Title: EFFECT OF CONNECTIVIST LEARNING FOR MATCHING SKILLS DEMAND IN THE KNOWLEDGE BASED ECONOMY.

Authors:
Hosea, Idihwere Danfulani & Ogbonnaya, Ann Nwadinma

Abstract: Abstract Technology has changed the manner in which people learn and work in this era. This study determined the mean achievement score of students taught Business Communication using connectivism, and effects of chronological age on mean achievement score of students taught Business Communication using connectivism. The study answered two research questions and tested one hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance. The study adopted quasi–experimental design. Specifically, it is a non-equivalent control group design. The area of the study was Adamawa and Taraba States, Nigeria. The population for the study was 265 NCE III students of Business Education Department made up of 139 males and 164 females drawn from the two public Colleges of Education in Adamawa and Taraba State. There was no sampling for this study because the study involved intact classes. The tests scores generated were analysed using mean to answer the research questions and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. It was found out that the connectivist class performed better than the conventional class. Students taught in the connectivist classroom performed better than students taught in the conventional classroom. It was also found that a significant difference exists in the achievement scores of students taught Business Communication using connectivism based on their ages. Students within the ages of 15-25 were found to achieve more in the connectivist treatment class. Conclusively, there is a generation gap in the use of ICT, and competence plays a significant role in learning outcome. This is apparent especially in the ICTrelated pedagogical practices like connectivism. Also, ICT is an important factor that should be taken into consideration when designing classroom environments. Nigeria Commission of Colleges of Education (NCCE) should consider a review of her curriculum especially Business Education curriculum with a view of incorporating connectivist teaching/learning model into the teaching of Business Education subjects particularly Business Communication. The Government (Federal and states) through her Ministry of Education should provide technological facilities and resources adequate enough to pave way for the implementation of connectivism.

Publication Date: 2018-12-06