Journal of ICT in Education

Enhancing English Pronunciation Learning in Primary Education through Natural Language Processing: A Quantitative Study

Mishalini Chandran — 2024-10-15

Learning English pronunciation is crucial for primary school pupils to enhance their communication skills, yet many struggle. This study evaluates the effectiveness of a natural language processing (NLP) tool in improving English pronunciation among primary school pupils by measuring motivation, confidence, and performance. Conducted in a primary school in Johor, the research used a randomised controlled trial (RCT) design with 30 Year 3 pupils, divided into two groups of 15 each: control and treatment. The English teacher assessed motivation, confidence, and performance using a rubric-based evaluation, with a Cronbach’s Alpha value of 0.932, indicating high reliability. Paired t-tests were conducted to determine if the differences in motivation, confidence, and performance between the two groups were statistically significant. For motivation, t-values ranged from -1.871 to -1.468 for the traditional method and -6.548 to -13.229 for the NLP method. For confidence, t-values ranged from -1.871 to -1.468 for the traditional method and -11.500 to -7.135 for the NLP method. For performance, t-values ranged from -1.871 to -1.000 for the traditional method and -6.548 to -13.229 for the NLP method. With α = 0.05, the mean differences in motivation, confidence, and performance were significantly different for the NLP method (all p-values < 0.05) but not for the traditional method (all p-values > 0.05). High partial η² values, ranging from 0.474 to 0.827, suggest that the teaching methods account for a significant proportion of variance in the dependent variables. With α = 0.10, multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) assessed the effectiveness of the teaching methods. The combined dependent variables significantly differed based on teaching methods, Pillai Trace = 0.95, F(24, 5) = 3.72, p < 0.074, partial η² = 0.95. In conclusion, the study demonstrates that the NLP tool enhances English pronunciation learning by significantly improving motivation, confidence, and performance among Year 3 pupils.

Faculty Readiness on Computational Sustainability: A Literature Synthesis on the Readiness Dimensions

Tuan NurNadzirah 'Asyikin Tuan Rahim — 2024-10-15

Computational sustainability has become a key topic bridging environmental science, computer science, and sustainability research. This literature review explores the readiness dimensions necessary for advancing computational sustainability projects and examines how computational tools are applied to address sustainability challenges across various domains. This study examines 33 case studies and 56 empirical research papers that demonstrate the use of computational tools to improve readiness in a variety of scenarios, including technology readiness, faculty readiness, teaching readiness, e-learning readiness, and green education. By extensively reviewing previous material, this synthesis identifies recurring themes and emerging trends in readiness assessment across many sustainability sectors, case studies, and empirical research. The study blends several views and approaches, resulting in a better understanding of how readiness aspects might aid in the application and efficacy of computational tools in sustainability research. The literature synthesis highlights the dimensions of readiness in this study, ranking technological knowledge (35%), content knowledge (25%), teaching strategies (20%), training (15%), and equipment/software (5%) based on their significance in determining how well societies are prepared to effectively adopt sustainable practices. This literature synthesis explores readiness factors in computational sustainability, highlighting recent advancements and trends. The review focused on English-language publications from 2018 to 2024, with additional research from 2010 to 2017. This comprehensive analysis of faculty readiness for computational sustainability aims to enhance its effectiveness, paving the way for broader studies that benefit researchers, faculties, students, policymakers, and society.

Revolutionizing Learning: User Experience Evaluation of the C#Venture Application Using the User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ)

Wei Boon Quah — 2024-10-15

User Experience (UX) is a crucial element in assessing the effectiveness of educational applications. This study evaluates the UX of the C#Venture application—developed for the introductory programming course at Bandar Darulaman Community College—using the User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ). A total of 54 respondents participated in this study. The study found that the application scored excellently across all UX dimensions, including attractiveness, clarity, efficiency, dependability, stimulation, and novelty. The application's visual appeal and interactive elements successfully increased students' interest and engagement. Its clarity and ease of use ensured accessibility for users with varying technical skills, while high efficiency helped students complete tasks quickly and effectively. The application's reliability and innovation ensured a consistent learning experience. Overall, C#Venture has demonstrated its potential as an effective educational tool that can enhance students' learning experiences and outcomes through gamification. Further research is recommended to assess the long-term impact of this application on academic performance and student motivation, as well as to develop new features for continuous improvement.

