International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Technology (IJMET)
Volume 10, Issue 01, January 2019, pp. 242–247, Article ID: IJMET_10_01_024
Available online at http://www.iaeme.com/ijmet/issues.asp?JType=IJMET&VType=10&IType=1
ISSN Print: 0976-6340 and ISSN Online: 0976-6359
© IAEME Publication
Scopus Indexed
A REVIEW ON AWARENESS OF SMART
LEARNING RESOURCES FOR THE
IMPROVEMENT OF STUDENTS IN
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
Dr. T. Venkata Rao
Librarian, GMRIT, Rajam-532127
Email: venkatarao.t@gmrit.org
ABSTRACT
The importance and concept of smart learning resources in libraries, especially
for mechanical engineering department is discussed. The awareness of smart learning
resources and the opinions of respondents on variable like NPTEL Video Courses and
LAN based Courses are analyzed. A survey of the proposed awareness on some of the
reputed selected colleges in Andhra Pradesh has been presented.
Key words: Smart learning resources, Digital library, NPTEL, LAN Courses.
Cite this Article: Dr. T. Venkata Rao, A Review on Awareness of Smart Learning
Resources for the Improvement of Students in Mechanical Engineering, International
Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Technology 10(1), 2019, pp. 242–247.
http://www.iaeme.com/IJMET/issues.asp?JType=IJMET&VType=10&IType=1
1. INTRODUCTION
Smart learning resources serves as a motivating factor to students as it provides the
opportunity to transmit, acquire or download and disseminate information on a subject of
interest. Smart learning resources offer today's students opportunities different from their
predecessors. Brophy (1993), details the advantages of networking for the user as being: "the
information needed which can be delivered from the most appropriate source to the user; the
user can express respectively his or her needs dynamically; the information is obtained when
it is wanted, so it becomes 'just in time' rather than 'just in case'; the user selects only the
information needed to answer the specific question and finally, the information is only stored
by user wish."
Other advantages according to Ray and Day (1998) include the fact that "electronic
information sources are often faster than consulting print indexes, especially when searching
retrospectively, can be searched using combinations of key words. They open up the
possibility of searching multiple files at one time, a feat accomplished more easily than when
using printed equivalents. Electronic resources can be printed and searches saved to be
repeated at a later date; they are updated more often than printed tools." Related to these,
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A Review on Awareness of Smart Learning Resources for the Improvement of Students in Mechanical
Engineering
Internet is used as a medium of expression to educate the learner, provide information needs
at their desktop and send hitch-free and cross-referenced data to the appropriate location.
It could be said that improved data transmission facilities will go a long way to reduce the
incessant hardship faced by students in the acquisition and generation of data which serves as
the basis for research and academic performance improvement. The use of electronic
information by students enhances their performance in academic activities. Among the
electronic information system student‟s lies to get most of their information are: Internet, email, electronic journals, bulletin boards, telephone, telex, CD-ROM databases and electronic
books.
2. DETAILED SURVEY ON AWARENESS OF SMART LEARNING
RESOURCES
With regard to the improvement of students in mechanical engineering department, a survey
has been conducted on engineering college libraries, the list of Engineering College libraries
affiliated to JNTU- Kakinada is obtained. As per the information obtained, there are 51
Engineering Colleges affiliated to JNTU – Kakinada (2005). And out of them 12 engineering
colleges are selected for the present study. Due importance is given to NBA accredited and
established Engineering College Libraries.
2.1. Awareness of different Learning Resources available in the library
All the 2498 respondents were asked to mention whether they are aware of the different
learning resources available in their libraries and their responses are presented in the
following Table.
Awareness of different Learning Resources available in the library
Awareness of Learning Resources
available in the library
Aware of the learning resources
Not aware of the learning resources
Total
f
%
1858
640
2498
74.4
25.6
100.0
Awareness about different learning resources available in the library is reported by about
74% of the respondents and the remaining 26% are not having any idea about the different
learning resources.
2.2. Awareness of different Learning Resources available in the library by
selected background variables
Information on the awareness of different learning resources available in the library as
reported by the 2498 respondents is presented in the following Table by selected background
variables.
