Study of Fifth-grade Primary School Students Learning Line Symmetry concepts through Internet CAI

• Main Authors: Tsung-ying Yang, 楊宗穎
• Other Authors: Po-ya Wu
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/93920572404747188331

碩士 === 國立臺南大學 === 數學教育學系 === 93 === The objectives of this study were to establish an Internet computer assisted instruction (CAI) system for concepts of line symmetry and to analyze the efficacy of this CAI system for learning. The cognition of geometric shapes and spatial concepts in primary school children are mostly confined to the stages of visual recognition and structure analysis in which children gradually develop the ability to dissect a shape into simple elements, to analyze the characteristics of each element, and to acquire relationships among the elements through observing, piling, producing, and portraying real objects. In secondary school stage, students start to learn Euclidean geometry, a science studying the characteristics of geometric shapes. Symmetry is an important concept in Euclidean geometry. Plus, line symmetry is closely associated with living experience. In this study, the author used computer programming languages to construct a CAI system for concepts of line symmetry on the Internet. The primary characteristic of this system was the dynamic exhibition of images which could help learners produce entire mental images about the process of corresponding overlap of shapes, thereby facilitating their thinking in the line symmetry of shapes. In addition, the system featured real-time online communication, message and discussion boards, and evaluation games for single units or for the whole program to elicit multiple interests from a variety of learning activities. A total of 65 students in two fifth-grade classrooms of a primary school in Tainan County were recruited as subjects. Of the subjects, 33 were assigned to the experimental group, and 32 to the control group. A pretest-posttest-delay test experimental design was adopted for this study. The efficacy between “conventional classroom instruction” and “instruction with the Internet CAI system” for the fifth-grade students’ learning in concepts of line symmetry was compared. An attitude questionnaire was also administered to students in the experimental group to investigate the subjects’ responses and attitudes after their completion of learning line symmetry with the CAI system. The conclusion derived from the analyses of data by using a statistical analysis package includes the following: 1.The CAI system was positively evaluated by the students in the experimental group with respect to content arrangement and learning utility. 2.The CAI system was superior to the conventional classroom instruction in efficacy for the learning of line symmetry concepts. 3.Students kept positive attitudes towards the utility of CAI system for learning the line symmetry units in mathematics, and noted that the learning methods provided in the program could enhance their interests and make them become more active to learn.