Graphic Design and Education: A Systematic Review on The Evolution, Diverse Aspects, Innovations in Teaching Methods, and Interconnected Changes in Design

Halina Ramli — 2024-10-15

This systematic literature review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the evolution of design education by exploring diverse aspects of graphic design, innovations in teaching methods, and interconnected changes in the field. The PRISMA model with four phases which are identification, screening, eligibility, and inclusion has been used in the search study. The review synthesizes existing research from various sources to examine the historical development, current trends, and future directions in design education. It encompasses a wide range of perspectives, including the changing landscape of graphic design, the integration of innovative teaching methods, and the impact of interconnected changes on design practices. The findings from this review aim to inform educators, practitioners, and researchers about the multifaceted nature of design education and contribute to the ongoing discourse in the field.

Systematic Literature Review on User Experience Research of Somatosensory Games for the Elderly

Nan Jing — 2024-10-15

This study aims to investigate the satisfaction levels of the elderly concerning their physical well-being and sociocultural entertainment needs, with a particular focus on engagement in sensor-based gaming. The objective is to systematically synthesise and evaluate empirical research findings regarding the factors influencing accessibility and enthusiasm for sensor-based gaming among older adults. Employing the PRISMA methodology, a comprehensive review was conducted, resulting in the identification of 43 English-language scholarly sources from the Web of Science, Scopus, and IEEE Xplore, covering the period from 2019 to 2024. The findings reveal that critical determinants affecting elderly engagement in sensor-based gaming include physical activity levels, cognitive capabilities, game incentive mechanisms, cooperative-competitive dynamics, personalised feature design, group participation, and gaming frequency. These insights contribute significantly to the discourse on utilizing exergames to enhance the physical and psychological well-being of the ageing population, providing valuable implications for researchers and policymakers aiming to address the challenges associated with an ageing demographic.

Digital Divide: Facilitating Conditions and Usage of Google Classroom for Teachers in Rural and Urban Secondary Schools in Malaysia

Phoebe Soong Yee Yap — 2024-10-15

Online teaching and learning have caused many students and teachers with unprecedented challenges leading to a phenomenon known as the digital divide, which is the disparity between individuals who have access to Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and those who do not. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the significant difference in facilitating conditions (network connection, technical issues, school infrastructure) and usage of Google Classroom for teachers in rural and urban teachers. In this study, 395 responses were collected from secondary school teachers through an online survey, that included demographic information and 22 survey items. Descriptive statistics and t-test analysis were used to analyze the data. Findings found that there are significant differences in technical issues and usage of Google Classroom for teachers in rural and urban schools. This research offers valuable insights for educational stakeholders especially the schools and government to provide tailored technical support and ongoing training to the teachers in Malaysia, especially those in rural areas. By strategically allocating educational resources and executing policies that cater to the varying needs of these different environments, it is believed that policymakers and educational stakeholders can bridge the digital divide and create educational equity nationwide.

Determinants of open and distance learning (ODL) performance in higher learning institutions (HEIs): Evidence from Malaysia

Indarawati Tarmuji — 2024-10-15

The advent of technology and the COVID-19 pandemic has altered the higher education landscape by highlighting online education platforms, thus bringing transformation to the teaching and learning process. Drawing from the dynamic capability theory, this study examines whether institutional, technology and human resources are determinants for the performance of Open and Distance Learning (ODL) education in higher learning institutions (HEIs) in Malaysia. A quantitative approach was employed in this study, specifically utilising a structured questionnaire to collect data from a sample of 217 educators in Malaysian public and private HEIs. Data were analysed using the SmartPLS software. The empirical results reveal that institutional and technology resources significantly influence the performance of ODL in the HEIs. These results suggest that the ODL practices could be improved with dynamic resources supported by the HEIs. A sustainable ODL implementation would increase access to academic advancement for educators and students. Our findings implicate sustainable education for HEIs as they highlight the importance of policies and standards, procedures, modern infrastructure, information systems and management support, in supporting ODL in the long run.

The Development of an Integrated Cloud-based System to Enhance Internship Management

Wan Fariza Wan Abdul Rahman — 2024-10-15

The internship program is commonly imposed as the partial fulfilment of a degree at the university level. It is a platform where knowledge and theory learned in the classroom can be applied to real working environments, indirectly preparing the students for their future careers. However, the increasing complexity of managing intern attendance and performance tracking in internship programs necessitates a streamlined and efficient solution. More attention should be paid to internship programs to meet the growing competitive job market's needs and fulfil the university requirements. This paper presents the development of E-Kehadiran, a web-based management system to address these challenges. The primary objective of this system is to enhance the accuracy and efficiency of attendance tracking and logbook submissions, thereby improving the overall management of internship programs. The development process involved creating a comprehensive use case diagram to identify and define the interactions between key actors: Super Admin, Supervisor, and Intern (Student). The system features robust functionalities including user registration, secure login, attendance management and logbook handling. Initial deployment and user feedback demonstrate that E-Kehadiran significantly improves administrative processes, ensures accurate record-keeping, and facilitates effective performance monitoring by university and company supervisors. This system fosters better communication and collaboration between educational institutions and industry partners, ultimately supporting the success and development of interns.

