ABSTRACT
The study focused on Effectiveness of Assignment Based Learning Methods on Academic Outcome of Online MBA Students (A case study of select Online MBA students of University of South Wales)-Education.
Students in the assignment-based learning atmosphere are exposed to a wide range of skills and competencies such as collaboration, assignment planning, decision making, critical thinking and time management. Collaborative learning allows students to bounce ideas off each other, voice their own opinions, and negotiate solutions - all skills that will be necessary in the workplace. As Özdemir (2006) states, an assignment-based learning lesson provides students with the opportunity to learn in an authentic, challenging, multidisciplinary environment, to learn how to design, carry out, and evaluate a assignment that requires sustained effort over a significant period of time, to learn to work with minimal external guidance, both individually and in groups, to gain in self-reliance and personal accountability. As Eryılmaz (2004) stated, via peer instruction, such as in assignment-based learning, students can develop their academic achievements and attitudes since interaction between group members in a social context is essential for learning as proposed in social constructive theory and context are important to understand what occurs in society and to construct knowledge (Derry, 1999). Meanwhile, it is suggested that teachers should group the students together whenever and wherever possible (Scott and Ytreberg, 1990). Students enter into a friendly competition with other groups during assignment works and pay effort in order to be successful. As a result of their achievements, they feel the happiness and excitement of achieving something. At the same time, students feel the pleasure of producing something and displaying something different, which in turn makes them feel valuable, skillful and knowledgeable. In that way, it can be said that their self-confidence and feeling of competence for next project tasks is improved. It can be a contribution to turn to positive academic achievements and attitudes of students towards lesson. As the related literature suggests, the development of positive attitude is linked to the direct involvement of students (Bergeson, Fitton and Bylsma, 2000). The researcher also saw that project-based learning helped the learners develop many skills like intellectual, social, emotional and moral skills which are the skills the learners have to develop at school learning as well as the students had no anxiety while learning. Also, Çırak (2006) and Özdemir (2006) saw in their studies that the project works helped the young learners to develop many skills in lessons.
Contents
CHAPTER ONE. 3
INTRODUCTION. 3
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY. 3
1.2 Statement of the Problem.. 4
1.3 Research Objectives. 5
1.4 Research Questions. 5
1.5 Significance of the Study. 5
1.6 Scope of the Study. 6
1.7 Limitation of the study. 6
CHAPTER TWO. 7
LITERATURE REVIEW.. 7
2.1 INTRODUCTION. 7
2.2 Definition of Assignment-Based Learning. 8
2.3 The Benefits of ABL. 9
2.4 Strategies in the Classroom Students. 12
CHAPTER THREE. 15
Methodology. 15
3.1 Research Design. 15
3.2 The Study Area. 16
3.3 Population of the Study. 16
3.4 Sample Size and Sampling Techniques. 16
3.5 Sources of Data Collection. 16
3.6 Instrument for Data Collection. 17
3.7 Validity of Research Instrument 17
3.8 Reliability of the Instrument 17
3.9 Administration of the Instrument 18
3.10 Methods of Data Analysis. 18
References. 18
CHAPTER FOUR. 19
DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION. 19
Preamble. 19
4.2 Demographic Characteristics of Respondents. 19
4.3 Analysis of the Respondents’ Views on Research Question one: 20
4.5 Discussion of Findings. 22
CHAPTER FIVE. 23
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS. 23
5.1 Preamble. 23
5.2 Summary. 23
5.3 Conclusion. 24
5.4 Recommendations. 26
References. 27
Appendix. 29
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Education at all levels is about acquiring knowledge, skills, and attitude. Cognitive learning (knowledge) includes the gaining of information and concepts. It deals with comprehending the subject matter, analyzing and applying it to new situations. Behavioral learning (skills) includes the development of competence in student’s ability to perform task, solve problems, and express themselves. Affective learning involves changes in feelings, attitudes and values that shape thinking and behavior. (Allen, 2010) Teaching in the affective domain is required to facilitate development in the values, ethics, aesthetics, and feelings of social work students. Students’ active learning is the most problems the teachers face in the classroom. Learning is not an automatic consequence of pouring information into a learner’s head. It requires the learner’s own mental involvement and doing. Explanation and demonstration, by themselves, will never lead to real, lasting learning. Only learning that is active will do this. When learning is active, students do most of the work. They use their brains studying ideas, solving problems, and applying what they learn. In an active learning environment learners are immersed in experiences within which they engage in meaning-making inquiry, action, imagination, invention, interaction, hypothesizing and personal reflection (Cranton, 2012). Recent evidence believes that the basic process of learning is learners must be actively engaged in learning. The important concept is learners must actively make connections in their own brains and minds that produce learning for them (Barkley, Cross, and Major, 2005:7).
