1.1 Introduction
Web based Mathematics Tutor is the process of capturing, developing, sharing, and effectively using organizational, it refers to a multi-disciplinary approach to achieving organizational objectives by making the best use of knowledge in mathematics. The students learning Algebra in secondary school make use of the Computerized Mathematics Tutor. It is being accessed or used via the internet. If a student needs a help, a guide or wants to make a complaints or contribution to a specific topic he or she visit the uniform resource locator of the website. Navigates on the necessary link created for students to make complaints or contribution and thereafter wait for a feedback response from the administrator. The Computerized Mathematics Tutor is used on daily bases by secondary school students only.
As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Limitations of the Study and Definition of technical terms.
1.2 Background of Study
In the world today, the computer has made a great impact. The computer has so influenced our life so much that people believe that the computer came from the underground world. Some say that the computer is a witch in form of a machine. This is due to the fact that the computer gives information, which is not expected of a machine. These people do not know that programs are written to be used friendly so that it will look as if it knows their problem. Mathematics education is one of the human disciplines that have influence on man’s cultural, social and economic life. Mathematics is essential for the prosperity of a nation in providing devices for comprehending science, engineering, technology and other related subjects. According to the author in (Michellefleming, 2010) mathematics provides students with great and powerful ways to describe analyze and transform the world. It is defined as the science of numbers and shapes (Hornby, 2001).
Mathematics is the study of quantity, structure, space and change. As important as mathematics is, the research has found out that many undergraduate students still find mathematics a hard nut to crack. And this results in their poor performance in the course. If this situation continues unchecked, it will affect the future development of science and technology in the nation since mathematics is one of the key contributing factors. For this reason, different efforts are geared towards making mathematics a simple, enjoyable and interesting course so that students can learn with keen interest to understanding it.
Mathematics is one of the core subjects that students are expected to have credit to further their studies in institutions of higher learning (Adejumo, Oluwole & Muraina, 2015). However, Mathematics is one of the subjects that is taken very seriously in the school system, irrespective of country or level of education. It has been described as a model of thinking which encourages learners to observe, reflect and reason logically about a problem and in communicating ideas, making it the central intellectual discipline and a vital tool in science, commerce and technology (Uwadia, 2014). Mathematics has been conceived as a difficult subject and hence this hegemony may have contributed to creating problems in mathematics teaching collaborative learning method in teaching mathematics.
The challenges encountered that led to the execution of the research work is that, there is no assurance that challenges or enquiry stated by the students will be attended to at the same time interval, the issue of misplacement of complaints forms or suggestion book, limited time constraints in solving student’s complaints and other related issues, and lack of feedback to students with regard to their complaints or enquiry.
1.3 Statement of Problem
The problem encountered by the case study and its environment while trying to implement the activities of the topic;
- There is no assurance that challenges or enquiry stated by the students will be attended to at the same time interval.
- The issue of misplacement of complaints forms or suggestion book.
- Limited time constraints in solving student’s complaints and other related issues.
- Lack of feedback to students with regard to their complaints or enquiry.
1.4 Aim and Objectives of the Study
The aim of the study is to design and implement a Web Based Undergraduate Mathematics Tutor. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows to develop an application software that will:
- Facilitate quick response to students complaints or challenges is guarantee
- Enable the students or staff link to various instant massages platform of Computerized Mathematics Tutor Systems.
- Assist the students or staff makes better contribution and provision for repetition on areas a student wishes to repeat.
- Facilitate instant feedback to students with challenges of Algebra in Mathematics.
1.5 Significance of Study
The study is very significant as it is tailored to meet the students’ needs in a specific area. Particularly, it will help the undergraduate students of computer science department to have a better understanding of mathematics in the areas covered by the study. The result of the study is the development of a web-based undergraduate mathematics tutor (WBUMT).
- When students make good use of this tutor, it will improve their performance in mathematics. The following also buttress the importance of the study:
- With this interactive math tutor, the students will work at their own pace. In other words, the fast and the brilliant ones will learn faster while the slow ones will go according to their abilities. Due to the fact that the students are actively involved, many problems of indiscipline (distractions) are reduced to the greatest minimum.
- As learning progresses from simple to complex problems (i.e. from known to unknown), the students find it easier to follow than the lecturer- instruction method.
- In a given time period, more contents are covered than the traditional method.
- The immediate feedback of knowing the correct answers reinforces the students’ effort positively. More so, it avoids the fixation of wrong options.
- There is also the probability of remedial reinforcement i.e. a situation where student’s answer is wrong, he will have the opportunity to correct it himself or try it again.
1.6 Scope of Study
The scope of the research is focused on the Design and Implementation of a Web Based Undergraduate Mathematics Tutor using algebraic learning as a case study..
1.7 Limitations of the Study
During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:
- Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
- Research material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
- Frequent power failure: This made the researcher append more money on fuel to ensure sustainable power.
- Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet).
1.8 Definition of Terms
This are the technical terms you will see in the concept of writing this project.
- Programming: is the process of taking an algorithm and encoding it into a notation, a programming language, so that it can be executed by a computer.
- Expert system: Is a computer system that emulates the decision-making ability of a human expert.
- Sensitizations programs: an Attempt to make oneself or others aware of and responsive to certain ideas, events, situations, or phenomenon.
- Implementation: Implementation is the carrying out, execution, or practice of a plan, a method, or any design, idea, model, specification, standard or policy for doing something.
- Design: is the creation of a plan or convention for the construction of an object, system or measurable human interaction (as in architectural blueprints, engineering drawings, business processes, circuit diagrams ETC.)
- Methodology: A collection of methods, practices, procedures and rules used by those who work in some field.
