The Effect of Computer Assisted Instruction with Simulation in Science and Physics Activities on the Success of Student: Electric Current

Abstract

The aim of this study is to observe the effect of computer assisted instruction (CAI) with simulation technique used in teaching the subject of “Electric Current” on the successes of students. In the study pretest-posttest control group quasi-experimental method was used. 28 students of 11th grade in the department of chemistry in an industrial vocational school in Izmir-Konak formed the study group; later on one experiment (n=14) and one control group (n=14) were formed of these students. 16 open-ended questions about electric current were prepared as data collection tool. Pretests were applied on groups a week before the application of activities. “Electric Current” was taught to experiment group using CAI technique and to control group with traditional teaching methods. Posttests were applied one week later the application of activities. In the analysis of data Mann Whitney U-test and Wilcoxon signed rank test which are both non-parametrical, were used. At the end of the study it was detected that of the two groups whose successes were the same at the beginning, experiment group students on whom CAI method was applied came out more successful than control group on whom traditional method was applied. We can result that CAI technique increase the academic successes of students in the subject of “Electric Current”.