Improving the Learning Performance on Elementary School Fraction Course Using Diagnostic Digital Instruction

[[abstract]]With the rapid development and advance of internet, web learning overcomes the limitations of traditional learning by its diverse functions and features of online learning. In web learning environment, instructional designs integrate the web activities, which in turn, enhances learning effectiveness. The use of internet technology to assist teaching is will be the trend in the future. In my teaching experiences in the elementary school, students often have misconceptions on “fraction concepts” when they encounter fractional arithmetic. Accordingly , this study aims to investigate the effects of two digital learning methods (i.e., diagnostic-teaching instruction and programmed instruction) on students’ Math performances (fraction concepts) and learning attitudes. Within a quasi-experimental design, the participants consist of 88 third-grade students (experimental and control groups have 44 students). Students received diagnostic-teaching instruction in the experimental group and students received programmed instruction in the control group. After applying two different digital learning methods for one semester, students’ performance and attitudes obtained from these two groups are compared using ANCOVA and t-test. The main results of this study included that (1) students receiving the diagnostic-teaching instruction had higher Math grades (immediate and retention grades) than those getting the programmed instruction, suggesting that the diagnostic-teaching instruction is more effective than the programmed instruction for learning fraction concepts; (2) the differences on scores of learning attitudes (i.e., subscales of “assistance of learning” and “difficulty of operation”) from both groups were nonsignificant; (3) students in the control group had higher scores on learning attitudes (i.e., subscales of “learning mood”, “attitude toward web learning”, “the role of the teacher” , “tool design”) than did students in the experimental group. In brief, both digital learning methods can improve learning attitudes and teachers play an important role on learning. Finally, this study yielded significant implications for practices and research