Effect of Nandom’s Java Intelligent Tutor System on Computer Education Students’ Retention in Java p by IRJET Journal

Effect of Nandom’s Java Intelligent Tutor System on Computer Education Students’ Retention in Java programming Language in Universities in south-east Nigeria

1Dr. Ibebuife Enemchukwu UGWU. Madonna University Nigeria, Okija campus, Anambra state, Nigeria

2Victor Ikenna ELLAM Madonna University Nigeria, Elele campus, River state, Nigeria

3 Dr. Anthony Ifeanyi EHUJUO, Madonna University Nigeria, Okija campus, Anambra state, Nigeria

4 Dr. Ikechukwu Kelvin ASOEGWU, Madonna University Nigeria, Okija campus, Anambra state, Nigeria

5 Dr. Caroline OKORIE Madonna University Nigeria, Okija campus, Anambra state, Nigeria

6Angella Ogechi EZE, University of Nigeria, Nsukka ***

Abstract - This study determinedtheeffect oftheNandom’s Java Intelligent Tutor System (NJITS) on the retention of Computer Education students inJavaprogramminglanguage in Universities in south-east Nigeria. The study used a population of 136 students. A total population sampling technique was used. Data was collected using Java Programming Achievement Test (JPAT). The instrument was validated by five experts. Reliability index of 0.78 was established. After pretest, theexperimentalgroupandcontrol group were taught respectively with NJITS and lecture method. After the experiment, a posttest was given to both groups then a retention test also given after two weeks of the post test. Data collected were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS). The research questions were answered using mean and standard deviation while the null hypotheses formulated at 0.05 level of significance, were tested using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). Findings revealed that NJITS improved students’ retention in Java programming language more than lecture method. Again, female students taught Java programming language using NJITS had slightly higher retention than the male students taught Java programminglanguageusingthesametool. Also, a significant difference exists in the mean retention scores of students, taught JavaprogramminglanguageusingNJITSand those taught using the lecture method.

Key Words: java programming language, intelligent tutor system, students’ retention, computer education, computer education students

1.INTRODUCTION

Computer Education is a computing program geared towards training learners on Computers and their operations and also inculcating in them the skills for training other learners with the acquired knowledge. DumbiriandNwadiani[1]describedComputereducationas an education that endows the learners with the overall knowledge of computer and computing together with the pedagogical skills and techniques of conveying the same knowledgetoothers.Thiseducationprogrammehasbeen introduced into the Nigerian schools, colleges and Universitiestobringthebasicknowledgeofcomputersand

InformationandCommunicationTechnologydownto the grass root [2] Computer Education has been designed to satisfytheneedofallintheworldofcomputingandconsists of major areas that include Database Management, Networking, Information communication and security, Network security and Computer Programming among others.

Computer programming can be defined as the practice of writing useful, maintainable, and extensible source code whichacomputingsystemcaninterpretandevaluatedto performoneormorespecificcomputingtasks.Vangie [3] described computer programming as the process of designing,building,testingandmaintainingaworkableand executablecomputerprogramina selectedprogramming language to accomplish a specific task. Programming involvesallthetechnicalactivitiesthatrangefromanalysis ofusers’requirementsthroughfunctionalspecificationto testing and implementation that is undergone in the productionofacomputerprogram[4].Thisprocessmustbe accomplished in a language known as the computer programminglanguage

Aprogramminglanguageis a recognizedlanguage,which comprisesofa setof instructionsthatis evaluated bythe computer to produce specified kinds of output. Sunday, Ocheja,Hussain,Oyelere,Samson&Agbo[5])notedthata computerprogramminglanguageisalanguagewithstrict syntaxesusedtowritecomputerprogramsthatacomputer translates to make it perform tasks. The last authors identified four types of programming languages which include procedural programming language, functional programming language, scripting language and Objectorientedprogramminglanguage.Proceduralprogramming likeBASIC,C,Pascal,usesaverydetailedlistofstepbystep instructions to direct the computer on what to do [6] Functional programming languages like Haskell, Lisp, Erlang,andScala,approachandtreateverycomputational issueasamathematicalfunction.Thescriptinglanguagelike PHP,Python,JavaScript,andjQuerydefineaprogramming paradigm that provides instructions, called scripts, for softwareinapplicationsandwebsites[7] Object-oriented programming (OOP) is a style of programming

