Assessment of Supplementary Learning Resource Material on Selected Topic in Economics

Abstract

To mainstream interactive learning and support the evolving paradigm shift in instruction, the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) through the Interactive Learning Center (ILC) initiated the development and production of Learning Objects (LOs). It is one of the interactive educational materials used as an innovative approach in offering curricular programs that are now being used by UPLB students as supplementary learning resource materials in various courses in the university. Assessment of the LO on Consumption Function as supplementary learning resource material on teaching Economics was conducted in terms of knowledge gain of the students and determine its effectiveness based on LO quality standards in terms of attractiveness, comprehensibility, applicability, interactivity and assessment function. Students enrolled in ECON 11 (General Economics) during the First Semester 2017-2018 were divided into control and treatment groups and subjected to a pre-test-post-test for the LO assessment. The results showed that the treatment group had a significant increase in the mean scores after being exposed to the LO (4.83) as compared to the control group who did not view the LO (3.71). It indicated that students aided with LO had a better knowledge gain than those exposed only to regular class discussion. Additionally, the Likert scale of scores 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree) was used to assess the treatment group’s responses on the quality components of the LO. Computing for the weighted mean in each component, the results showed that most respondents agreed that the LO was attractive (4.39) and that it was both comprehensible (4.48) and applicable (4.40). Similarly, most respondents in the treatment group agreed that the LO was both interactive (4.30) and its assessment items were appropriate (4.30). Overall, the respondents agreed (4.36) that it enhanced their learning and assessed the evaluated LO as an effective supplementary interactive learning resource material for the economics topic on consumption function.