1.

1 Background of Study

Education system in Malaysia is supervised by the Ministry of Education (MOE).

Malaysian education system is divided into preschool education, primary education, secondary

education, post-secondary education and tertiary education. In 1966, Malaysia had been

implemented the first computer aided system. Since then, the capacities in every field such as

education have been improved by the Government by introduced various initiatives to facilitate

the greater adoption and diffusion of ICT.

Malaysias education system needs to be changed to support the ICT master plan in line

with the country's efforts to fulfill Vision 2020. ICT -enabled Smart School has been a catalyst

for this transformation. In addition to the Smart School project, the Ministry of Education is also

trying to reduce the digital divide that exists in this country to provide computer labs to

thousands of schools (Hanafi & Rozhan, 2004). Teachers, school administrators and other school

staff are also involved in the training of using ICT. Innovative projects such as the use of

electronic books and e -learning have also been introduced in schools in the country.

The Ministry of Education sees ICT as a means, not an end in itself. Therefore , all efforts

focused on the development of new media as a tool in the service of a richer curriculum,

pedagogy enhanced, more efficient organizational structure in schools, stronger links between

schools and communities and empower students in need. The MOE believes that properly

designed and implemented computing and communications have the potential to revolutionize

education and improve depth study of information technology.

 Courseware is one of technology that has been used in the education system in this

country as a teaching aid that involves the use of multimedia and computer. Havice (1993)

defines multimedia as the linkage of text, sound, video, graphics, and computer in such a way

that the users access to these various media in nonlinear and virtually instantaneous. By this

definition of multimedia, we can see that courseware is a powerful tool that can enhance

education performances.

There are several characteristics that will make the interactive courseware more effective.

Characteristics such as individualisation of programs, interactivity, multimedia elements and

textology are important for effective and attractive information technology-based learning

materials. To make a courseware interactive, Feifer (1996) emphasise the need for a user to be in

control. Seven characteristics of interactivity have been identified: immediacy of response, non-

sequential access of information, adaptability, feedback, options, bi-directional communication

and interrupt ability (Borsook, 1991). Individualised instruction has been recognised as an

effective educational methodology (Phillips, 1991; Bixler and Bergman, 1997). Individualisation

allows a learner to control the pace and entry level of the learning materials.The use of sound and

graphics, for instance, facilitates learners understanding the learning materials (Toh, 1996),

especially in learning abstract concepts.

Physics is a branch of science study which answers all the questions regarding natural

phenomena by observing and experimenting. Physics not just deals with theoretical concept, it

also applied in our daily life activities. There are many different kinds of approaches and

activities can be used to study physics. There are two main types of activities in physics; the
collection of data and the development of theories. Development of physics theories among

student can be improved and strengthen by using teaching aids such as interactive courseware.

Light is one of the topics in Physics subject that has been teach in elementary school for

form 4 students. The content of this topics are a reflection of the light, habituation light,

reflections in full and lens. This topics aims to provide an understanding of the concepts and

principles related to the optical geometry and its application in life.

Scientific knowledge about lights has triggered the development in technology which is

very significant in our daily lives. This new technology brings a huge impact on our lifestyle.

The use of optical fibers allows more information, pictures and video sent from computer to

computer around the world with high speed. Now, various electronic systems using light to

control functions; mirrors, lenses and fibers used to control the light path.

1.2 Statements of Problems

To continue remain outstanding on the world stage, more emphasis should be given to

education in school, especially science and technology, including physics education. Various

attempts have been made by the Ministry of Education or the school itself in ensuring students

achievement in academic is at the maximum level including in the use of Information and

Communication Technology (ICT) as a teaching aid such as physics courseware. Physics is a

subject which is difficult to understand if taught using traditional methods such as chalk and talk.

Most of the concepts of physics should be taught with teaching aids such as video animations so

that students are easier to understand and generate ideas on the physics concept.
 Excellence in academics started from the classroom. This includes learning and teaching

techniques and learning practices by teachers and students themselves. Content delivery method

in its simplest form is important to ensure students understand words and concepts can be orderly

and systematic. Mastery learning using multimedia courseware (Kazu et al., 2005) has positive

effects on student understanding toward course content and the characteristics of user-friendly

multimedia courseware served the purpose of the student centered level of the achievement and

learning is optimized. Most of teachers in our country have yet to integrate computer-based

learning such as courseware into their teaching for better students understanding. Some do not

apply technological teaching aids in their teaching due some of the courseware are not user-

friendly to the teachers.

Computer based learning is a method, which uses computers in a learning media and

strengthens students motivation and educational processes. It gives opportunities to both

students and teachers to learn and teach more quickly and to combine active learning with

computer technology. Using computers increases motivation and desire for the lectures and

laboratory in the process of learning.

The teaching simulations prepared to be used in educational activities as one of the

software types are able to create a teaching atmosphere like laboratories where students are

active. Simulations are the transfers of the events with specific limitations in daily life to the

computer medium. Computer based learning is the closest one to the laboratory medium and

offers a student interaction. Simulations help the students to form their own cognitive models

about events and processes. Simulations also offer the opportunities for observing easily the
events that occur too slowly or too fast in the lab and they are very dangerous to be tested in it

and cost dearly.

