71 research outputs found
The conventional versus a constructionist Scratch programming and first-year students' achievements in higher education classes: experimental data.
No full textGlobally, learning or teaching the first programming (popularly called CS1) remains a significant educational challenge. Indicators such as CS1 students' engagement, failure and attrition rates, and lack of diversity, continue to show the need for innovating the learning or teaching of novice computer science students. To ease initiating novices to programming, Scratch, a visual programming language, has become a staple of K-12 CS1 classes.
As outcomes of a research project aiming to explore a constructionist Scratch pedagogy with novice CS students in higher education, we present these datasets. In the research lasting two successive academic sessions, we conducted two quasi-experimental studies involving four intact CS1 classes in selected public polytechnic in the north central Nigeria. In each study, we randomly assigned the classes to the experimental and control groups, constituting the constructionist Scratch and the conventional CS1 classes, respectively.
Instruments for collecting data include a student profile questionnaire, a pretest, and posttest. Sequel to ethical clearance and permission from the selected schools, we conducted each study during the first semester of each academic session, in the first seven to eight weeks. During the first to second week, we administered students who consented to take part with the questionnaire and the pretest. Learning or teaching in the two classes lasted six weeks. Then both classes took the posttest. An independent CS educator who is not part of this research marked all the achievement tests, following a rubric prepared by the first author. To strengthen the research design and the possibility of arriving at valid causal evidence, we employed a Coarsened Exact Matching (CEM) algorithm to generate matched samples of experimental and control data, which we used in the analysis.
Data presented here includes the raw, unmatched and matched experimental datasets from both studies. A researcher can make use of the data:
To explore if some background variables not addressed in the original research may moderate CS1 students' achievements. For instance, their prior achievements in mathematics, physics, or English.
To uncover some interesting patterns using machine learning algorithms.
To validate the outcome of the original experiment by using the unmatched, matched or newly generated matched samples.
The authors welcome further research collaborations in using the data or the accompanying research instruments.
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Book Review: African Philosophy: Reflections on Yoruba Metaphysics and Jurisprudence
No full textBook Title: African Philosophy: Reflections on Yoruba Metaphysics and JurisprudenceBook Author: Oladele Abiodun BalogunPublisher: Xcel Publishers. Pages: 387. Year of Publication: 201
Psycho-Social Impact of Corona Virus Pandemic on Tertiary Institution Workers in Nigeria
Get PDFThe study examined psycho-social impact of corona virus on Tertiary Institution workers in Nigeria. The population of the study was all Tertiary Institution workers in Nigeria. However, only 210 workers who could be reached through their WhatsApp and Gmail accounts and who obliged to fill the questionnaire by the researchers participated in the study. Because of the social distancing and stay-at-home orders, an online questionnaire was used in carrying out the study. The 15-item Questionnaire was a 4 -point Likert scale, which was designed by the researchers using google form. Before sending out the questionnaire, it was validated by experts in psychological testing in the University of Lagos. To determine the internal consistency of the instrument, it was administered on 15 people who were not part of the participants in the study. The internal consistency yielded an index of 0.76 using Cronbach Alpha. The findings of the study revealed that corona virus pandemic has effect on the psychological and social lives of workers in tertiary institutions in Nigeria. Test of the hypothesis stated revealed no gender difference in the psychosocial effect of COVID-19 pandemic on the tertiary workers. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended that the workers in tertiary institutions should adopt coping mechanisms such as enrolling in online training programmes to learn skills such as cooking, cloth making, and dancing. They should also adopt daily physical exercise such as jogging which would help them to stroll out of the house to receive fresh air.