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characterizedbytheuseofclassesofobjectscloselylinked withtheassociatedmethods(functions).ExamplesofOOP languagesincludeJavaScript,C++,Visual Basic,Visual C#, Java and so on. The advantage of object-oriented programming language over other types is its robustness andsecurity.Theobject-orientedprogramminglanguages thatismostcommonlyusedincomputerprogrammingin industries,duetoitsefficiencyinsoftwaredevelopmentis Javaprogramminglanguage[5]

Javaprogramminglanguageisawell-knownobject-oriented programming (OOP) language. This indicates that it is a programminglanguagethatfollowstheconceptof"objects", which may contain data as attributes; and code as procedures also known as methods. The objects are instancesofthetermClasses[8]. Jalolov[6]indicatedthat Javaisusedindevelopingdifferentapplicationsthatcanbe usedacrossdiversedevices,suchasTelevisions,Mobileand Network devices, Automated Teller Machines (ATM), PCI devices,Motherboards,Microprocessorsandothers.

Javaprogrammingeducationisacquiredinbothformaland informalsettings.StudentsaretaughtJavaprogrammingin schoolsaswellasinprivatetrainingcenters.Manylearners aswellengageinself-learningpracticesthroughtextbooks andsomeonlineandofflinetutorials[9].Ahugenumberof students of Java programming are trained in Computer EducationprogramsofferedinUniversities[4]. Thus,most federal Universities in Nigeria undertake both theoretical and practical teaching and learning of Java programming andJavaisseenbymoststudentsasabstractasitinvolves themanipulationofahugeamountofunnaturalcodeswith itspracticalinvolvementdemandingahugeamountoftime ofmanipulationofcodes[10]

DuetotheabstractnatureofJavaprogramming,students finditdifficulttounderstandandretaintheknowledgeso acquired.In2018,Nandom[10]identifiedfromtheaverage performanceofstudentsinJavaprogramminginNigerian Universities,that11.5%ofthepopulationhadA,17.9%had B,22.3%hadC,12.7%hadD,18.1%hadEand17.5%hadF, whichtheauthordescribedaslowachievementofstudents inJavaprogramming.AccordingtoChima[11],theaverage performance of students in Java programming in UniversitiesinsoutheastNigeriaislowwithmorethan70 percent failure in performance. Chima traced this to students’ low retention in the course. This results to students going through the course with no grip of the requisiteprogrammingskillsmakingthemenrollinprivate training centres after graduation to acquire Java programmingskillwhichtheyshouldhaveacquiredwhen offering the course. Nandom identified that this gap expectedandlowperformancecanbebridgedthroughthe use of appropriate intelligent training system for selflearning by students of computer education and related fields.Oneofsuchtrainingguidesforself-learningofJava programmingisNJITS(Nandom).Cheah[12],insupportof

Nandom, noted that the challenges students encounter whenlearningwithconventionalmethodofinstructioncan besolvedbytheuseofanintelligenttutorsystem.

IntelligentTutorSystemisdefinedasaninteractivesystem designed to help a learner by providing instant and customizedinstructionorfeedbackinthelearningprocess. Ayelaagbe[13], described an intelligent tutor system as a machinewithanembedded,Internet-connectedcomputer that can collect and analyze data and communicate with other systems and in this way is capable of guiding the learnerthroughtheprocessoflearning.AnIntelligentTutor SystemaccordingtoNuhuandOnojah[14]isasystemor software that is designed for teaching or learning in a particular field, and which has the capacity of providing intelligent instructions to learners, and responses to learners’requestsinaninteractivefashion.

ThereexistsomeonlineaswellasofflineIntelligentTutor Systems or interactive training packages which were designed by different authors and developers for the purpose of self-learning in Java programming languages. LearnJavaForFreeInteractiveTutorialdevelopedbyNaser in2016,JavaTheoryandPractice:InteractiveProgramming developedbyQwaiderandAbu-Naserin2018andOnlineJava Programming Tutor developed by Abu in 2019 are some examples. However, these training packages are expensiveandwerenotdevelopedinaccordancewiththe curriculumofcomputereducationinfederalUniversitiesin Nigeriaandarethereforenotappropriateastrainingtutors forself-learningofJavaProgramminglanguagebycomputer education students in Nigerian universities owing to cost andnon-curriculumcompliant.

