The Effect of the Dynamic Education Intervention Program in

the Fundamentals of English Course

Anna Kagaoan, Gerby Muya, Celia Tibayan, & Nelson Tenorio

College of Arts and Sciences
Lyceum of the Philippines – Laguna
Calamba City, Laguna

ABSTRACT

A study to determine the effect of the Dynamic Education (DynEd)

intervention program in selected English classes was conducted among
515 students enrolled in Fundamentals of English course. The DynEd
program is integrated in the teaching of the freshmen English classes in
a semester. A placement test that provides the pre-test scores was
administered to the students during the second week of classes. At the
end of the course, a post test was administered. The classes were taught
by five teachers and the students were distributed among the six colleges
of the institution. Comparative analysis using t-test was done on the pre-
test and post test scores of the students in the DynEd program. The
overall pre-test score ranges from 0 to 2.7, while the post test score
ranges from 0.20 to 3.50. Both the pre-test and post test percentages
have 50 as the minimum value, however the maximum percentage for the
pre-test is 95 while on the post test is 99. The mean score in the pre-test
is 1.18 while in the post test is 1.30. The mean pre-test percentage is
83.70 while in the post test is 83.10. Using the paired t-test, results show
a significant increase in the post test score from its pre-test score
(t=4.679, p = .000). Results of analysis of variance test show that there
is significant difference in the post test scores among students of the six
colleges and there is significant difference among students taught by five
different teachers. There are significantly higher positive increments in
the scores both in the test scores and the test percentages. Results have
shown that the integration of the Dyned program helped students achieve
better learning through the improvement of their test scores.

Keywords: dynamic education, intervention, Fundamentals of English,

program, pre-test, post test
 INTRODUCTION

English is the “language of international trade and mutual

understanding among interconnected global communities (APEC HRD,
2004, p. 1). Scholtz (2010) claims that English is the major language
used in international diplomacy, business and commerce, science and
technology, and the travel industry.

English is a stepping stone to get a job as multinational companies

require resumes, essays, and interviews in English (Gao, 2010). It is also
a ticket to promotion. English-speaking employees compete in an elite
but relatively smaller pool. Among employees with similar skills, those
with English fluency are paid substantially higher. English ability offers
more opportunities and options for both job and life. Hence, English
proficiency is an advantage, the main reason why there is an increasing
role of English in the globalization and internationalization programs of
schools.

Due to an increasing demand of English proficient workers and in

response to the needs of today’s industry, educational institutions are
challenged to produce globally competitive graduates. Like other
institutions, Lyceum of the Philippines University-Laguna (LPL), tries to
find ways to meet the said demands. Hence, English classes were then
integrated with an English courseware, Dynamic Education.
Dynamic Education (Dyn Ed) is an “internationally recognized,
award-winning English Language learning courseware which aims to
help English language learners develop the skills they need to succeed in
school and career” (http://www.dyned.com). It is a computer-based
learning courseware that is interactive and encourages the student to
read, listen and speak. It has modules intended for specialized courses
and subjects like Hospitality English for Hospitality and Restaurant
Management students, Clear Speech Works for Speech classes and
others. It was produced by Dyn Ed International and was founded in
1987 by a team of language teachers, engineers, and artists. Moreover, it
is a multimedia-based learning tool that utilizes the most sophisticated
speech recognition software, as well as audio-visual component for a
dynamic learning experience (The JEP Report, November 2007).

Fundamentals of English (ENGN0AA) is a three-unit course in LPL

that deals with the fundamentals of English language, grammatical
structures and skills necessary to communication such as narrating,
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 LPL Research Journal Vol. 2 No. 1 July 2012

describing, giving direction and vocabulary. New Dynamic English is

the module integrated with the course.

New Dynamic English is an award-winning English language course

that includes placement testing, mastery tests, sophisticated records
management system, and teacher’s guides. This is a comprehensive
course that aims to develop effective communication skills in English. It
uses a multi-modal, listening based approach. Dynamic English contains
eight modules, each designed for the student level (Dyned Trainers
Manual, 2007).

