Caribbean Studies IA

Table of Contents

Introduction 3

Literature Review 5

Data Collection 7

Presentation of Data 8

Analysis of Data 15

Discussion of Findings 17

Conclusion 19

Appendix: Questionnaire 20

Bibliography 23

Introduction

“The heights by great men reached and kept were not attained in sudden flight, but they while their companions slept, they were toiling upwards in the night.”
- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

This quote remained true for generations and ‘great men’ are still being made. But, in this technological age we have ‘great men’ who have not spent much time toiling in the night. Their success was as a result of taking a risk, an unexpected opportunity and a creative, innovative mind that invented a demand. We are able to create new jobs and improve the current jobs available with this new technology. Therefore we need to focus on using technology to improve education; this will impact the types and quality of jobs in the near future as well as the workers in our country. The future leaders of Jamaica, at the secondary level, are at the stage in their lives to choose the profession they will pursue. So they need to learn and be equipped to take on the challenge of the working world. But there are different types of learners and to accommodate all types of learning, the school must develop a suitable curriculum. This curriculum must include e-learning technologies to support above average students, improve average students and resuscitate underperforming students. In this regard, I chose the theme of education, specifically the topic how has e-learning impacted underperforming students learning in Ardenne High School. To further explore this topic I will:
Firstly, analyze if teachers are trained to combine their teaching styles with e-learning technologies,
Secondly, has the problem subject mathematics been easier to learn using e-learning technologies and is this reflected in Caribbean Secondary Examination Certificate (C.S.E.C) passes,
Lastly, is there a positive or negative response to e-learning in the classroom (would greater accessibility to the internet be more of a problem than a solution) and what other improvements could give added benefits to the lesson being taught.
As this is a relatively new effort in Jamaica, this study could be used as a base for further research. It would help the government to target the necessary subjects for improvement. Equip teachers with the information that will benefit the performance of students especially in the fight with mathematics. As well as give students a chance to take the initiative, after being empowered, to use technology to their advantage. In the field of medicine, technology has made surgical procedures easier and allows for quicker patient diagnosis and treatment. I would like to become a qualified doctor that works in a technologically advanced hospital. This will result in increased productivity and nation building as technology can bridge borders that teachers are unable to.
Definition of Technical Terms

Technological age – the shift from traditional techniques to using a computerized version
Electronic-learning (e-learning) – learning conducted via electronic media, typically on the internet.
Underperforming – not achieving desired results
Curriculum – the set of course offered by a school based on a given syllabus
Technologically advanced – updated or superior machines that make the task easier
Micrometry – measurement of microscopic objects

Literature Review

The e-learning programme in Jamaica was conceptualized in December 2003, approved by Cabinet in March 2005 then implemented in 2006. The main purpose of the programme was “to contribute to an improvement in the quality of education between grades 7-11 (forms 1-5) in the one hundred and seventy two (172) secondary, technical, agricultural and special high schools island wide, such that the passes in the grade 11 school leaving examinations are improved.” “Acquisition and development of instructional materials, including education software, will initially focus on weak areas as identified by the reported on the CXC results over the years, so that the current examination students can gain maximum benefit from the programme. (Crawford 2006). The use of technology would give students an edge to develop new and simpler ways to perform a task in the working world. It would also make the lesson being taught more interesting to students who may end up as ‘dropouts’ as they soon lose interest in learning. This would increase the performance of students who are seen as underperforming in school for problem subjects such as Mathematics.
Mathematics is useful in all areas of life but in schools it is seen as an obstacle too hard to overcome and we are therefore less able to compete with the world. If we “increase the candidacy and pass rate of Caribbean Secondary Certificate (CSEC) mathematics (then we can) prepare the Jamaican’s of tomorrow to compete in the global labour market.” (Baxter 2011). To determine if mathematics is a problem subject, if it was passed at the CSEC exam and the grade achieved will be assessed in the sampling carried out. The passes in mathematics in Jamaica remains at 34.1 percent, the difference between this and a 100 percent pass rate is significant. One way in which this subject is being combated is through the distribution of tablets (with interactive learning games) and the Mathematics Enhancement Programme (MEP). The MEP grants students access to a mathematics textbook online, for free. This makes it available to the students who are unable to afford the important textbook. This is a useful initiative as books are usually very expensive, heavy to carry and take up large amounts of space. The portability afforded by a book/ laptop computer compared to a desktop computer is now overshadowed by the portable tablet. The tablet performs the functions of a computer, takes up less space than a book, provides internet access and is lighter and cheaper than a laptop computer. From the sampling to be done, feedback on other subjects that would be improved by technology would be received.
The technological advancement is important but how can we expect students to perform and be excellent without qualified, computer literate teachers? A survey has been done of the number of teachers that are computer literate in Jamaica at the secondary level and the results are alarming. From the survey commissioned by E-learning Jamaica Company Limited (e-ljam), there were “more than 60 percent of secondary teachers in dire need of computer training for novices.” (Reid, T. 2008). This would mean teacher are unable to adapt e-learning techniques into their lesson plan and therefore students suffer the consequences. For the 40 percent of teachers that are trained (computer literate) they “can use… (computer) software for preparing class work, lesson schedule and tests. Record student attendance and academic performance…” (Gay, G. 2009). The class work becomes more interactive; lesson schedules are organized and taught more easily and prizes can be given according to the student’s record. This could still be done without technology but technology saves time, money spent on purchasing several record books for each class and would improve the grades received. "It is often said that education and training are the keys to the future. They are, but a key can be turned in two directions. Turn it one way and you lock resources away, even from those they belong to. Turn it the other way and you release resources…We must learn to be creative." (Robinson, Ken, 2010). Our teachers can afford to be creative. Another thing to consider is academic performance tracking where parents are able to monitor the child’s/children’s work along with the teacher to get the desired results. There are three levels of computer literacy and ideally teachers should be at level two (a skilled user) or almost at a level three (a fully skilled user) not at or below level one (a novice). The researcher seeks to inquire if teachers are able to use e-learning techniques in their lesson plan, the impact it would have on learning, the pros and cons of greater access to the internet and how underperformance is seen in someone else’s opinion. A positive step forward for our failing economy and a path to sustainable national development would not be rejected. Therefore the role the government could play will be further explored using the sample to be done.