The percentage reporting awareness of different learning resources is more among the
females (78) than male students (72). This awareness is reported more by the older age group
(20 years above) (80%) than the younger age group (20 years or below)(72%); more by the
PG students (83%) than the UG students (73%).
Among the 12 colleges, this awareness ranged from 40% in Vignan Engineering College
to 89% in Vasavi Engineering College. Influence of variables like gender, age group,
academic level and college on the reported awareness is evidenced by the computed chisquare values.
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Dr. T. Venkata Rao
Awareness of different Learning Resources available in the library by different variables
Awareness of different Learning Resources
ChiVariable
n
Yes
No
square
df
Value
f
%
f
%
Male
1543
1113
72.1
430
27.9
Gender
10.696*
1
Female
955
745
78.0
210
22.0
< 20 yrs
1778
1284
72.2
494
27.8
Age Group
15.152*
1
> 20 yrs
720
574
79.7
146
20.3
UG
2153
1571
73.0
582
27.0
Academic
16.299*
1
level
PG
345
287
83.2
58
16.8
GMR
235
200
85.1
35
14.9
ADITYA_T
223
160
71.7
63
28.3
MVGR
224
162
72.3
62
27.7
VIGNAN
181
72
39.8
109
60.2
BVC
179
119
66.5
60
33.5
ADITYA_E
212
173
81.6
39
18.4
College
208.474*
11
VASAVI
235
208
88.5
27
11.5
VISHNU
203
164
80.8
39
19.2
PVPS
183
143
78.1
40
21.9
GEC
220
193
87.7
27
12.3
LOYOLA
195
127
65.1
68
34.9
VRS&YRN
208
137
65.9
71
34.1
Sig.
0.001
0.000
0.000
0.000
* Chi-square value significant at 5% level.
2.3. Awareness of different services helpful for Learning
All the 2498 respondents were asked to mention whether they are aware of different services
helpful for learning. Here also, their responses are recorded in more detail as „awareness‟;
„knowledge‟ and „use & evaluation‟. These responses are shown in the following Table .
Awareness of different services helpful for Learning
% Reporting
Awareness
Knowledge
NPTEL Video Courses
56.6
50.4
LAN Courses
32.4
30.4
Note: n=1858 (Those who reported awareness of Learning Resources)
Learning Resources
Use & Evaluation
49.2
28.0
Awareness of „NPTEL Video Courses‟ is reported by 57% and knowledge of the same by
50% while 49% reported use of the same. Only 32% are aware of „LAN Courses‟ and 30%
reported knowledge of the same while use of it is reported by 28%.
2.4. Awareness of different services helpful for Learning by selected background
variables
Information relating to the awareness of different services helpful for learning reported by the
1858 respondents who are aware of the resources is presented by selected background
variables in the following Tables for each of the listed service.
NPTEL Video Courses
The level of awareness and knowledge about NPTEL Video Courses and use of the same is
reported more by the male students than the female students.These are reported more by the
older age group (20 years above) than the younger age group (20 years or below) and more by
the PG students than the UG students.
Among the 12 colleges covered, there is wide variation in these responses. The percentage
reporting awareness ranged from 27 in Vishnu Engineering College to 79 in GEC
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Engineering College. Knowledge levels ranged from 14% in Vignan Engineering College to
69% in GEC and Aditya_E while the percentage reporting Use ranged from 11 Vignan
Engineering College to 64 in GEC Engineering College.
Chi-square value indicates influence of gender on awareness and knowledge while
influence of age group, academic level and college is found on the awareness, knowledge and
use of NPTEL video courses.
