This study intends to improve academic achievement and significantly influence memory of learning materials through play activities led by the students in a class of computer specialty and aptitude certificate in an elementary school. For this purpose, this study intends to develop an instruction learning model using play activities and examine its effects on a class of play-based learning certificate by its application to the class.
The assumptions of this study are as follows.
First, a class of specialty and aptitude certificate using play activities will make a significant difference in students' academic achievement.
Second, a class of specialty and aptitude certificate using play activities will make a significant difference in memory of learning materials after a certain period because such class materials will function as memory clues to longer term memory.
For the subjects of this study, two classes of specialty and aptitude certificate in OO Elementary School in Andong City were selected. For the comparative group, video material was created and used as a supplementary material in addition to the existing lecture class; while for the experimental group, the instruction learning model using play activities designed by the researchers was applied to the class. The results of this study are as follows.
First, in the specialty and aptitude certificate classes, the experimental group using play activities showed a statistically significant difference in academic achievement compared to the comparative group, therefore indicating that play activities have a positive effect on improving academic achievement. It was found that this was because play activities interest and motivate the students, making them participate in class more actively, and understand class materials through such play activities. Second, two weeks after completing the experiments, the experimental group appeared to remember more class materials than the comparative group. This seems to be because in remembering much information from long term memory, play activities function as memory clues to help remembrance. Therefore, if play activities are constantly applied to classes of specialty and aptitude certificate in elementary schools, considerable improvement of academic achievement can be expected by improving knowledge level and interest level, which are the biggest issues of specialty and aptitude education. Also, this is expected to function as positive motivation in the subsequent computer education courses, making a great contribution to maximizing potential quality and capability of each student, which is what specialty and aptitude education pursues.