Nevertheless, an intelligent tutor system developed by Nandom for learning of Java programming in tertiary institution called Nandom’s Java Intelligent Tutor System (NJITS)whichwasdesignedlocallyinaccordancewiththe curriculumofcomputereducationinfederaluniversitiesin Nigeria.havingbeendesignedaccordingtothecurriculum of computer education in federal universities in Nigeria, NJITShasbeenadoptedbytheresearcherforthisstudyasit maypositivelyimpactstudentacademicachievementand retentioninJavaprogramming.

Retention refers to the act or power of remembering things.Retentionalsoreferstotheabilitytoreproduceor recallthelearnedconceptwhenneeded[15] Ayelaagbe[13] observed that the use of Intelligent Training package for illustrationinteachingandlearningofskill-basedcourses createbetterretentionabilityonlearners.Theauthoralso noted that an Interactive tutor system as a teaching and learningstrategyhasthefeatureoffosteringinthemindof thelearneracertainkindofindelibleimagesofideas.Oneof such strategies could be NJITS in Universities. Omeh and Olelewe[15]alsoidentifiedthataveryimportantvariable

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whoseinteractionwithinteractivetutoringsystemsimparts thestudents’retentionisgender.

Gender is a significant variable whose impact on many dependent variables cannot be overlooked. According to Omeh and Olelewe, gender refers to one of the two sexes whicharemaleorfemale,particularlywhenreferringmore tosocialandculturaldistinctionsotherthanbiologicalones. Gender differences have been a source of concern having beeninfluencingtheuseofInformationandCommunication Technologyallovertheworld,therefore,observationshave shownthatthereexistsagapinissuesrelatingtogenderas its concerns the use of technology which has led to disparities in male and female learners’ performances in learning practical and skill oriented courses as Java programming[16]. Nonetheless,thiscomparativedisparity in gender performances as related to retention in Java programmingisexpectedtobeminimizedthroughtheuse of a suitable Intelligent Tutor System in teaching and learning of computer programming courses such as Java programming. Therefore, an attempt was also made to identifytheeffectofgenderontheretentionofstudentsin JavaprogramminglanguagewhenusingNJITS

On the above backdrop, it is presumed that integrating NJITS into the Java programming language teaching and learningprocesswillhavethelatencytoprovideknowledge andcreateenablingenvironmentsforacquiringtheneeded skillsinaproficientandmoreeffectivewayofmeetingthe demandsoftheteachersandlearners.Therefore,thisstudy seeks to find out the effect of NJITS on the retention of computereducationstudentsinJavaprogramminglanguage inUniversitiesinsoutheastNigeria.

1.1 Statement of the Problem

Teaching and learning of Java programming languageissuchthatwhenappropriatehumanandmaterial resources such as teachers, computer hardware and software systems are provided, students learn and retain knowledge and skills acquired by having the same mean academic achievements over a given period of time regardlessofgenderissues.

Unfortunately, students’ retention and general performance in Java programming in Nigeria universities have been discouraging despite the continuous use of the conventional teaching method. This gap has results to students going through the course without acquiring the neededprogrammingskillsmakingthemtoloseinterestand not retain what they have learnt in the course and then eitherchangetheirdesiredcareerorevenentirelyquitthe course.

ThispersistentlowinterestandretentionofstudentsinJava programming became a source of concern to the stakeholders,lecturersandresearchersingeneral,leadingto

developing NJITS locally designed according to the curriculum.Thus,theproblemofthisstudyistoinvestigate theeffectofNJITSontheretentionofComputerEducation Students in Java programming in federal Universities in SouthEastNigerian.

1.2 Purpose of the Study

Thegeneralpurposeofthisstudywastodeterminethe effectofNJITSonretentionofstudentsinJavaprogramming language in Computer Education in Nigerian Universities. Specifically,thestudydeterminedthe:

1. mean retention scores of students taught Java programming language using NJITS and those taughtusinglecturemethod,

2. meanretentionscoresofmaleandfemalestudents taughtJavaprogramminglanguageNJITS.

