Effects of Computer Tutorial and Simulation Techniques on Achievement of Electrical Installation Students in Technical Colleges in Osun State, Nigeria (Published)
The study investigated the impact of computer tutorials and simulation techniques on the achievement of electrical installation students in technical colleges in Osun State. A quasi-experimental pre-test and post-test three-group design was adopted for the study, comprising two experimental groups and one control group. The population targeted in the study consisted of 210 electrical installation students from nine technical colleges in Osun State. A sample of 81 students was selected through a multistage sampling procedure, involving purposive sampling of technical colleges from different senatorial districts and intact classes within these colleges. Three research instruments were used: the Electrical Installation Performance Test (EIPT), the Computer Tutorial Package (CTP), and the Instructional Simulation Package (ISP). Reliability was established through a test-retest method with a reliability coefficient value of 0.837. The experimental procedure consisted of pre-treatment, treatment, and post-treatment stages. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, with hypotheses tested through One-way ANOVA, ANCOVA, and t-tests at a 0.05 significance level. The analysis revealed that prior to treatment, there was no significant difference in the performance mean scores of students using computer tutorials, simulation techniques, and conventional methods in electrical installation. However, after treatment, significant differences emerged among these methods. Additionally, significant differences were observed in student performance before and after treatment across the different methods. The use of computer tutorials, and simulation technique enhanced better performance of students in electrical installation than the conventional method with simulation technique being the most effective strategy. It was recommended among others that the use of computer tutorials and simulation technique should be encouraged in electrical installation class in technical colleges so as to enhance better academic performance of students in electrical installation.
Keywords: Computer Tutorial, Electrical Installation, Simulation Technique, Students, Technical Colleges
Enhancing Entrepreneurial Education Skills in Electrical Installation for Sustainable Economic Development (Published)
The Paper discussed the enhancement of entrepreneurial education skills in Electrical installation for sustainable economic development. School leavers from various institutions face skill opportunities of securing employment including those that studied electrical installation maintenance work. Entrepreneurial education was discussed as a suiting solution that would enable the graduates learn skills that would make them survive by establishing electrical installation related enterprises for sustainable economic development. Some factors that would promote entrepreneurship education include adequate provision of fund to establish entrepreneurial education system, revitalization of electricity supplies and expansion of educational facilities for entrepreneurial development. Entrepreneurial competences identified for sustainable economic development among Electrical Installation graduates include managerial, accounting, marketing and competitive skills. The paper also identified concrete reasons for entrepreneurial education to include provision of necessary skills, ability of students to transit from school to work among others. When entrepreneurial education is enhanced, sustainable economic development will be realized.
Keywords: Economic Development, Education, Electrical Installation, Skills, entrepreneurial education
Web-Based Application of Electrical Installation and Maintenance Work Intelligent Tutoring System in West African Technical Colleges (Published)
Digital technology has provided an effective instructional delivery paradigm in technical education, which enhances the attainment of cognitive, affective, and psychomotor skills. The purpose of an intelligent tutor as a computer-aided learning system is to complement teacher activities by providing students with relevant information via a computer interface. This study aims to develop a web-based artificial intelligence tutoring system for practical electrical installation and maintenance work for teachers in Nigerian technical colleges. Specifically, the study sought to develop the Electrical Installation Intelligence Tutor (EIIT) software, determine the effect of the tutor on students’ acquisition of practical skills, and determine students’ interest in studying electrical installation. Two research questions and two null hypotheses guided the study. The study adopted R&D design. From a population of 263 electrical installation students, 20 were selected to use the stand-alone method and 18 to use the web-based method. The instrument for data collection was lesson plans based on three of the components of electrical installation namely, domestic and industrial installation, and cable jointing topics as listed in the National Board for Technical Education syllabus. An achievement test and interest survey were developed and built into the software. Validation of the content of the achievement test was determined to be 0.67, while the internal consistency of the survey was 0.89. The null hypotheses were tested through analysis of covariance at the 0.05 significance level. Results show that use of the tutor caused the students to be more highly interested and motivated. Thus, the authors recommend intelligent tutor
Keywords: Electrical Installation, Intelligent Tutoring, Technical Colleges, Web-Based