Data Collection

The target group was students at Ardenne High school that are considered to be underperforming and the method of data collection was issuing questionnaires. Simple random sampling was used as it was the best choice for the target group being used. This is a quantitative method as the number of responses to close ended questions can be used to make graphs then further stratification could be done, for example comparing male to female underperformance. There were 15 questions given on the questionnaire with eight close ended questions and seven free response questions. The research was conducted where a large gathering of students of differing genders from various age groups could be found as the sample size was 30, therefore 30 individual responses were needed. This was at a popular ‘hang-out’ spot which was a tree with surrounding benches, at the front of the school. The time was right as student were gathering one more time before they leave to go home. This would give them the time needed to answer the questionnaires.
.

Presentation of Data

The number of males and females that participated in the data collection

Table showing the Differences in Ages of the sample group
Age Group
Number of Individuals
16
0
17
4
18
19
19
7

The grade achieved in CSEC for the Problem Subject ‘Mathematics’

Text box showing an open ended question (number 10) and the answer given relating to learning.

Response to question 12 on the questionnaire

Response to question 3 by students

This was a highlighted response to question 4.

Response to question 7.

Is mathematics a problem subject (response from students)

Text Box showing the highlighted response for question 6.

Retrieved from the Caribbean Examination council website.

Analysis of Data There were more females than males in the sample size and would be more biased to a female point of view. The ratio of males to females was 1:2 as 20 females participated and 10 males to get a total of 30 respondents. This would have resulted from more females being present at school and less male involvement as they saw the questionnaire as too much work to answer. For the range of ages 16-19, the main age group present was 18 years old with a total of 19 respondents, then 19 years old for 7 respondents and 4 respondents were 17 years old. The reason for this may be that the main grade level present was upper sixth form students that have an age range from 17-19 years old. For the underperformance question 15 respondents were below their own standards, then the next highest were the 12 students that were not underperforming with the smallest group being the 3 who were underperforming by both their standards and the school’s. This was so as no respondent was just underperforming by only the school’s standard. From this study it may be said the standards of the school may be too low for the students to be below their own standards but not the school’s standard. Their standard may be just above the schools pass mark or not far above the mark; therefore they are not considered to be underperforming. For question 4, the best response was highlighted in the presentation of data. This was done as most respondents felt underperforming was getting an average below 40 percent and for others it was as high as 80 percent. The responses for this question reflect the pass mark of the school that is set at 40 percent while above average students set their own standard to beat. Mathematics was a problem subject for eight people; seven of these people received a two on their CSEC exam while one respondent received a 1 although mathematics was a problem. The other 22 received a 1 and didn’t have a problem with mathematics. This showed that although mathematics may be a problem working on it extensively would make a difference in the CSEC exam. Most responses for question six were a positive ‘yes’ and indicated learning would improve significantly from e-learning technology. The best answer was highlighted in the presentation of data while there were negative responses of ‘no’ and undecided, one response was ‘I don’t know.’ Most students found teachers to be incompatible with technology and using technology to teach their subject area. There were eight ‘yes’ responses in favor of the teachers while two other responses were given. One was ‘I don’t know’ while the other was ‘I am not sure.’ There are teachers capable of using technology especially subjects that use computers for example information technology. Therefore some teachers would be capable of using technology while the bulk of teachers who teach traditional writing subjects do not usually include e-learning technology. For question 8, the most popular response was yes, as students would waste time on social media. While a ‘no’ response was given because the internet would be used more for school work than anything else. Social media is popular among teenagers and any chance to share with friends would be taken therefore more time would be wasted. The subjects that would most benefit from e-learning technology were the sciences. These were the subjects students thought needed to be more interesting. The one weird response was Physical Education which is a more practical subject, but this may accommodate the disabled and