Developing a web‐based multimedia assessment system for facilitating science laboratory instruction

• Published in: Journal of computer assisted learning 2019-08, Vol.35 (4), p.529-539
• Main Authors: Wang, Tzu‐Hua, Kao, Chien‐Hui, Dai, Yu‐Ling
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Computer simulation; Distance learning; Education; Educational Resources; Electronic Learning; Experiments; Instructional Effectiveness; Knowledge; Knowledge acquisition; Laboratories; Laboratory Training; Multimedia; Multimedia Instruction; multimedia‐based learning; On-line systems; Outcomes of Education; Research Design; Research Methodology; Science Achievement; Science education; Science Experiments; Science Instruction; Science Laboratories; science laboratory instruction; Science Process Skills; Scientific Concepts; Self Evaluation (Individuals); self‐assessment; Student Evaluation; Student Improvement; Students; Teachers; Teaching; Teaching methods; Test Items; Web Based Instruction; web‐based assessment
• ISSN: 0266-4909; 1365-2729
• DOI: 10.1111/jcal.12357

This study developed a web‐based multimedia assessment system (WMA system) and applied it to science laboratory instruction. The goal was to improve students' knowledge acquisition under science laboratory instruction. The developed system enabled learners to perform self‐assessments by responding to multimedia technology test items online. The system recorded each learner's complete answer history and provided the students with personalized learning resources. This study adopted a quasi‐experimental research design. The learning content was an “experiment on separating mixtures.” Students participating in the research were divided into a typical science laboratory instruction group (TI group; n = 25) and a group that received instruction through the WMA system (WMA group; n = 26). Before instruction, all the students completed the conceptual knowledge and experimental knowledge pretests. During instruction, the TI group watched the teacher's demonstration experiment, and the students then performed the experiment in a real laboratory. In the WMA group, after learning through the WMA system, the students also performed the experiment in a real laboratory. After instruction, all the students completed the conceptual knowledge and experimental knowledge posttests. The findings indicated that the students in the WMA group showed significantly higher improvements in their scientific conceptual knowledge and experimental knowledge. Lay Description What is already known about this topic: Although science laboratory instruction is important to science education, the role of science laboratory instruction in science education has been increasingly questioned. Many teachers still follow outmoded science laboratory instruction methods in their teaching, which makes students treat scientific experiments as “following recipes to cook.” Multimedia technology is effective in assisting science laboratory instruction because proper scientific experiment course and computer‐simulated activities allow students to solve scientific problems dynamically. What this paper adds: This research proposed an effective approach to perform science laboratory instruction based on digital self‐assessment and combines it with the teaching activities in a real laboratory. The web‐based multimedia assessment system (WMA system) are developed to administer multimedia technology test items and assist students in performing self‐assessment in science laboratory instruction. Integrating WMA sys