As technology use continues to rise, especially among young individuals, there are concerns that excessive use of technology especially laptop computer may impact academic performance scores. Researchers have started to investigate the possible negative effects of technology use on college academic performance, but the results have been mixed. The objective of this study was to test at what extent does laptop usage affect student’s academic performance for undergraduate’s students in University of Rwanda, Huye campus-college of Business and Economics. The total sample size was 235 students in which 91 students, own laptop computer and 144 did not own laptop computer, all students were from year one, two and year three applied statistics based on multistage sampling design. Self-administered questionnaires were used to obtain data to be used in analysis, asking questions regarding to the ownership of laptop, type of use, laptop literacy and internet use frequency. Two types of hypothesis were used to test for any relationship between academic performance and laptop use, hypothesis one set as: “There are no evidences for the differences exist in performance scores of students who use computer and non-computer user irrespective the purpose of use” and hypothesis two was: “There is no Statistical difference in average marks of
students who own laptop computer and students who don’t have computer”.
To test the plausibility of these statement the study employed both binary logistics regression to see who is likely to perform well and two independent sample t-test sought to reveal exact difference between categories of laptop use on which was categorized students into low laptop users and higher laptop users.
The study results revealed, that all hypothesis has been rejected from all tests used in the analysis, the two independent sample t-test rejected the 2 hypotheses at 5% level of significance (0.041; 0,001<0.05) respectively. The binary logistics regression results revealed that being a high laptop user was associated with increased in likelihood of being high performing well (OR=7.327, P-value<0.05), and being a laptop owner was associated with increased in likelihood of being high performing well (OR=0.151, Pvalue<0.05), By holding other factor constant, laptop owner has probability of 13.1% for increase in odds of performing well compared to none laptop owner.
Table of Contents
CHAPTER.I. GENERAL INTRODUCTION
I.1. Background of the study
I.2. Problem statement
I.3. Objective of the study
I.4. Research questions
I.5. Research Hypotheses
I.6. Scope of the study
I.7. Organization of the study
CHAPTER. II. THEORETICAL AND CONCEPTUAL FRAME WORK
II.1. Basic concept definitions
II.2. Literature review
II.2.1. Introduction
II.3. Theoretical Framework
II.4. Empirical review
II.5. Conceptual and operational definitions
CHAP.III. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
III.1. Design of the study
III.2. Population of the study
III.3. Selection criteria
III.4. Sample and sampling technique
III.5. The Population and Sampling frame
III.6. Sampling technique
III.7. Method of data collection
III.8. Procedure
III.9. Method of data analysis
III.10. Research process operationalization
CHAPTER.IV: PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF FINDINGS
IV.1. PRESENTATION
IV.2. Description of variables included in study
IV.3. Inferential statistics analysis
Chap v. Discussion, conclusion and Policy recommendations
V.1.Discussion
V.2. Conclusion
V.3. Recommendations
Objectives and Topics
This research aims to investigate the extent to which laptop usage influences the academic performance scores of undergraduate students at the University of Rwanda, Huye Campus, College of Business and Economics. The study seeks to determine if there is a significant relationship between laptop ownership, frequency of use for academic versus non-academic purposes, and overall grade performance.
- Impact of laptop ownership on academic performance.
- Distinction between academic and non-academic laptop usage patterns.
- Relationship between computer literacy and student success.
- Influence of internet usage frequency on academic scores.
- Effectiveness of ICT integration in the learning environment.
Excerpt from the Book
II.2.2. Link between computer use and academic performance
The students’ academic performance (academic achievement) plays an important role in producing the best quality graduates who will become great leaders and manpower for the country. Thus responsible for the country’s economic and social development (Norhidayah Ali1, 2009). Students’ academic performance measurement has received considerable attention in previous research. Fitch, (2005) have found that laptops can facilitate faculty-student interactions and in-class participation, thus increasing engagement and active learning. This is often done through preparing and posting discussion questions and using new devices such as response keypads to facilitate student interaction.
(Michaela Driver, 2001)found that laptops, coupled with web-based activities, enhanced satisfaction with group projects and overall class satisfaction.(Miri Barak, and Steven Lerman, 2006), demonstrated that laptop use in a classroom enhanced active exploratory learning and promoted more meaningful interactions between students and with the instructor in large classes. Other researchers have found that the use of laptops in classes can increase students’ motivation, their ability to apply course based knowledge, and their overall academic achievements (MacKinnon & Vibert, 2001). When compared to non-laptop classrooms, students in laptop classrooms reported higher participation rates, more interest in learning, and a greater motivation to perform well (Trimmel & Bachmann, 2004).
Summary of Chapters
CHAPTER.I. GENERAL INTRODUCTION: Provides an overview of the University of Rwanda, the context of laptop usage in education, the problem statement regarding academic performance, and the research objectives.
CHAPTER. II. THEORETICAL AND CONCEPTUAL FRAME WORK: Reviews literature on the relationship between technology and academic performance and outlines the theoretical concepts guiding the study.
CHAP.III. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: Describes the design of the study, the population, sampling techniques, and the statistical methods used to analyze the collected data.
CHAPTER.IV: PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF FINDINGS: Presents the collected data, descriptive statistics, and results from inferential statistical analysis regarding laptop usage and student performance.
Chap v. Discussion, conclusion and Policy recommendations: Discusses the research findings, offers final conclusions, and provides policy recommendations for the university and stakeholders.
Keywords
Academic performance scores, Laptop computer, internet use, laptop literacy, University of Rwanda, student achievement, ICT integration, binary logistic regression, independent sample t-test, learning environment, computer ownership, educational technology, student engagement, Huye Campus, Applied Statistics.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this dissertation?
This dissertation examines the impact of laptop usage on the academic performance scores of undergraduate students within the College of Business and Economics at the University of Rwanda, Huye Campus.
What are the central themes discussed in the study?
The study centers on technology integration in education, focusing on laptop ownership, laptop literacy, internet usage patterns, and how these variables correlate with student examination scores.
What is the primary objective of the research?
The primary objective is to determine to what extent laptop usage affects the academic performance of students and whether owning a laptop leads to higher average marks compared to non-owners.
Which scientific methods were employed?
The researcher utilized both descriptive and quantitative methodologies, specifically employing independent sample t-tests and binary logistic regression models to analyze the data.
What does the main body of the work cover?
The main body covers a literature review on existing technology-in-education theories, detailed research methodology, presentation of demographic and performance data, and comprehensive statistical analysis of variables.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include academic performance scores, laptop computer usage, internet use, laptop literacy, and educational technology.
What did the results reveal about laptop owners?
The study found a positive relationship between laptop ownership and academic performance, with laptop owners showing a higher likelihood of achieving high performance scores compared to non-owners.
How did the researcher distinguish between different types of laptop usage?
The research categorized laptop use into usage for academic purposes and usage for non-academic purposes, finding that academic usage positively correlates with higher performance, while non-academic usage can have negative implications.
What are the recommended policies for the university?
The study recommends that the university review its ICT policy, provide training on computer maintenance and usage, and consider regulating social media access during academic activities to reduce distractions.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Emmanuel Ntirandekura (Autor:in), 2017, Laptop use and academic performance. Impact of Laptop computer usage on academic performance scores of university students, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/388871
