding the concepts of Circle Properties and they had also made greater improvement in their learning of this topic. Conclusion This study provides some useful insights to the research team about pupils test performance for the topic on Circle Properties and their attitudes towards HeyMath use

7 for learning. First is the weaker test performance of pupils of class 3E4 compared to pupils of the other two classes, 3E3 and 3N1. While it is easier to account for the difference in performance between the two epress classes, the less favourable performance of class 3E4 compared to 3N1 is more puzzling. As Mathematics teachers of these three classes, we conferred and reflected on this finding and offered the following eplanation. The pupils of 3E4, being the last class of the Epress course of study, is generally a weaker group not only in Mathematics but also in most other subjects. n the other hand, class 3N1 being the best class of the Normal Academic course of study is generally more motivated in their studies. Generally, the pupils are positive towards the use of HeyMath for Mathematics learning. They find several features of HeyMath helpful for their learning and more importantly, they enjoy using the e-learning platform for learning. For the topic on Circle Properties, pupils ability to visualise is important for understanding the learning concepts and thereafter applying their knowledge. Possibly, the etensive uses of graphics and animation in the HeyMath platform have contributed towards their learning of this topic. While e-learning applications such as HeyMath used in this study seem promising, the research team hopes to gather more comprehensive evidence of its usefulness for helping pupils to learn Mathematics. For instance, further action research work to investigate the impact of graphics and animation features on the learning of Bearings, another Mathematics topic which taps on pupils visualisation ability, will enrich our understanding of e-learning tools.

8 References Imel, S. (2002). E-Learning. Trends and Issues Alert. Educational Resources Information Centre, ED Retrieved March 16, 2004, from ERIC database. Kirk, J. J. (2002). E-Learning: An Eecutive Summary. Educational Resources Information Centre, ED Retrieved March 16, 2004, from ERIC database.

9 Appendi A - 1 Given that is the centre of each circle, find the values of and/or y in each case y

10 5. Appendi A

11 9. Appendi A y y y y

12 Appendi B 1. I understand the following properties: (a) Angle at centre is twice angle at circumference (b) Angle in a semicircle is a right angle (c) Angles in the same segment are equal (d) pposite angles in a cyclic quadrilateral are supplementary 2. I am able to solve problems by applying the following properties: (a) Angle at centre is twice angle at circumference (b) Angle in a semicircle is a right angle (c) Angles in the same segment are equal (d) pposite angles in a cyclic quadrilateral are supplementary 3. The following features in HeyMath helped me to learn the circle properties better: (a) Step-by-step approach (b) Graphics (c) Animation 4. I enjoyed using HeyMath to learn circle properties. SA A D SD Possible Survey Ratings Subscale Minimum Possible Rating Maimum Possible Rating Understanding all Properties 4 16 Apply all Properties 4 16 HeyMath Features 3 12 Enjoyed using HeyMath 1 4