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Developing POPTRAN, a population modelling package
British Journal of Educational Technology : Journal of the Council for Educational Technology
|October 1, 1988
Summary
A new computer-assisted learning package, POPTRAN, effectively teaches population studies concepts. Evaluations in developing countries confirmed its academic quality and teaching effectiveness for diverse users.
Area of Science:
- Educational Technology
- Demography
- Computer-Assisted Instruction
Background:
- Population studies education requires accessible and effective learning tools.
- Traditional methods may not cater to diverse learning needs or contexts.
- Developing countries face unique challenges in delivering quality population studies education.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and evaluate POPTRAN, a computer-assisted learning package for population studies.
- To assess the academic quality and teaching effectiveness of POPTRAN.
- To refine POPTRAN based on user feedback from developing countries.
Main Methods:
- Collaborative development involving subject matter experts, programmers, and educational technologists.
- Evaluation of the POPTRAN package with naive and specialist users in developing countries.
- Iterative revision of the package based on evaluation findings.
Main Results:
- POPTRAN was successfully reproduced as a computer-assisted learning package.
- The package demonstrated both academic quality and teaching effectiveness.
- User evaluations in developing countries informed subsequent revisions.
Conclusions:
- POPTRAN is an effective tool for teaching basic population studies concepts.
- The collaborative development and iterative evaluation process enhanced the package's quality and effectiveness.
- POPTRAN offers a valuable resource for population studies education, particularly in developing countries.