Fatma Gozalan CICEK* Mehmet TASPINAR**
*Department of Curricula and Teaching Materials, DG for VET, MoNE, Ankara, Turkey.
**Prof.Dr. Department of Education, Faculty of Education, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey.
DOI: 10.14689/ejer.2016.64.14

Abstract

Problem Statement: The current study investigates whether the learning environment designed based on the laboratory control system affects the academic achievement, the attitude toward the learning-teaching process and the retention of the students in computer education.

Purpose of Study: The study aims to identify the laboratory control system based learning environment’s effects on students’ academic success on computer education, the related attitudes in the learning-teaching process and the permanence of the information that is learned.

Methods: The study was conducted with 66 10th grade students attending a state high school in Kayseri in the 2010-2011 school year. Out of 66 students, 33 were assigned to an experimental group and 33 were assigned to a control group. While the control group students were educated primarily based on lecturing and presentations reflected through a projector, the experimental group students were trained in an active learning environment that was designed based on the laboratory control system. Both of the groups were administered the “Scale of Attitudes towards Learning and Teaching Process” and the “Achievement Test” as a pretest and posttest. The Achievement test was applied again after five weeks to find out if the learning has permanence.

Findings and Results: Findings show that the experiment/test group educated in an active learning environment created with the Laboratory Control System was more successful than the control group educated in a conventional environment. Also, there was a significant difference in permenance points of the experiment/test and control group. These results show that learning environments designed according to the Laboratory Control System are more effective in computer education. In addition, the experiment group students’ attitudes about the learning process were more positive than control group students’ attitudes.

Recommendations: In light of these results, creating an active learning environment using the Laboratory Control System is recommended. In this environment classes should be involved in the learning by giving students active missions like leadership. This can increase the students’ success, the permanence of the lessons learned and also improve the attitudes of the students toward the lesson.

Keywords: Laboratory Control System, NetSupport school, active learning environment, student interaction, computer education.