The main focus of this master's thesis is to discover whether multimedia interactive (MI) boards improve the learning performance of pupils with a minor developmental disorders of learning and cognition (MDDLC) in primary school with an adapted educational program in Basic Computer Skills classes and the non-obligatory course of Computer Science.
The learning environment that an MI board can create is described in the theoretical outline. In the learning environment, the teacher has a better opportunity for successful education of pupils with MDDLC. The benefits and drawbacks of different sorts of MI boards, that are available on the market, are described in the thesis. These must be taken into account by teachers when creating the aforementioned learning environment. The inclusion of MI boards as a modern learning tool in the learning process requires technical and didactic knowledge as well as skills from both pupils and teachers. The inclusion has multiple stages, from the introduction to usage and finally integration. With phases of redirection and evolution the modern technology enables pupils to actively participate in the class and encourages them to constantly improve. Educational technology should first and foremost support the learning process, and only then it should expand and transform it. The theoretical outline also includes some examples for easier acquisition of needed knowledge and skills. The teacher starts to include the MI board in the curriculum with skills he is already used to, for example use of projectors or the magnified computer screen. With the gradual addition of tools offered, teacher uses the MI board as a multimedia interactive teaching tool. The execution of classes is more effective with planned and quick access to the necessary study material and use of tools that are a part of the software. Pupil motivation is increased because of a big screen, visual support and interactivity of pictures and words. Pupil activity is increased because they are able to cooperate and interact with other pupils and the teacher. MI board effectively support different learning styles which helps teachers with individualization. With an interesting visual presentation, supported with sound and pupil activity, enabled by the MI board, the subject matter is better memorized. The didactic material is saved and can be used again for practice and repetition.
The research has been done during Basic Computer Skills classes and the non-obligatory course of Computer Science. Each class had three periods. During the first period we introduced the theme and mode of work to the pupils. During the second period the pupils practiced and repeated the subject matter. During both periods the activity and motivation of pupils was measured. The third period was used for examination of memorization and grading the theoretical and practical knowledge. The periods took place in a computer classroom for both the experimental and control group. The only difference was, that the experimental group used the MI board and the control did not. The actual subject matter depended on which part of the curriculum particular classes discussed at the time of the research.
A hypothesis has been formed, aiming to discover whether pupils with MDDLC achieve better results while using the MI board during the learning process. The hypothesis also strived to find whether pupils are more motivated, more active and if they memorize the subject matter better and if their grades are better when using the MI boards. For this purpose, used two groups of pupils, an experimental and a control group. The sample included 29 pupils from two schools with a lower educational standard from Gorenjska. During data analysis we checked for validity, reliability and homogeneity of the sample. The differences between groups has been checked with variance analysis.
The results of the research have confirmed that pupils with MDDLC are more active when using the MI board and also more motivated for school work. We however rejected the hypothesis that pupils memorize new expressions easier with the use of MI board. Results also showed that the pupils in the experimental group, where the MI board was used were better with obtaining cognitive knowledge. With the research we proved also that the positive effects of MI board usage does not diminish with prolonged use.
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