1.3 Research Questions

1. What are the mean retention scores of students taughtJavaprogramminglanguageusingNJITSand thosetaughtwithlecturemethod?

2. What are the mean retention scores of male and femalestudentstaughtJavaprogramminglanguage usingNJITS?

1.4 Hypotheses

Thefollowinghypothesesweretestedat0.05levelof significance.

HO1:Thereisnosignificantdifferenceinthemean retentionscoresofstudentstaughtJava programminglanguageusingNJITSandthosetaught withlecturemethod.

HO2:Thereisnosignificantdifferenceinthemean retentionscoresofmaleandfemalestudentstaught Javaprogramminglanguage

2. LITERATURE REVIEW

Available literature on intelligent tutoring systems (ITS) focuses on efficiency and effectiveness in improving students’retentionindiversedomains,likeprogramming. According to Adelana & Akinyemi [17], ITS can offer individualizedfeedback,bemodifiedtosuitlearners’pace, andfortifytheunderstandingofmultipleconceptsthatare key to mastering computer programming languages. In Nigeria, there is a rise in technological research that is anchored on enhanced learning in computer education though only a few studies have looked closely into Java programming. Not long ago, studies have suggest that localized systems, like Nandom’s Java Intelligent Tutor System (NJITS), is likely going to offer context-relevant assistances through addressing curriculum-aligned and otherchallenges.However,empiricalvaluationsofNJITSin Nigerianuniversitiesremainlimited,necessitatingfurther

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studyonitseffectonstudents’academicachievementinJava programming.

3. METHODOLOGY

3.1

Design

This study adopted quasi-experimental research design, particularly, a non-equivalent pre-test post-test control groupdesign.Thisdesignwasadoptedbytheresearcheras therewouldbeunlikelihoodofrandomsamplinginwhich case,theintactclasseswasused.Theseintactclasseswere respectively assigned to experimental and control group randomlywithoutdisruptionoftheschool’sacademicplan. Theresearchdesignisillustratedbelow: Experimental Group O1 X O2

Control Group O1 - O2

KEY:

O1=Pre-tests, X=TreatmentforExp.GroupI, O2=Post-tests, - = NoTreatment.

3.2

Area of Study

ThisstudywascarriedoutinfederalUniversitiesinSouth East, Nigeria. South East, Nigeria comprises five states, namely:Abia,Anambra,Ebonyi,Enugu,andImostates.Three of these states have federal Universities: Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU); Nnamdi AzikiweUniversity,Awka(NAUA)andUniversityofNigeria, Nsukka(UNN)thatoffercomputereducationthatteachJava programming.ThesethreeUniversitiesarewheretheeffect ofNJITSonthecomputereducationstudents’retentionin Javaprogrammingweredetermined.ThefederalUniversities werechosenspecificallytoensureuniformresourcesforthe research since they are all owned and managed by the federalgovernment.

3.3 Population and Sampling

The population for the study is 136 three hundred level undergraduate students of computer education from University of Nigeria, Nsukka (18); Nnamdi Azikiwe University,Awka (54); and Michael Okpara University of Agriculture,Umudike(64).Thethreehundredlevelstudents wereselectedasJavaprogrammingisofferedwiththe300 levelstudents. Theinformationonpopulationofthestudy wereobtainedfromthecomputereducationdepartmentof the universities (2020/2021 academic session). Total populationsamplingtechniqueswasused.However,random sampling using balloting was used to choose schools for treatment and control groups. UNN with 18 students (12 maleand6female)andNAUAwith54students(30maleand 24female)formthetreatmentgroupwhileMOUAUwith64 students(35maleand29female)formthecontrolgroup.

3.4 Instruments for Data Collection

Theinstrumentfordata collectionwasJava Programming AchievementTest(JPAT).TheJPATisa 50itemsmultiple choiceobjectivequestionshavingfouroptionsofA-Dwith onlyoneoptionasthecorrectanswer.TheJPATisateachermade test which was developed by the researcher and coveredthecontentincomputereducationcurriculumand wasbasedontheBloom’staxonomyofTableofspecification.

