Assessing the Impact of Dynamic Software Environments (MATLAB) on Rural-Based Pre-Service Teachers' Spatial-Visualisation Skills

Autor/inn/en	Amevor, G.; Bayaga, Anass; Bossé, Michael J.
Titel	Assessing the Impact of Dynamic Software Environments (MATLAB) on Rural-Based Pre-Service Teachers' Spatial-Visualisation Skills
Quelle	In: Contemporary Educational Technology, 13 (2021) 4, S.327 (12 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Amevor, G.) ORCID (Bayaga, Anass) ORCID (Bossé, Michael J.)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1309-517X
Schlagwörter	Educational Technology; Technology Uses in Education; Visual Aids; Spatial Ability; Rural Schools; Socioeconomic Status; Thinking Skills; Cognitive Ability; College Students; Calculus; Mathematics Instruction; Teaching Methods; Program Effectiveness; Preservice Teachers; Preservice Teacher Education; Foreign Countries; Visualization; Computer Software; South Africa + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Unterrichtsmedien; Technology enhanced learning; Technology aided learning; Technologieunterstütztes Lernen; Anschauungsmaterial; Räumliches Vorstellungsvermögen; Rural area; Rural areas; School; Schools; Ländlicher Raum; Schule; Schulen; Socio-economic status; Sozioökonomischer Status; Denkfähigkeit; Collegestudent; Analysis; Differenzialrechnung; Infinitesimalrechnung; Integralrechnung; Mathematics lessons; Mathematikunterricht; Teaching method; Lehrmethode; Unterrichtsmethode; Lehramtsstudiengang; Lehrerausbildung; Ausland; Visualisation; Visualisierung; Südafrika; Süd-Afrika; Republik Südafrika; Südafrikanische Republik
Abstract	Dynamic visual tools such as MATLAB have inbuilt features which are believed to be able to empower students to learn through the visualisation of three-dimensional objects. While student learning through MATLAB has been investigated regarding students in urban settings, only a handful of studies have investigated how MATLAB can assist students in rural settings. Spatial visualisation (SV) as a measure or reflection of one's cognitive reasoning is affected by family social economic status (SES). For instance, it is argued that SES in combination with other components, do enhance cognitive development in different ways. What is meant is that components such as but not exclusively, economic and occupational components of SES may vary and hence provide opportunities for generating better understanding of education (cognition). In this study, we randomly selected 100 second-year rural-based pre-service teachers in a vector calculus class at University of Zululand (UNIZULU). Students need SV skills to learn vector calculus and the Purdue spatial-visualization test/rotations (PSVT/R) is well established for measuring individuals' spatial reasoning. In this study, spatial reasoning skills were assessed through a vector calculus pre-test and through a post-test using the Purdue spatial-visualization test/rotations (PSVT/R). The experimental group of students learned the vector calculus topics supported by activities and investigations using MATLAB. Duval's Theory of Register of Semiotic Representation (TRSR) was employed to comprehend the impact of MATLAB on rural-based pre-service teachers' spatial-visualisation skills. From using an independent sample t-test, our findings indicated that, for participants in this study, using MATLAB had positive impact on the rural-based pre-service teachers' SV skills. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Contemporary Educational Technology. Faculty of Communication Sciences, Anadolu University, Yunus Emre Campus, Eskisehir 26470, Turkey. e-mail: editor@cedtech.net; Web site: http://www.cedtech.net
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01