uncoordinated students and help them to feel involved. Most students felt that reading subjects, such as history would be improved by watching a video. There was one response that was highlighted in the presentation of data. All human beings have different ways of acquiring information and retaining it. Therefore we have different learning styles, so for one student writing would be better while another would learn better from videos. This leaves the teacher with using the option of changing up how he/she presents/covers the lesson plan with their class to accommodate the different types of learners. The best responses to what more the government can do for schools were all saying to give teachers training seminars. While some responded with indecision, others avoided the question altogether. Training seminars would allow teachers to help student learn at their best with innovative technology. In response to, if the government conducted more surveys before discussions and implementation of plans to improve education would a better result be received? Most answers were a resounding ‘yes’ while some were undecided. The highlighted response would be “No, because there are more important matters to discuss, education cannot feed anybody.” This response would be a result of not seeing any positive change when the government says there is change done and only more negative effects are experienced. The best example of how surveys would be effective was the increase in passes of Mathematics to 50% last year (2014) after Jamaica recorded its lowest percentage passes, 30%, in recent years (2012). From the implementation of e-learning the percentage passes first increased, remained constant then decreased. It is good to see the rise in passes to 50 percent which may be a result of more creativity in the classroom compared to traditional dictation and notes taking.
Discussion of Findings

From the study done, there is a link that is clearly seen with previous work done on the topic and the findings of my research. The topic focused on e-learning and how it would relate to underperformance whether positively or negatively. Would e-learning really be significant for improvement in education or is it just one of the woes of our government. As well as, are we equipped with fully qualified professional teachers able to adapt their teaching style to incorporate technology and spur interest for learning? Firstly, Are teachers are tech savvy right? From previous research done, teachers were unable to use technology and incorporate it with learning. This was also seen in the review of data collected. Most students were convinced teachers needed to be trained to diversify their teaching styles. This would make classes not only fun and interactive but allows for greater understanding on the student’s part. Traditional methods has its place when teaching certain topics as the students find the topic easier to learn and some students perform under these conditions so it has its own merit. But this method needs improvement as we upgrade our society. Secondly, the implementation of e-learning has resulted in an increase of passes for students in Jamaica in mathematics. Although it is seen as a problem subject, more and more students are able to grasp concepts and perform in the exam. This view of the positive impact of technology was reflected both in previous research done and the data collected from the students of Ardenne High. Therefore, any continued efforts towards improvement involving technology and learning should be supported as it will give positive results. Thirdly, the use of the internet has been one of the major problems associated with technology and learning. Students find it easier to access social media, pornography and games once they get more access to the internet. But that’s not necessarily true as the internet provides a wealth of information and interactive learning games that would allow students to be a step ahead in school work. The internet can be restricted but many students are empowered with information from the internet that will allow them to skip over these barriers. What we should aim for is awareness for change and not restrictions to break. Lastly, there is growing interest in learning in Jamaica as was seen when the non-conformist Baptist missionaries helped to start schools in Jamaica. We need to harness the raw potential of our students and direct it towards growth in the various sectors and development in society and as a people that our country desperately needs. E-learning is proving that can be done by including technology in learning especially for our less engaging disciplines.

Conclusion In concluding, teachers play the main role in our students learning, therefore they should attend seminars and workshops, to be able to get the right mix of traditional and modern. This would make it easier to assimilate electronic-learning into the curriculum. The government should improve its relationship with the school to have the right adjustments made for each specific scenario for each school environment. The internet has its flaws but the good is more significant than the bad. Students can learn and students must learn, so why not give them a fighting chance equipped with leaning with technology.

