Efficiency of testing computer science training based on mobile technologies

ABSTRACT

The article is devoted to the analysis of the results of testing the system of methods of teaching computer science based on mobile technologies. The system includes «cloud» storage of course materials, the use of survey and testing systems, the use of augmented reality tools, online quizzes, screencasting, web quests, interactive video and other information and communication technologies. A brief analysis of the sources on the topic with the identification of the positive and negative aspects of the use of mobile devices and technologies in the educational process is given. The influence of the developed system of methods of mobile learning on the level of students’ development of the school course program of the discipline «Informatics and ICT» in 10–11 classes is analyzed on the basis of the results of the final test. The results of the anonymous survey of students, the purpose of which was to identify the problems faced by respondents, and to reveal the attitude of students to the use of mobile devices in the educational process are given. The results of students' research work for the current academic year in comparison with the previous one, taking into account the influence of the system of mobile learning methods on their motivation, are discussed. Teachers' attitude to the implementation of the developed system in their own teaching practice is analyzed. The most interesting methods, in the opinion of teachers, are singled out. The issues of preparedness of teachers and students to use mobile devices in learning process are discussed; problems that arise in the process of implementing learning methods based on mobile technologies are updated. The conclusion about the expediency of the use of mobile learning methods in the school course of Informatics is made.

АННОТАЦИЯ

Статья посвящена анализу результатов апробации системы методов обучения информатике на основе мобильных технологий. Система включает в себя «облачное» хранение курсовых материалов, использование опросных и тестовых систем, использование инструментов дополненной реальности, онлайн-викторины, скринкастинг, веб-квесты, интерактивное видео и другие информационно - коммуникационные технологии. Дан краткий анализ источников по данной теме с выявлением положительных и отрицательных аспектов использования мобильных устройств и технологий в образовательном процессе. На основе результатов итогового тестирования проанализировано влияние разработанной системы методов мобильного обучения на уровень освоения учащимися программы школьного курса дисциплины «Информатика и ИКТ» в 10-11 классах. Приведены результаты анонимного опроса студентов, целью которого было выявление проблем, с которыми сталкиваются респонденты, и выявление отношения студентов к использованию мобильных устройств в учебном процессе. Обсуждаются результаты научно-исследовательской работы студентов за текущий учебный год в сравнении с предыдущим с учетом влияния системы мобильных методов обучения на их мотивацию. Анализируется отношение педагогов к внедрению разработанной системы в собственную педагогическую практику. Выделяются наиболее интересные, по мнению педагогов, методы. Обсуждаются вопросы готовности преподавателей и студентов к использованию мобильных устройств в учебном процессе; актуализируются проблемы, возникающие в процессе реализации методов обучения на основе мобильных технологий. Сделан вывод о целесообразности использования мобильных методов обучения в школьном курсе информатики.

Keywords: mobile learning; mobile technologies; mobile devices; methods of teaching Computer Science; methods of teaching Computer Science  at school.

Ключевые слова: мобильное обучение; мобильные технологии; мобильные устройства; методика преподавания информатики; методика преподавания информатики в школе.

Problem statement

The system of mobile learning methods considered in the article is focused on the coverage of both regular and extracurricular activities of students and includes the use of cloud technologies, survey and testing systems [1], augmented reality tools [2], screencasting technologies [3] and interactive videos [4], web quests [5], mobile quizzes. In previous works, we considered the possibilities of using mobile technologies in a school computer science course [6], formulated the principles of building a system of teaching methods based on them [7], established the relationship between the solved didactic tasks, teaching methods. by holding the discipline "Informatics and ICT", which allowed us to develop a system of mobile learning methods [8]. In studies on the use of mobile devices and cloud technologies in education, various positive aspects of their implementation in the educational process are noted. D. Light and E. Pearson, analyzing the ways of using mobile devices and cloud technologies on the example of two educational institutions, note the following positive effects [9, p. 87]: увеличение increase in the volume of independent research work of students (orientation of students to the conscious use of the entire variety of available information sources);  increase in the share of formative assessment and self-assessment through online assessment tools, as well as through the availability of feedback and discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of the student's activities;  increase in the level of cooperation between students using ICT, allowing them to carry out collective project activities, share their results and interact in the course of work. On the basis of these components, D. Light and E. Pearson identified the main changes in the educational process   creating a personality-oriented learning environment (each student is immersed in a situation of personality-oriented education);  changing the relationship between teachers and students (the teacher becomes not so much a source of knowledge, but an assistant for the student in the process of his development); strengthening the links between the school and the community (the presence of an electronic diary and various technologies for providing feedback helps parents to monitor their child's progress, as well as influence this process). Some of the works also note the possible negative impact of mobile devices in the case of their use in training. For example, in the course of testing mobile survey systems, researchers have identified a number of disadvantages of their use in training, which are associated with the fact that [10]:  a technical failure may occur;  there are no open questions (there are always answer options);  some students do not take the survey seriously;  using a mobile phone may distract the student;

This article analyzes the results of testing this system; discusses their impact on the performance and quality of education of schoolchildren in grades 10-11 of general education schools; examines the readiness of participants in the educational process to use mobile devices; discusses the attitude of students and teachers to the use of mobile devices in teaching.

