Journal on Efficiency and Responsibility in Education and Science (Oct 2008)
The Efficiency of Activity-aided Teaching Using an E-learning Program in Agrochemistry as a Bachelor Degree Subject
Abstract
The activity-aided teaching using e-learning program was assessed in students’ training in Agrochemistry subject in the first year of bachelor degree study at the Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources of Czech University of Life Sciences Prague. The e-learning program integrated with active methods had greater efficiency in the students’ education than in classical, formal teaching. The study was achieved on two groups of students; control group (with classical teaching) and tested group (with activated teaching). Students were distributed into groups randomly and the input knowledge in chemistry followed the Gaussian distribution. Basic students’ knowledge on general chemistry was very low on the average and did not correspond with the curricular programs for secondary schools established in the Czech Republic. Activated methods of Agrochemistry teaching consisted mainly from motivation, regularly repetition connected with homework and from usage of e-learning program for self-study. The teaching effectiveness was proved by students’ score from three particular tests and by effective progression and by relative progression. The score from particular tests was related to the score from the entrance test. There were two coefficients of the students’ progression defined properly, and are applicable for a numerical or percentage value. Students from the tested group achieved statistically significantly (α = 0.05) higher scores (186 points) than students in the control group (136 points) in all three particular tests. Evaluation according to effective progression and relative progression proved the higher progress in the tested group compare to the control group. The evaluation of teaching efficiency can be proved by effective as well relative progression. The effective progression was 55 % in tested group and 26 % in control group. Higher significance of tested students’ progression was shown on relative progression; 64 % in tested students and 19 % in control students. The e-learning teaching integrated with active methods can be recommended for higher education.