Content standards are targets, and in the field of English language

teaching (ELT) setting targets can be a bit complicated. Traditionally, the
main target is communicative competence. However, some curriculum
designers equate grammatical competence or the knowledge people have
of a language.
However, Richards (2006) points out that communicative competence
includes knowing how to use language for a range of different purposes
and functions, knowing how to vary our use of language according to the
setting and the participants, knowing how to produce and understand
different types of texts and knowing how to maintain communication
despite having limitations in language knowledge (p.3).

The third industrial revolution—the electronic computer, invented in

the middle of the last
century caused great changes in the nature of production and even in
people’s social life.

Many studies on computer-based systems, such as text, audio, video,

graphics, animation and interactivity, usually called multimedia have
already provided the students with an excellent opportunity for having
fun in practicing writing in real and natural situations. More recent
studies examine the effect of extended use of computers’ instructions on
reading rate, reading comprehension and vocabulary (Ping, 2010).

Based on the results of the study of Klassen and Milton entitled

“Enhancing English Language Skills using Multimedia: Tried and
Tested”, data show that a multimedia-enhanced learning program does
not adversely affect the development of language skills but in actual fact
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enhances the learning. If students with little or no prior experience in
multi-media language learning are able to demonstrate significant
improvement in language skills, then it could be expected that such an
approach be viewed as a viable alternative. With more exposure to
interactive language learning technologies, it is possible that even more
significant performance would result.

Moreover, a review of recent research on the implementation of

multimedia implementation in the classroom indicates that experts have
advocated it as a superior means to deliver information, promote students
interaction and graphically organize material (DiCecco and Gleason,
2002; Kirylo and Millet, 2000). However, the research also indicates that
there is a high level of teacher apprehension about incorporating
multimedia technology into individual classrooms due to a lack of pre-
service preparation in the use of educational technologies (Doering,
Hughes,and Huffman, 2003).

In addition, the multimedia "hardware" must support instruction that

is contextually relevant, interactive and meets the needs of the individual
learner. Usage should help create the learning environment, but it is the
type of instruction that is of paramount importance. In addition, students
who are present in college classrooms and their expectations and learning
styles demand changes in the traditional chalk and talk paradigm that still
exists in many lecture halls today.

The quality of the learning experience depends considerably on the

design and presentation of instrumental materials (Sanders, Morrison-
Shetlar, 2001). Jiang and Ting (1998) explored various factors that
influenced students' perceptions of the learning in a multimedia, web-
based format and concluded that students learn better in an interactive
environment.

On the basis of the foregoing observations and findings, this study

was conceptualized in order to gauge the usefulness of the interactive
language instruction module in the teaching and learning of English in a
typical college classroom.

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Objectives of the Study

The study was conducted to determine the contribution of the Dyned

intervention program in the learning of students in a Freshmen English
course. The performance of the students in terms of the pre-test score,
pre-test percentage, post test score, and the post test percentage were
identified. Further, it was determined if there is significant increase in
the grade after the DynEd intervention program in the Fundamentals of
English Course and whether a significant difference in the pretest scores,
post test scores, pre test percentage and post test percentage when
students’ data are grouped by college, English course enrolled and
teacher occurred. Lastly, significant difference in the positive and the
negative increments of the pretest and post test scores was determined.

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 METHOD

Research Design

The research utilized a descriptive design. Descriptive research

design, according to Ardales (2001), “is a research design that is
appropriate for studies which aim to find out what prevails in the present:
conditions or relationships, held opinions and beliefs, processes and
effects, and developing trends.” It also seeks relationships between
variables. Moreover, it is a scientific method which involves observing
and describing the behavior of a subject without influencing it in any
way.

Respondents of the study

Students enrolled in ENGNOAA during the first semester SY 2010-

2011 were the subjects of the study. Students were distributed by
colleges: College of Allied Medicine (CAM), College of Business and
Accountancy (CBA), College of Engineering (COE), College of
Computer Studies (CCS), College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), and
College of International Tourism and Hospitality Management (CITHM).
Students were handled by five teachers.

The highest percentage of students are from the College of Computer

Studies (23.30%), followed by the College of Engineering (18.83%) and
the College of Business and Accountancy (17.86%). The lower
percentages came from the College of International Tourism and
Hospitality Management (11.65%), College of Allied Medicine (13.40%)
and the College of Arts and Sciences (14.95%).

