Effectiveness of animation-based instruction on university students’ achievement in cell biology

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to investigate how students’ academic achievement in cell biology can be improved using animation-based instruction. The research adopted a pre-test, post-test and control group quasi-experimental design. The treatment group was taught using a lecture aided by video animation, while the control group utilised the traditional lecture method. The results show that students in the treatment group obtained a significantly higher achievement level compared to the control group. The items for which the achievements are superior are those relating to the structure of the cell membrane and membrane transport. These two items are considered among the most difficult for students to understand because they deal with dynamic and complex processes. This study implies that the lecture based-animation improves the learning of abstract concepts and complex processes that poses many understanding problems among students such as those in cell biology. Keywords:Animation-based instruction,cell biology,learning,achievement,university students