Enhancing the Learning of Thermodynamics using Computer Assisted Instructions at Undergraduate Level
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Keywords:
Computer-mediated communications, Improving classroom teaching, Physics education, Thermodynamics, heat enginesAbstract
In this study, the effects of interactive multimedia package were investigated in classroom on students' conceptual understanding of heat and thermodynamics. Two groups – one control group and one experimental group of students at first year undergraduate level were studied to determine the role of computer animations in the development of functional understanding of the concepts of thermodynamics. For this purpose, interactive multimedia package on thermodynamics is developed. Thermodynamics Concept Test was administered to test students’ conceptual understanding. The difficulty index and discrimination index of the test are 0.402 and 0.31 respectively. The results of the study showed that the interactive method used for experimental group is helpful in students’ achievement in thermodynamics. The results of this study strongly support the fact that multimedia assisted instructions in cooperative group learning help students confront their cognitive constraints and foster a functional understanding of physics.
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