One of the innovative teaching models proposed for teaching writing is ABL (to avoid confusion with ABL that stands for assignment-based learning). The Assignment method is the most common method of teaching especially in teaching of Science. It is a technique which can be usually used in teaching and learning process. It is an instructional technique comprises the guided information, self-learning, writing skills and report preparation among the learners. The Assignment method is an important step in teaching and learning process.
Assignment-based learning is an instructional approach built upon authentic learning activities that engage student interest and motivation. These activities are designed to answer a question or solve a problem and generally reflect the types of learning and work people do in the everyday world outside the classroom. ABL is mostly done by groups of students working together toward a common goal. Performance is assessed on an individual basis, and takes into account the quality of the product produced, the depth of content understanding demonstrated, and the contributions made to the ongoing process of Assignment realization (Deborah, 2001:4).
Teaching and learning needs specific attention, method, materials, and strategy. To make students Learn and perform well, innovative teaching techniques are needed. In this study, ABL is selected as the alternative to teaching because of some reasons. First, ABL gives students opportunity to select, discuss, express, and perform on their own topic. This will motivate students to involve in the process of learning instruction.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Quite remarkably, regular poor academic performance by the majority students is fundamentally linked to application of ineffective teaching methods by teachers to impact knowledge to learners (Adunola, 2011). Substantial research on the effectiveness of teaching methods indicates that the quality of teaching is often reflected by the achievements of learners. According to Ayeni (2011), teaching is a process that involves bringing about desirable changes in learners so as to achieve specific outcomes. In order for the method used for teaching to be effective, Adunola (2011) maintains that teachers need to be conversant with numerous teaching strategies that take recognition of the magnitude of complexity of the concepts to be covered. Suboptimal academic performance by the majority students at higher education level has largely been cited to be the result of ineffective teaching methods by lecturers.
This study therefore investigates the Effectiveness of Assignment Based Learning Methods on Academic Outcome of Online MBA Students (A case study of select Online MBA students of University of South Wales)-Education.
1.3 Research Objectives
The objective of the study is to examine the Effectiveness of Assignment Based Learning Methods on Academic Outcome of Online MBA Students (A case study of select Online MBA students of University of South Wales)-Education and the specific objective are:
1. To examine the outcome of online students of Assignment Based Learning.
2. to examine the effects of ABL on academic performance of Online MBA students
3. To inculcate the self-learning attitude among the students.
4. To provide information analysis and research attitude to the learners.
5. To develop the learning experiences from various sources.
1.4 Research Questions
Specifically, this chapter addresses the following research questions:
- How is the outcome of online students of Assignment Based Learning?
- What are the effects of ABL on academic performance of Online MBA students
1.5 Significance of the Study
This study will enhance the quality of learning which will lead to higher-level cognitive development through students’ engagement with complex problems and also positive learning outcomes.
This study will help the government to know the importance of recruiting qualified personnel in their area of specialization in order to teach effectively. This study will if need be, direct the teachers’ attention to the need for them to adopt more appropriate teaching method in order to bring about desirable experience in, mostly, online learners. It will serve as a foundation upon which further research works to be made.
This study will further provide good training for information seeking, inculcate the self-learning attitude among the students, provide information analysis and research attitude to the learners and develop the learning experiences from various sources.
1.6 Scope of the Study
The study investigates the Effectiveness of Assignment Based Learning Methods on Academic Outcome of Online MBA Students (A case study of select Online MBA students of University of South Wales)-Education.
1.7 Limitation of the study
The study will be faced with a lot of challenges and one it the problem of finance. There is not going to be enough funds to print questionnaires and to also transport the researcher to meet the desired respondents. Another one is time; the researcher is currently busy with the demand of his academics. A lot of assignments are available for the researcher to do and coupled with his desire to read and learn at the same time. These are the major challenges of this study.