Table 1. Distribution of respondents according to college

College Frequency Percent
Allied Medicine 69 13.40
Business and Accountancy 92 17.86
Engineering 97 18.83
Computer Studies 120 23.30
Arts and Sciences 77 14.95
International Tourism and Hospitality Mgt 60 11.65
Total 515 100.00

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 LPL Research Journal Vol. 2 No. 1 July 2012

The most number of students were under the class of teacher C

(34.11%), followed by teacher E who has 27.49% while the least number
is under teacher D (8.58%). There is about the same number of students
under teacher A (15.98%) and teacher B (13.84%).

Table 2. Distribution of respondents according to teacher

Teacher Frequency Percent
A 82 15.98
B 71 13.84
C 175 34.11
D 44 8.58
E 141 27.49
Total 513 100.00

Procedure

Students enrolled in Fundamentals of English class were asked to

answer a test which is interactively done in the Dyned Laboratory. The
test given determined the initial capability of the student to answer
questions which is either read on the screen or heard on the headset. The
scores were recorded as pre test score with the corresponding pretest
percentage. Towards the end of the semester, a post test was
administered and the finals scores and post test percentages were
recorded.

All records of the pre test scores and post test scores were used in the
analysis except for those who were not able to complete the program.

Statistical Treatment

Frequency count and percentages were used to present profile data of

the respondents. Means and standard deviations were used to summarize
the performance in the pre test and the post test. Paired t-test to
determine significant difference in the pre-test and post test scores was
used. Analysis of variance was used to determine significant difference
in the scores when grouped by college, and by teacher. Non-parametric
sign test was used to determine significant difference in the positive and
negative increments in the scores after the Dyned (post test).
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 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Performance of the students in terms of the pre-test score, pre-test

percentage, post test score, and the post test percentage

The mean pre test scores of the students is 1.18 while the mean post
test score is 1.30 which indicated that the students are in the elementary
level. The pretest score of 0.5 had the highest percentage (35%) About
34% of the students have a post test score of 1.0 depicting that the
students can use short sentences to answer simple questions about job,
family, daily, and weekly schedules, likes/dislikes and weather, but not
about life history or future plans. Sentences they could create are short
or fragmented, and are limited to basic patterns. There are some students
having a range of pre test score of 2.0 (11.8%) to 2.5 (9.3%) categorized
to be in the low intermediate level to intermediate level. These students
can ask and answer most questions about simple sequences of events, life
history, dates, time and places of events, spatial relations and causal
relations, if the questions are spoken slowly and clearly. There are a few
(0.4%) who has a pre test score higher than 2.5 described as high
intermediate. These students can handle complex information of a
general nature or in area of specialization, though with some errors in
grammar that causes confusion.

Table 3. Pretest and posttest percentage scores of students

pre test post test

score (% of respondents) (% of respondents)
0 3.3 1.7
0.5 35.3 23.2
1 1.2 34.3
1.5 3.9 5.7
2 11.8 8.3
2.5 9.3 11.8
3 0.1 0.3
3.5 0.1

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When the students are grouped by college, results show an increase

in the post test scores in all colleges except the College of Computer
Studies. Students enrolled in IT and Computer Science are not well
adept in the use of the English language. Since most of them are
engrossed to making programs, there is limitation in the use of oral and
written communication. On the other hand, based on the percentages,
there is a decrease in the percentages in the College of Business and
Accountancy and the College of Computer Studies. The percentage
pretest and posttest scores were the same in the College of International
Tourism and Hospitality Management.

Table 4. Mean test scores and test percentages by college

COLLEGE PRETEST POSTEST PRE % POST %
Allied Medicine Mean 1.11 1.49 83.30 84.88
Std. Dev. 0.71 0.72 4.85 5.65
Business and Mean 1.21 1.35 84.04 83.38
Accountancy Std. Dev. 0.72 0.73 5.05 8.99
Engineering Mean 1.37 1.49 84.31 84.32
Std. Dev. 0.74 0.77 7.07 9.03
Computer Studies Mean 0.96 0.89 82.25 78.60
Std. Dev. 0.60 0.50 4.29 10.33
Arts and Sciences Mean 1.31 1.48 84.64 85.97
Std. Dev. 0.76 0.75 5.23 5.02
International Mean 1.23 1.25 84.35 84.35
Tourism and Std. Dev. 0.73 0.66 5.07 4.53
Hospitality Mgt
Total Mean 1.18 1.30 83.70 83.10
Std. Dev. 0.71 0.72 5.39 8.52