Theinitialdraftoftheinstrumentwassubjectedtofaceand content validation by five experts comprising of three lecturers from the Department of Computer and Robotics EducationandtwofromDepartmentofMeasurementand Evaluation. Thirteen copies of the Java programming achievement test (JPAT) were administered on three hundred level computer education students in Madonna University Nigeria, Anambra State that has 13 students in number,comprisedof9malesand4females.Thereliability oftheinstrumentwasdeterminedusingKuderRichardson 21 (KR-21) formula and the reliability index of 0.78 was establishedforinternalconsistency.

3.5 Experimental Procedure

DatacollectionprocessinvolvedthePre-test,Treatmentand Post-test.Thisexperimentwascarriedoutduringthenormal school lecture period for computer education 300 level students. Pre-test was given at the same time to both experimental and the control groups before treatment or teaching with help of research assistants. Both the experimentalandcontrolgroupsweresubjectedtotheJava Programming Achievement Test (JPAT) as a pre-test. The treatmentandteachingeachlastedforten(10)weeks.While theexperimentalgroupwastaughtusingNJITSstrategy,the controlgroupwastaughtwithlecturemethodonthesame content used for experimental group, all done by the lecturers teaching the course. After the treatment, both groupswereexposedtotheJavaProgrammingAchievement Test (JPAT) as post-test. The pre-test questions were reshuffledfortheuseinthepost-test.Twoweeksafterthe post-test,bothgroupsweregivenaretentiontesttocheck thestudents’levelofretention.

3.5.1 Control of Extraneous Variables

1. Treatment Bias: Students in both groups were duly informedthattheresearchwouldnotbeusedinany wayagainstas the exerciseisall about research,so thatthroughouttheexperiment,theycanexhibittheir naturalbehaviourswithoutanyprejudice.

2. ExperimentalBias:Toavoidbiasesduringexperiment, the usual lecturers in the respective students’ institutionswereemployedtorespectivelyguideand teachtheirownstudentsinbothgroups.Therefore, the researcher was not directly involved in administrationofresearchmaterials.

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3. Subject Interaction:Inorderthatthestudentsinboth groupsdonotmix-up,theselectionofthetreatment and control groups were not made from the same University, to avoid errors arising from interaction andexchangeofideas.

3.6 Method of Data Collection and Analysis

The lecturers of the course in the respective Universities were used as research assistants. They administer and collect the tests before and after the treatment. All the instrumentsadministeredwerecollectedbytheresearcher. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions while the null hypotheses were tested using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) at 0.05 level of significance.Asstudentsintheirintactclasseswereusedin theexperiment,theuseofANCOVAhelpedtocomparethe mean of the groups. Thus, Statistical Package for Social Science(SPSS)wasusedfortheanalysis.Thenullhypotheses wereacceptedifthep-valueislessthan0.05otherwise,it wasrejectedat0.05alphalevelofsignificance.

4. RESULTS

4.1 Research Question I

WhatarethemeanretentionscoresofstudentstaughtJava programminglanguageusingNJITSandthosetaughtusing lecturemethod?

DataonthisresearchQuestionisanalyzedandpresentedin table1

Table -1: Mean and standard Deviation of Post-test and Retention-test of students taught Java programming languageusingNJITSandthosetaughtusinglecturemethod

4.2 Research Question 2

What are the mean retention scores of male and female studentstaughtJavaprogramminglanguageusingNJITS?

DataonthisresearchQuestionisanalyzedandpresented inTable2

DataonthisresearchQuestionisanalyzedandpresentedin table2

Table -2: MeanandstandardDeviationofpost-testand retentionscoresofmaleandfemalestudentstaughtJava programminglanguageusingNJITS.

The result presented in Table 1 shows the mean achievement score of students taught Java programming languageusingNJITStobe33.29withstandarddeviationof 3.69 in post-test, and mean score of 34.18 with standard deviationof5.95intheretentiontest,makingapost-test, retentionmeangainof0.89.Conversely,thecontrolgroup had a mean achievement score of 21.06 with standard deviationof7.99inthepost-test,andameanscoreof19.48 withstandarddeviationof3.54intheretentiontest,making a post-test, retention test mean gain of -1.58. This shows thatthereisahigherretentionmeangainintheexperiment group than in the control group indicating that NJITS retainedstudentsJavaprogramminglanguageachievement betterthanthoseinthelecturemethod.