Limitations: there was reluctance in answering questionnaires that were being issued especially by the male students. There was a vast amount of information present on this topic but finding a book was the most challenging part.
Recommendations: the ministry of education should make e-learning training part of the teacher’s curriculum at the various teachers’ colleges. Greater monitoring should be exercised over the students by parents, teachers and youth leaders within and outside of school to combat internet problem. Surveys should be done as frequently as possible to ensure that laws or sanctions being used are effective.

Appendix: Questionnaire

Underperformance in Ardenne High
If the question(s) is/are too personal for you, you don’t have to answer but please answer as many as possible.
1 Are you Male or Female?
O Male O Female
2 Your Age is …?
O 16 O 17 O 18 O 19 O 20
3 Would you say you are an underperforming student?
O Yes, by the school’s standard
O Yes, by my own standards
O Yes, by both the school’s and my own standard
O No, I am not underperforming
4 Define Underperformance.

5 Do you find Mathematics to be a problem subject?
O Yes O No

6 Did you pass Mathematics at the CSEC level?
O Yes O No
7 What grade did you get?

O 1 O 2
8 If there were E-learning technology (laptops, tablets, video presentations etc.) available to students, especially in classrooms would learning improve significantly?

9 Do you think teachers are trained to use e-learning techniques/adapt their teaching style to accommodate this technology?
O Yes O No Other: _________________________________________________
10 Would greater access to the internet create more problems than solutions, specifically for underperformance in schools?
O Yes O No
Why would you say Yes / No?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11 Which subjects do you think would benefit the most from e-learning technology?

12 Would watching a video for example, for history class, be better than writing notes?
O Yes O No

Why?

13 What more can the government do for e-learning, otherwise than giving students tablets for learning in school?

14 Would more surveys like this questionnaire, improve the government-school relationship to further improve education in Jamaica?

O Yes O No

15 What is the reason behind your answer? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRECIOUS TIME COMPLETING THIS QUESTIONNAIRE IT IS GREATLY APPRECIATED☻!

Bibliography

Baxter, M. (2011, October 27). E-learning Jamaica launches online math textbook. Jamaica Gleaner. Retrieved November 14, 2014, from http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20111027/lead/lead92.html
Crawford, A. (Director) (2006, October 16). The e-Learning Jamaica Project. THe Fourth Pan Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning. Lecture conducted from Commonwealth of Learning and the Caribbean Consortium, .
(Gay, G., & Blades, R. (2009). Applications and Implications of ICT. In Oxford Information Technology for CSEC (New ed., pp. 126-127). Great Clarendon Street, Oxford OX2 6DP: Oxford University Press.)
Reid, T. (2008, March 23). Failing grade! Many teachers not tech savvy - Survey. Jamaica Gleaner. Retrieved November 14, 2014, from http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20080323/lead/lead2.html
Reporter, O. (2006, February 17). Classrooms to go hi-tech with e-learning project. Jamaica Observer. Retrieved November 14, 2014, from http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/98884_Classrooms-to-go-hi-tech-with-e-learning-project
Robinson, K. (2011). Out of Our Minds: Learning to be Creative (2nd ed.). Minnesota, Mankato: Capstone Publishing.

Bibliography: Baxter, M. (2011, October 27). E-learning Jamaica launches online math textbook. Jamaica Gleaner. Retrieved November 14, 2014, from http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20111027/lead/lead92.html Crawford, A. (Director) (2006, October 16). The e-Learning Jamaica Project. THe Fourth Pan Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning. Lecture conducted from Commonwealth of Learning and the Caribbean Consortium, . (Gay, G., & Blades, R. (2009). Applications and Implications of ICT. In Oxford Information Technology for CSEC (New ed., pp. 126-127). Great Clarendon Street, Oxford OX2 6DP: Oxford University Press.) Reid, T. (2008, March 23). Failing grade! Many teachers not tech savvy - Survey. Jamaica Gleaner. Retrieved November 14, 2014, from http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20080323/lead/lead2.html Reporter, O. (2006, February 17). Classrooms to go hi-tech with e-learning project. Jamaica Observer. Retrieved November 14, 2014, from http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/98884_Classrooms-to-go-hi-tech-with-e-learning-project Robinson, K. (2011). Out of Our Minds: Learning to be Creative (2nd ed.). Minnesota, Mankato: Capstone Publishing.