Comparison of pre-test scores, pre-test percentage, post test score

and post test percentage

Using the paired t-test, results show a significant increase in the post
test score from its pre- test score (t=4.679, p = .000). However, there is
no significant difference in the percentages (t=1.628, p=.104)

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Comparative analysis of the pre-test scores, post test scores, pre test
percentage and post test percentage when students’ data are
grouped by college and by teacher

There is significant difference in the pre-test scores, pre-test

percentages, post test scores and post test percentages among the six
colleges.

Table 5. Analysis of variance table for grouping students’ data

by colleges
F Sig.
Pre-test score 4.47 0.001
Pre-test Percent 2.83 0.016
Post-test score 9.76 0.000
Post-test Percent 9.27 0.000

Multiple comparison using Scheffe’s test show that students from the
CCS has significantly low pre-test scores compared with students from
the COE. The other colleges showed no significant differences in the
pretest scores among each other.

There is a significantly low posttest scores by students from the CCS

than the students of CAM, COE, CAS, and CBA. It is observed that
students in the non-board programs had not given much attention to their
courses compared to the students in the board programs. Nursing,
Engineering and Accountancy are the board programs offered and where
the student respondents had been distributed. For the CAS, the programs
offered are concentrated in the English courses.

There is significant difference in the pre-test score, pre-test

percentage, post test score and post test percentage when data are
grouped by teacher handling the course. Pre-test scores of students
taught by teacher C has significantly higher pre-test score and pre-test
percentage than students taught by teacher D and teacher B.

Students taught by teachers C and D have significantly higher scores

in the post test score than students taught by teacher B, while students
taught by teacher E has significantly lower post test percentages than
students taught by teachers C, D and A. It could be observed that there
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 LPL Research Journal Vol. 2 No. 1 July 2012

are some teachers who could impart the knowledge to their students
better than the others. Teachers C and E have the largest number of
classes handled and the mastery of the lesson might have contributed to
the effectiveness of their teaching.

Positive and negative increments in the scores and the Sign test for
the difference

Using the sign test for positive and negative differences, overall
results show significantly higher positive difference (positive - 45%,
negative – 22%, ties- 33%) between the pre test and post test scores.

Table 6. Sign test data comparison

Differences Frequency Percent
Negative Differences(a) 94 21.86
Positive Differences(b) 193 44.88
Ties (c) 143 33.26
Total 430
Z -5.785
Significance .000
a Post-test < Pre-test
b Post-test > Pre-test
c Post-test = Pre-test

Comparison based on positive and negative increments (difference)

in the pre-test and post test scores

There is no significant difference in the increases in the scores when

data are grouped according to colleges (F=1.874, p=.097), and according
to the teacher (F=.621, p=.648).

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 CONCLUSIONS

The overall pre-test score ranges from 0 to 2.7, while the post test
score ranges from 0.20 to 3.50. Both the pre-test and post test
percentages have 50 as the minimum value, however the maximum
percentage for the pre-test is 95 while on the post test is 99. The mean
score in the pre-test is 1.18 while in the post test is 1.30. Using the
paired t-test, results show a significant increase in the post test score
from its pre-test score (t=4.679, p = .000). Results of analysis of
variance test show that there is significant difference in the post test
scores among students of the six colleges and there is significant
difference among students taught by five different teachers. There are
significantly higher positive increments in the scores both in the test
scores and the test percentages. Results have shown that the integration
of the Dyned program helped students achieve better learning through
the improvement of their test scores.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Based on the findings of the study, below are the

recommendations:
1. Teacher-intervention with computer-integration in language learning
plays a significant role in the improvement of student performance in
the class. Language teachers should strengthen and enhance their
teaching strategies.
2. Computer-integration in an English class helps improve the language
proficiency of students; hence, this could be of valuable help to
students.
3. Proper implementation and teacher-intervention in computer-
language learning were highly recommended to further improve the
English proficiency of students.
4. Future researchers related to computer-language integration are
highly recommended like experimental research of teacher
intervention against teacher intervention with computer-language
integration.

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