From Table 2, male students taught Java programming languageusingNJITShadposttestandretentionscore( ) of 35.14and35.62withstandarddeviations(SD)of6.55and 6.53respectively.Thedifferencebetweentheirposttestand retentionmeanscoreswas0.48.Whereby,femalestudents who learnt Java programming language using NJITS had posttest and retention scores of 30.70 and 32.17 with standard deviations of 4.57 and 4.40 respectively. The differencein their posttestscoreand retention scorewas 1.47.Fromthisfigure,itshowsthat,themeangainsof0.48 of male students is less than the mean gains of 1.47 of femalestudentsshowingthatfemalestudentstaughtJava programming language using NJITS had higher retention thanthemalestudentstaughtJavaprogramminglanguage usingthesametool.

4.3 Hypotheses 1

HO1: Thereisnosignificantdifferenceinthemeanretention scoresofstudentstaughtJavaprogramminglanguageusing NJITSandthosetaughtusinglecturemethod.

SummaryofAnalysisofCovariance(ANCOVA)forhypothesis 1isshowninTable3

TheresultspresentedinTable3showsthattheF-valueis 321.361withasignificantofFat.000,whichislowerthan thelevelof0.05alphavalueatwhichitisbeentested.The null hypothesis is therefore rejected at 0.05 level of significant. The result implies that, there is a significant difference between the mean retention scores of students taughtJavaprogrammingusingNJITSandthosetaughtusing thelecturemethod

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Table -3: SummaryofAnalysisofCovariance(ANCOVA)of themeanretentionscoreofstudentstaughtJava programminglanguageusingNJITSandthosetaughtusing lecturemethod.

Corrected Total 10622.471 135

a.RSquared=.728(AdjustedRSquared=.724)

4.4 Hypotheses 2

HO2: Thereisnosignificantdifferenceinthemeanretention scoresofmaleandfemalestudentstaughtJavaprogramming language

Summary of Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) for hypothesis2isshowninTable4

Table -4: SummaryofAnalysisofCovariance(ANCOVA) meanretentionscoreofmaleandfemalestudentstaught Javaprogramminglanguage.

nullhypothesis(HO4)thatstatedthatthedifferencebetween themeanretentionscoresofmaleandfemalestudenttaught Java programming language is zero, is upheld. The conclusion drawn is that no significant difference existed between the mean retention scores of male and female students taught Java programming language This result indicated that both male and female students taught Java programminglanguagehadsignificantimprovementintheir retention. This then implies that the high mean retention scores in Java programming language in the experimental group was caused mainly by the use of NJITS not gender specifically, since no significant difference exists between male and female students’ retention in Java programming language.

4.5 Findings

Findingsshowedthat

1. Thereisanimprovementonstudents’retentiongainin JavaprogramminglanguagewhentaughtusingNJITS.

2. Female students taught Java programming language usingNJITShadslightlyhigherretentionthanthemale studentstaughtJavaprogramminglanguageusingthe sametool.

3. There is a significant difference between the mean retention score of students taught Java programming language using NJITS and those taught using lecture method.

4. Thereisnosignificantdifferenceinthemeanretention scores of male and female students taught Java programminglanguage.

4.6 Discussion of Findings

4.6.1 Students’ retention in Java Programming

a.RSquared=.026(AdjustedRSquared=-.019)

TheresultinTable4indicatesthatfromtheretentionscores of male and female students taught Java programming language shown, an F-value of 3.64 was obtained with a significanceofFat0.06.Astheassociatedprobabilityvalue (0.06)isgreaterthantheset0.05levelofsignificance,the

From the analysis, the data presented in Table 1 providedanswertotheresearchquestionsone.Thefindings ofthisstudyonresearchquestiononewhichdealswiththe students’ mean retention gain in Java programming language when taught using NJITS and when taught with lecture method, revealed that there is an indication that NJITS used for the experimental group had high positive effect on students’ retention in Java programming when comparedwiththosetaughtwithoutusinglecturemethod Thisstudyrevealedthattheretentionmeangainofstudents taughtJavaprogrammingusingNJITSis0.89whilethatof thestudentstaughtthelecturemethodis -1.58indicating that NJITS retained students Java programming language achievementbetterthanthoseintheconventionallecture method.Inadditiontothat,thisstudyshowsthat,themean retentiongainsofmalestudentstaughtJavaprogramming language using NJITS was 0.48 while that of the female studentswas1.47,showingthatfemalestudentshadhigher retentionthanthemalestudentstaughtJavaprogramming languageusingthesametool.