Keywords: Psychological, social, corona virus, pandemic, tertiary institution
Factors Influencing Female Enrolment in Science Education Programmes in Distance Learning Institutions in South-West, Nigeria
Get PDFThis study investigated the factors influencing enrolment of female learners in Science Education programmes of three Distance Learning Institutes in South-West, Nigeria. The objectives of the study were to explore socioeconomic, personal and cultural factors that influence the enrolment of women into Distance Learning Institute. The target population was all female learners in the Departments of Science Education. This study was guided by the facilitation theory using a questionnaire as the research instrument. The researchers sampled 280 female learners in Science Education programmes of these Distance Learning Institutes. Three research questions were raised and analysed. The data obtained were analysed using mean, standard deviation and also presented in percentages. Findings revealed that socioeconomic factors such as finance as well as personal factors, including attaining social and academic satisfaction could influence the enrolment of women in Science Education programmes. The study revealed that majority of the women are employed, though faced with several challenges that hinder their studies. The study recommended ways of overcoming these challenges and urged the government and stakeholders to implement these recommendations for the development of Distance Education
The Nigerian novel and indigenous culture : problems of communication
Get PDFIt is argued in this thesis that the Nigerian Novel is an attempt to transliterate traditional customs, beliefs and attitudes, the characters of myth and legends, a whole universe of ancestors, into an entirely new context of the twentieth century, employing a language to which the modern reader can respond. The work gives detailed consideration to the salient features of this attempt and assesses, with particular reference to the novels of Tutuola, Achebe, Aluko, Nzekwu, Amadi, Balewa, Egbuna, Adaora Ulasi, Nwankwo and Okara, what in each case is the atti tudeof the novelist to the indigenous culture of his country and how successfully the link between tradition and modern experience has been established. The approach adopted in the thesis is one of close analysis of texts in an attempt to find out how critically an author has presented those aspects of tradition he has selected for treatment and how skilfully he has dramatized the realities and dilemmas of the present. On each author answers are sought to a numer of searching questions. What are the particular values the writer is upholding or opposing, and what is his attitude to them? What particular emotional or intellectual effect does he hope to achieve, and does he succeed? If he does, by what methods of communication? If he fails, from what problems of communication has failure resulted, and what effect does this have on the reader? What sympathies are evoked, and how do we see a particular work in the body of works of a particular author? A writer's language is a mirror held up to his personality and his particular circumstances. It is through his use of language that he reflects his individual awareness of a given situation. The detailed study of language leads, almost inevitably, to a consideration of the more fundamental problems of communication. Even though all save one of the novelists to whom this thesis is devoted use English as their creative medium, they do so in the consciousness of the fact that they are presenting a Nigerian experience, and the best of them reveal in their works a specific mode of the imagination which derives from their Nigerian background. It has therefore been necessary in all cases to examine closely the use of language by each novelist and try to assess how effectively the artist has communicated. Because of the historical and cultural environment of the Nigerian novelist considerable interest is taken in the influence which the mother tongue (LI) has had on the writer's English (L2). The thesis concludes by identifying the essential requirements for the establishment of a successful link between tradition and modern life: an important theme, a consistent imaginative scheme, a language which recognizes the characteristics of LI and skill in the use of language. Only works in which many of these conditions are fulfilled as, for example, in the novels of Achebe, Amadi, Okara and Aluko achieve satisfactory results. The link between tradition and modern life is valuable only if it widens satisfyingly our experience of what it is to be human and thus contributes to the solution of the political and social problems of the present
Perceived Influence of Emerging Technologies on Lifelong Learning and Resilience among Women Who Dare Open Distance Learning
No full textPCF10 Sub-theme: Building Resilience // In this study, the authors investigated the influence of emerging technologies on lifelong learning and resilience among women who dare Open and Distance Learning in a dual mode tertiary institution in the South-West geo-political zone of Nigeria. The sample consisted of 431 female learners from the three available departments; Management Sciences, Social Sciences and Science Education. Both secondary and primary data were collected; the latter was collected using a questionnaire on Google Forms. The data were analysed descriptively and using the ordinary least squares regression with robust estimates of standard error. This latter method helps to overcome the possible econometric problems of serial correlation and heteroscedasticity in the model. Preliminary data shows that women enrolments over a period of ten years have consistently increased. Also, most learners were aware of the emerging technologies except technologies such as edublog.com, Edmodo, Weebly and Wiki spaces. The regression result shows that emerging technologies influenced lifelong learning and resilience of the women. Meanwhile, emerging technologies that influenced lifelong learning and resilience were Google classroom and Facebook only, while google drive posed a negative influence. Thus, more robust technologies, special female facilities and newly emerging technology job oriented fields should be introduced. // Paper ID 894
Distance and Online learning in Nigerian Open and Distance Learning Institutions; Learners’ Perspective
Get PDFThis study examined the view of Science Education learners at Distance Learning Institute (DLI), University of Lagos and the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) about Distance and online learning. A descriptive survey research design was adopted. A researcher-designed questionnaire with reliability co-efficient of 0.78 was employed. Mean score and standard deviation (SD) answered the research questions elicited from two hundred and ten (210) respondents while t-test analyzed the hypotheses. The result of the hypotheses, revealed no significant difference in the perception by learners based on gender. The findings revealed that, study materials were not all available at the beginning of the academic year. Learners prefer their lecture modules in audio and video formats, teleconferencing and live streaming than in-prints. The LMS does not accommodate virtual laboratory for practical, which is essential for Science Education students. The institutions’ managements are encouraged to proffer solutions to these identified challenges for learners’ motivation
E-Skills and Digital Literacy: An Investigation into the Perceived Competencies of Distance Learning Students in the University of Lagos
Get PDFIt is currently of utmost importance to ensure that students in higher education acquire and employ the digital literacy skills they will require to excel in their academic endeavours and personal lives. This research sought to find out students’ perceptions of their digital literacy and e-skills and the digital tools they utilise on a daily basis. The Distance Learners at the University of Lagos were randomly sampled (stratified) to respond to the researcher-designed questionnaires, to elicit responses from the learners. 354 respondents being female and 306 being males. A Cronbach alpha value of 0.78 was obtained. Analysis of the research questions show that there is a significant gap between the perceived importance of e-skills and digital literacy competencies and their actual usage. The findings suggest that there may be a need for greater focus on developing e-skills and digital literacy competencies among distance learning students. For instance, 64.4% of respondents use technology very frequently in their coursework. Institutions and educators may need to provide training and support to help students develop these skills. Additionally, students may need to prioritize their own learning of these skills and seek out resources and opportunities to develop themselves. However, the negative perceptions of a small percentage of respondents suggest that there may be areas where improvements could be made. Institutions and educators may need to continually evaluate their support programs to ensure they are meeting the needs of students, and work to address any areas where support may be lacking.