Factors Influencing STM Teachers' Acceptance of Mobile Learning in South-West Nigeria

Adeneye Olarewaju A. Awofala — 2024-10-15

Science, Technology, and Mathematics (STM) education in Nigeria faces numerous challenges, including declining student performance, reduced enrolment rates, and limited integration of technology into teaching practices. Nevertheless, former investigations have proven the effectiveness of mobile learning (m-learning) in mitigating the difficulties encountered in STM education. Notwithstanding the paybacks accrue to m-learning STM teaching space, its espousal and implementations are still lower than the projected rates. The reception of m-learning is a function of the disposition of its handlers. While many studies focused on students’ reception of m-learning, very few studies have examined STM teachers’ reception of m-learning with little or no studies conducted in Nigeria. With the Technology Acceptance Model, this study examined the determinants of STM teachers’ behavioural intention (BI) to use m-learning. 280 participants were selected through purposive sampling technique from 60 senior secondary schools in south-west Nigeria and this constituted the sample of the study. A quantitative approach within the blueprint of descriptive survey design of a correlational type was implemented and numerical data collected with a valid and reliable questionnaire were analysed at 5% level of significance using multiple regression analysis and Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient. The study outcomes showed that 85.2% of the variance in STM teachers’ behavioural intention (BI) to use m-learning was accounted for by the joint of perceived attitude (ATT), perceived ease of use (PEOU), perceived usefulness (PU), perceived resources (PR) and perceived social influence (PSI) with a significant F_{(5, 274)}= 811.348. There was a significantly positive and meaningful relationship between the STM teachers’ BI and PSI (r=.512, p<.01), PR (r=.446, p<.01), PEOU (r=.425, p<.01), ATT (r=.414, p<.01), and PU (r=.502, p<.01). PU was the best meaningful predictor of BI to use m-learning among the STM teachers (β = 1.656, t = 18.445, p=.000), followed by ATT (β = 1.246, t = 14.002, p=.000), followed by PR (β =1.112, t = 12.224, p=.000) and followed by PEOU (β = 1.086, t = 10.005, p=.000). PSI was the least predictor of BI to use m-learning among STM teachers (β = .886, t = 8.896, p=.000). The regression equation that satisfied the model is displayed by BI to use m-learning_predicted=9.62 + 2.564 PR + 3.814 PU + 2.845 ATT + 1.089 PEOU + 1.004 PSI towards m-learning. The present study did not use a mixed-methods approach so future studies could combine quantitative and qualitative data, to gain a more comprehensive understanding of mobile learning acceptance and its influencing factors. Nevertheless, this study concluded that more seminars and workshops should be conducted for STM teachers to enhance their reception of m-learning for pedagogical transactions in the classrooms in Nigeria.

EduFinBuddy: A Web-Based Education Financial Aid Recommendation System Using Web Scraping

Mohd Suffian Sulaiman — 2024-10-15

Education plays a crucial role in shaping Malaysia's future development. However, access to higher education remains discriminatory, particularly for students from lower-income families, individuals with disabilities, and indigenous backgrounds, as they face challenges due to escalating living costs. The Malaysian government has initiated various education financial aid programmes to address this issue, encompassing scholarships, loans, and one-off aid. This initiative aligns with the broader goal of promoting inclusivity and ensuring all aspiring students have equal access to pursue their educational dreams. However, in many cases, some students apply for educational financial aid only to face rejection due to unmet requirements. Therefore, this paper proposes a responsive web-based system, namely EduFinBuddy, that will be able to identify the most suitable education financial aid based on student input. We begin the development process by extracting data from the targeted websites using a web scraping approach and storing it in a database. Then, we build the recommendation component using the cosine similarity algorithm to ensure accuracy based on the student's input. Thus, the student will get a list of educational financial aids according to their preference. The result shows that all the functionalities work well and can be implemented in any educational system of financial assistance to allow easier access to information for tertiary-level students in Malaysia. This initiative aligns with the broader goal of promoting inclusivity and ensuring all aspiring students have equal access to pursue their educational dreams.