The effect of computer simulation on the performance of students in the concept of digestion

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of computer simulations instructional packages on the performance of students‘ learning of the topic, digestion. The study used the entry point, post-test and exit point quasi experimental design method in a mixed sex Senior High School. The study used all fifty (50) students of SHS 2 Home Economics 1 and forty eight (48) students of SHS 2 Home Economics 2 at Odorgonno Senior High School in Accra, Ghana. A post-test consisting of ten multiple-choice, five true or false, five fill in blank spaces and a five short theory test items on digestion was given to two treatment groups. Descriptive and paired t-test statistics were used for answering the research hypothesis. The classroom interactions of students of the two treatment groups were observed to find out how their attitudes towards computer simulation and its effectiveness improved their performance. The assigned codes of classroom interaction were also subjected to further analysis using simple percentages. The results indicate that the performance and content knowledge in digestion among both groups after the post-intervention and exiting point improved as compared to the entry point mean scores. Computer simulation did prove to be superior to the traditional teaching approaches. The findings seem to suggest that computer simulation holds great promise for the teaching and learning of science concepts. It has therefore been recommended that computer simulation strategies be incorporated in the teaching of biology as it has a positive effect on the attitudes of students. As a result, there is a need for teachers and teacher educational institutions to reinforce the use of computer simulations in the teaching and learning science.