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ThisissupportedbyKaraciAkyüzBilgicandArici [18] who researched on Effects of Web-Based Intelligent TutoringSystemsonstudents’academicachievementand retention.Thestudyrevealedthatthough the Web-Based intelligent Tutoring System improved students’ academic achievementtherewasnosignificantinfluenceonretention among students as the two groups had close to the same scores.Theexperimentalandcontrolgrouphascorrected meanscoresof15.68and15.43respectively.Inthestudy, theauthorformulatedthenullhypothesisthatthereisno significant difference between the mean retention of studentswhousedWeb-BasedIntelligentTutoringSystem forlearningandthosewhousedtheconventionalmethod. Thehypothesiswasnotrejectedandtheinferencedrawn was that there was no significant difference in the mean retention of students who used Web-Based Intelligent Tutoring System for learning and those who used the conventional lecture method. The finding of the study contradicts that of the present study which showed that therewasasignificantdifferenceinthemeanretentionof studentswhousedNandom’sintelligenttutorsystem and thosewhousedtheconventionallecturemethod.

4.6.2 Gender influences on Students’ retention in Java Programming

Findingsofthisstudyonresearchquestiontwothat dealt with the mean retention scores of male and female students taught Java programming language using NJITS showed that female students taught Java programming language using NJITS had higher retention than the male studentstaughtJavaprogramminglanguageusingthesame tool.Thefindingsshowedthatthemeanretentiongainof female students (1.47) is higher than that of the male students(0.48).

This study is in line the study of Chen, Hwang & Wang [19] on Gender differences in cognitive load when applyinggame-basedlearningwithintelligentrobots.The study revealed that the ANCOVA results of the male and femalestudentsafterexcludingtheimpactoftheintelligent roboticsystemonthepre-testto9.08and7.42respectively. Also, the independent samples t-test scores for analyzing learningefficiencyformaleandfemalestudentsare2.067 and 0.575 respectively. This indicates that the intelligent roboticsystemhad influenceon gender and favoured the malestudentsmorethanthefemalestudents.Theinference drawnwasthatasignificantdifferenceexistinginthemean retention of male and female students when taught using theintelligentroboticsystem.InthestudythatGarciaand Garcia[20]carriedoutonIntelligentTutoringSystemasan Instructional Technology in Learning Basic Nutrition Concepts,thefindingsshowthattheresultsoftheposttest andretentiontestwasnotinfluencedbygender.Thenull hypothesis formulated that states that ‘there is no significant difference in the mean retention of male and female students taught basic nutrition concepts using

IntelligentTutoringSystemasanInstructionalTechnology wasupheld.TheF-valuewas3.28withasignificanceof4.02 resultinginupholdingthenullhypothesisandinferringthat there is no significant difference in the retention of male students taught basic nutrition concepts using Intelligent TutoringSystemasanInstructionalTechnologyandfemale studentstaughtusingthesametool.

5. CONCLUSIONS

Owing to the low performance of computer educationstudentsinJavaprogrammingasaresultofpoor retention among them, their arose a need to find an intelligent tutoring system designed according to the curriculumofcomputereducationprogrammeinNigeria. NJITS was identified as suitable for improving on the students’ performance. This study therefore tested and revealedtheeffectofNJITSamongusers.

ThestudyrevealedthattheuseofNJITSinlearning Java programming language is effective. The use of NJITS among the students improved their retention in Java programming language. It was found out that female studentstaughtJavaprogramminglanguageusingNJITShad higher retention than the male students taught Java programminglanguageusingthesametool.

Finally,itwasconcluded,thatbeinganapproachto themuch-desiredindividualizedinstructionwhichhasbeen the wish of educational systems, NJITS is useful for selflearningofJavaprogramminglanguageatone’sownpace withoutstress.

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