Comparative Effects of Challenge-Based Learning and Place-Based Learning on Academic Performance in Computer Architecture among Computer Engineering Students

Abstract

This study examined the effects of Challenge-Based Learning and Place-Based Learning on students’ academic achievement in Computer Architecture among Computer Engineering students of Waziri Umaru Federal Polytechnic, Birnin Kebbi, Nigeria. The study was motivated by the need to improve students’ understanding of Computer Architecture, a core and often challenging course in Computer Engineering programmes. A quasi-experimental research design involving pre-test and post-test control group structure was adopted. The population comprised Computer Engineering students, from which two intact classes totaling 41 students were purposively selected. Group A, consisting of 20 students, was taught using Challenge-Based Learning, while Group B, consisting of 21 students, was taught using Place-Based Learning. The instrument used for data collection was the Computer Architecture Achievement Test (CAAT), a 30-item multiple-choice test validated by experts and with a reliability coefficient of 0.86 established using test-retest method and Pearson Product Moment Correlation. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions, while paired sample t-test and independent sample t-test were used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that both Challenge-Based Learning and Place-Based Learning significantly improved students’ academic achievement in Computer Architecture, as indicated by significant gains from pre-test to post-test in both groups. However, no significant difference was found between the post-test mean scores of students taught using Challenge-Based Learning and those taught using Place-Based Learning, indicating that both instructional strategies were equally effective. The study concluded that learner-centred instructional approaches such as Challenge-Based Learning and Place-Based Learning enhance students’ academic performance in Computer Architecture. It was therefore recommended that lecturers should adopt these strategies to improve teaching and learning outcomes in Computer Engineering education.