Awareness, Knowledge and Use of NPTEL Video Courses by selected background variables
% Reporting
Variable
n
Use &
Awareness
Knowledge
Evaluation
Male
1113
60.2
52.4
50.9
Female
745
51.3
47.4
46.7
Gender
Chi-square (df 1)
Value
14.465*
4.460*
3.063
Sig
0.000
0.035
0.080
< 20 yrs
1284
51.7
46.5
45.3
> 20 yrs
574
67.6
59.1
57.8
Age Group
Chi-square (df 1)
Value
40.738*
25.047*
24.848*
Sig
0.000
0.000
0.000
UG
1571
54.1
47.3
45.6
PG
287
70.4
68.6
67.2
Academic
Chi-square (df 1)
level
Value
26.178*
38.646*
51.368*
Sig
0.000
0.000
0.000
GMR
200
66.0
52.5
52.0
ADITYA_T
160
70.6
48.8
45.0
MVGR
162
65.4
64.2
58.6
VIGNAN
72
62.5
13.9
11.1
BVC
119
39.5
30.3
28.6
ADITYA_E
173
68.8
53.8
37.6
VASAVI
208
67.3
64.9
61.5
College
VISHNU
164
26.8
25.6
23.8
PVPS
143
58.7
51.0
42.7
GEC
193
79.3
68.9
63.7
LOYOLA
127
66.1
62.2
59.8
VRS&YRN
137
35.8
35.8
32.1
Chi-square (df 11)
Value
210.462*
200.315*
165.855*
Sig
0.000
0.000
0.000
Note : n=1858
* Chi-square value significant at 5% level.
LAN Courses
The level of awareness and knowledge about LAN Courses and use of the same is reported
more by the male students than the female students. These are reported more by the older age
group (20 years above) than the younger age group (20 years or below) while awareness is
reported more by the UG students and knowledge and use by the PG students.
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Awareness, Knowledge and Use of LAN Courses by selected background variables
% Reporting
Variable
N
Use &
Awareness
Knowledge
Evaluation
Male
1113
33.2
33.2
27.9
Female
745
31.1
28.2
26.2
Gender
Chi-square (df 1)
Value
0.901
10.538*
0.025
Sig
0.343
0.001
0.875
< 20 yrs
1284
30.8
29.6
26.7
> 20 yrs
574
36.1
32.2
30.8
Age Group
Chi-square (df 1)
Value
5.086*
1.301
3.345
Sig
0.024
0.254
0.067
UG
1571
32.7
30.5
27.4
PG
287
31.0
30.7
30.0
Academic
Chi-square (df 1)
level
Value
0.468
0.032
1.539
Sig
0.494
0.859
0.215
GMR
200
75.5
73.0
69.0
ADITYA_T
160
49.4
48.8
30.6
MVGR
162
1.9
1.2
0.6
VIGNAN
72
68.1
22.2
20.8
BVC
119
18.5
17.6
16.0
ADITYA_E
173
24.3
17.3
17.3
VASAVI
208
30.3
27.9
26.4
College
VISHNU
164
31.7
27.4
13.4
PVPS
143
24.5
20.3
16.1
GEC
193
32.1
29.5
28.0
LOYOLA
127
47.2
39.4
35.4
VRS&YRN
137
27.0
19.7
16.1
Chi-square (df 11)
Value
299.173*
355.870*
300.427*
Sig
0.000
0.000
0.000
Note : n=1858
* Chi-square value significant at 5% level.
There is wide variation in these responses among the 12 colleges covered. The percentage
reporting awareness ranged from 2 in MVGR Engineering College to 76 in GMR Engineering
College. Knowledge levels ranged from 1% in MVGR Engineering College to 73% in GMR
Engineering Colleges while the percentage reporting Use ranged from 1 in MVGR
Engineering College to 69 in GMR Engineering College.
Chi-square value indicates influence of gender on knowledge, age group on awareness
while influence of college is found on the awareness, knowledge and use of LAN courses.
3. CONCLUSIONS
It is found that female respondents, older age group and PG students reported more their
awareness on learning resources available in libraries. The college wise picture on this aspect
is also promising. It indicates, the users are using the learning resources to the expected level.
It is found that more respondents reported their awareness, knowledge and use NPTEL video
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courses LAN based courses. The LAN courses are designed by faculty members, but not in all
colleges.
The awareness, knowledge and use on NPTEL video courses is reported more
by male students, older age group and PG students. It is found that three colleges reported less
than fifty percent on this aspect. As stated earlier the NPTEL video courses offer a variety of
knowledge on different branches of engineering and useful for their academic pursuits. So, it
is necessary to train the users in such colleges on priority basis.
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