Research methodology

When identifying the indicators that characterize the result of our work, we proceeded from the following provisions: First, the necessary criteria for the success of any pedagogical innovation should be checked — it, in comparison with existing and applied traditional teaching methods, should not worsen the result of mastering the discipline by students according to the indicators established by the Federal State Educational Standard and the work program. Secondly, the assessment should be comprehensive and complete, reflecting the opinions of students about the proposed innovations, both consumers of educational services, on the one hand, and methodologists, on the other. Third, indicators should be used that reflect the novelty and originality of the proposed pedagogical solutions. Based on these provisions, the following set of performance indicators was used in our work:

• Assessment of the final control work to check the necessary criteria for the success of mastering the material of the discipline "Informatics and ICT" by students of grades 10-11;
• the results of the final practical work - to assess the formation of students ' skills related to the use of mobile devices and cloud technologies;
• indicators that characterize the attitude of students to the use of mobile devices for educational purposes;

Analysis of the results of testing the methods of mobile learning in the school course of computer science Analysis of academic performance and the results of control measures.

Analysis of the academic performance of students in grades 10-11, in which the system of mobile learning methods was used, in the discipline "Informatics and ICT" for six months. It shows 100% mastering of the course program by students with a quality indicator in the range of 75-88%. The results of mastering the discipline were determined by conducting standard final control works recommended for use with the UMK "Informatics and ICT" edited by N. D. Ugrinovich [12; 13] in the form of a computer test [1; 14; 15; 16]. The primary scores received by the students were recalculated into the percentage of test completion — which served as an indicator of success. The cumulative results of the final control work for classes in comparison with the year before, when mobile learning methods were not used, showed:  the percentage of students who overcame the minimum threshold for obtaining a positive mark, in comparison with the previous year, did not decrease and is 100%;  the percentage of students who received a mark of "4" or "5" according to the results of the control test, in comparison with the previous academic year, increased. Thus, the results of the final control work (Fig. 1) confirm the criterion for the success of the introduction of teaching methods based on mobile technologies as a pedagogical innovation. Since the Cirricum in "Computer Science and ICT" (grades 10-11) They do not explicitly contain thematic sections aimed at the development of mobile and cloud technologies, and the developed system of methods involves the active use of mobile devices by students, the question of the influence of methods on the formation of students skills in working with mobile devices is of great interest. To diagnose this indicator, we have developed a practical work that is not only related to the content of the Cirricum.

Figure 1. Indicators of academic performance and quality of training based on the results of the control work

In addition to identifying the opinions of students on the use of mobile learning methods, part of the questionnaire was aimed at determining the level of motivation of students to participate in project research work related to programming for mobile devices. It was assumed that the development of programs aimed at their own mobile gadgets would increase the interest of students in this area of work. Based on the results of the work for the year, you can but note the following: внедрение the introduction of mobile technologies in the educational process and the orientation of students to the development of mobile applications increased their interest in participating in design and research work;  the development of mobile applications is interdisciplinary, which allows you to put the research task directly in the area of individual interests of students (Table 1);

 Table 1.

Directions and topics of students ' research projects

Conclusion

Testing of teaching methods based on mobile technologies in the school computer science course showed that:

• modern electronic services do not lead to cognitive overload and do not increase the complexity of educational activities, which is explained by the significant improvement in the ergonomics of mobile applications and the increase in their quality characteristics over the past few years;
• software and hardware problems are solved quickly and do not have a significant impact on the distribution of training time;
• the degree of distraction of students to extraneous mobile services is at a low level, provided that the appropriate and justified use of mobile devices;

Thus, many shortcomings and concerns related to the use of mobile devices in teaching, described in the works of various authors, are not confirmed today, which is explained by the emergence of many educational services focused on working with mobile devices. The readiness of students and teachers to implement the system of mobile learning methods is confirmed by the high level of their interest, identified through an anonymous questionnaire. The considered system of methods did not have a negative effect on the development of the school course of computer science by students, but increased the effectiveness in project activities by increasing the motivation to study mobile devices and technologies, as well as application programming.

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