Keywords: Digital Literacy, Perceived e-skills, Digital Information, Literacy Level, , e-Skill
Public perception of climate change and its impact on health and environment in rural southwestern Nigeria
No full textEsther O Asekun-Olarinmoye,1 James O Bamidele,2 Olusola O Odu,2, Adenike I Olugbenga-Bello,3 Olugbenga L Abodurin,3 Wasiu O Adebimpe,1 Edward A Oladele,4 Adeleye A Adeomi,3 Oluwatosin A Adeoye,3 Ebenezer O Ojofeitimi31Department of Community Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Osun State University, Osogbo, Nigeria; 2Department of Community Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti, Nigeria; 3Department of Community Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Faculty of Clinical Science, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho, Nigeria; 4SIDHAS Project, Family Health International, Abuja, NigeriaBackground: Climate change (CC) has received extensive media attention recently, and it is currently on the international public health agenda. A study of knowledge and attitudes to climate change, most especially from rural Nigerian communities, is important for developing adaptation strategies. This is a study of public perceptions of CC and its impact on health and environment in rural southwestern Nigeria.Methods: This was a community-based descriptive cross-sectional study of 1,019 rural respondents using a multistage sampling method. The research instrument used was a pretested, structured, interviewer-administered questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS software. χ2, Cramér's V, and Kendall's τ-c statistics were employed in addition to fitting the data to a logistic regression model to explore associations found significant on bivariate analysis.Results: Mean age of respondents was 36.9 (±12.4) years. About 911 (89.4%) of respondents opined that there has been a change in climate in the last 10 years. Supernatural reasons were prominent among respondent-reported causes of CC. Identified risky behavior contributing to CC included smoking (10.7%), bush burning (33.4%), and tree felling (41.0%). Poor knowledge of causes but good knowledge of effects of CC were found in this study. About two-thirds of respondents had a positive attitude to causes of CC, while half had a positive attitude to the effects of CC. A significant association was found between educational status (P<0.001, Kendall's τ-c=-0.042), occupational status (P<0.01, Kendall's τ-c=0.088), and attitude to causes of CC. Further analysis using logistic regression showed that occupational status was significantly associated with likelihood of having a positive attitude, but educational status and marital status were not.Conclusion: Rural areas of Nigeria are vulnerable to the adverse effects of CC. Respondents' poor knowledge but positive attitude to CC calls for dissemination of adequate information on CC in sustained health-promotion programs.Keywords: climate change, global warming, public perception, rural child health, environmental effec
HIV/AIDS and immigrants: knowledge and perceptions of Eastern African refugees in metropolitan Atlanta., 2008
Get PDFThe purpose of this study was to examine the knowledge and perceptions of Eastern African refugees regarding HIV/AIDS and its interventions in metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia. The study was guided by the following research questions 1) What did Eastern African refugees know about HIV/AIDS and its importance? 2) How did Eastern African refugees and their families learn about HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment? 3) How did Eastern African refugees perceive HIV/AIDS and those suffering from HIV/AIDS in their families and communities? 4) What were the perceptions of Eastern African refugees regarding participation in the interventions offered by public and private organizations? Study participants were refugees from Somalia and southern Sudan who had settled in metropolitan Atlanta The sample of 80 participants was selected based on age, immigration status, and willingness to share information about sex and sexuality. To collect data, the researcher used a structured survey instrument that was administered in a face-to-face interview format with the 80 participants. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of participant responses were conducted Six themes emerged from the qualitative analysis, namely: Knowledge, Openness, Stigma, Attitude, Willingness, and Trust. Participants indicated basic knowledge of HIV/AIDS and its transmission. They also exhibited openness in discussing HIVIAIDS. However, participant responses manifested strong stigma against HIV/AIDS and its victims. Participants who had lived longer in the United States showed negative attitudes towards HIV/AIDS treatment, the healthcare system, and service providers. There was willingness to contribute towards HIV/AIDS interventions and community services. Participants exhibited mistrust towards health institutions, sources of HIV/AIDS information, and the context of the HIV/AIDS information. Results from the quantitative analysis indicated a strong and positive correlation between knowledge and openness Stigma against HIV/AIDS disease and victims was strongly correlated with knowledge, openness, and attitude. Attitude positively correlated with openness and with knowledge, while trust was moderately correlated to knowledge. The study findings confirm previous research among similar populations that reported limited knowledge of HIV/AIDS, entrenched stigma about the disease and its victims, negative attitudes and mistrust towards health institutions and service providers as well as the potency of the duration factor regarding immigrants resettlement process
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