In a study in which the influence of computer based physics activities on students

acquisitions is searched on the topic of Simple Harmonic Motion, it is concluded that the

teaching realized by the simulation program with an applied dynamic system is more successful

than the teaching implemented by traditional methods (Karamustafaolu, 2005). According to

Alessi & Trollip (2005), it is possible to divide educational software into five different types such

as tutorial, drill and practice, simulation, educational games and hypermedia type. For effective

and productive teaching, these techniques should be used with some classroom activities. These

are: presentation, demonstration, practice and evaluation of learning (zmen, 2004). The use of

computer technology enables learners be active in the learning process, to construct knowledge,

to develop problem solving skills and todiscover alternative solutions (zmen, 2008).

The students who attend to the Physics laboratory regularly will become more successful

in the achievement test of Physics and there is a positive correlation between the students

interests and their successes at Physics. The studies in laboratory make a positive influence on

the interests of them over Physics.

The researches that have been done for a long time show that the laboratory studies

increase the interest and the abilities of the students for the Physics subjects (Bryant and Morek,

1987; Bekar, 1996; Algan, 1999; Bac, 1999).

 Although the laboratory method has a very important place in Physics education, it has

some limits and problems about its use. The main problems are the laboratory activities are

expensive as they are carried out and arranged with equipment, it takes too much planning time

for the teachers and to apply it, loss of time in the studies of individual and group experiment is

too much and checking the students at a large class becomes difficult.

1.3 Objectives of Research

The objectives of this research are:

1. To determine whether Physics courseware affect Form4 students problem solving skills.

2. To investigate problem faced by Form 4 students in learning Physics concept.

3. To improve the basic concept of Physics in Form 4 students knowledge.

1.4 Research Questions

The research aims to answer the following research questions.

1. What is the effect of Physics courseware on Form 4 students problem solving skills?

2. Which Physics courseware is more effective?

3. What is the problem faced by Form 4 students in learning Physics concept?

References

Hanafi A. & Rozhan I. (2004). The impact of information and communication

Technology (ICT) on the management practices of Malaysian Smart Schools.
International Journal of Educational Development, 24(2), 210-211.

Havice, W. (1993). College Students Attitudes Toward Oral Lectures and

Integrated Media Presentations. [Online] From:
http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JTS/WinterSpring1999/PDF/havice.pdf

Kazu, I. Y., H. Kazu and O. Ozdemir, 2005. The effects of mastery learning model on the success
of the students who attended usage of basic information technologies course. Educ.
Technol. Soc., 8: 233-243.

Bixler, B. and Bergman, T. (1997), Selecting and implementing computer-based training.

Bell, M., Martin, G., and Clarke, T. (2004), Engaging in the future of e-learning: a scenarios-
based approach, Education + Training, Vol. 46 No. 6/7, pp. 296307.

Feifer, R.G. and Tazbaz, D. (1996), Multimedia communications: designing for interactivity, in
Proceeding of the World Conference on Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia, June
17-22, 1996, Boston, Massachusset, AACE, US.

Lai, S. (2000), Influence of audio-visual presentations on learning abstract concepts,

International Journal of Instructional Media

Phillips, J.J. (1991), Handbook of Training Evaluation and Measurement Methods, Gulf
Publishing, Houston.

Allesi, S. M., & Trollip, A. R. (2001), Multimedia for learning: Methods and development.
Massachusetts, America: Allyn and Bacon.
Toh, S.C. (1996), The effects of different computer-based instructional modes on students of
different cognitive styles, in Proceeding of the World Conference on Educational
Multimedia and Hypermedia, June 17-22, 1996, Boston, Massachusset, AACE, US.

zmen, H. (2004). Learning theories in science instruction and technology-assisted

constructivist learning. TheTurkish Online Journal of Educational Technology (TOJET), 3
(1), Article 14

zmen, H. (2008). The influence of computer-assisted instruction on students conceptual

understanding of chemical bonding and attitude toward chemistry: A case for Turkey.
Computers & Education, 51 (1), 423-438.

Karamustafaolu, O., Aydn M. & zmen H. (2005). The Effects of Computer Assisted Physic
Activities on Student Achievementsi: The Example of a Simple Harmonic Move. The
Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology. Issue 4 (4), 10. October.

Bac, N. & imek, S. (1999). The influence of different teaching methods in teaching physics
subjects on students success, The Journal of Gazi Education Faculty. 19 (3), 79-88.

Bennett, R. (1986). The Effect of Computer Assisted Instruction and Reinforcement Schedules on
Physics Achievement and Attitudes Toward Physics of High School Students. Dissertation
Abstracts International, 46(2), 3670A.

Algan, . (1999). The influence of the Computer Based Physics Teaching on the success of the
student and Modern Mathematics and Science Programs applied in Turkey in the years
between 1962 and 1985. Ankara: Gazi University, Institute of Science.