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International Teaching and Learning Invention Innovation Competition

AGRONUTRI-X MOBILE LEARNING APPLICATION

*Suhaimi Sobrie Rosli¹, Nahdzatul Akma Mohamad Mokhtar², Izzat Imel Arobi³, Masleha Sarikon4
1234
Kolej Vokasional (Pertanian) Teluk Intan

*Corresponding author’s email: suhaimisobrie@gmail.com

Abstract

The AGRONUTRI-X is an android application developed for fertigation nutrients mix competency in a
vocational college Crop Agro-industry programme.. The AGRONUTRI-X application was developed
using the MIT App Inventor 2 platform based on the ADDIE instructional design model and cognitivism,
constructivism, behaviorism, and contextual learning theories. The application's validity assessment was
carried out by five experts while the application's usability was carried out on 30 students of the Crop
Agro-industry programme at Kolej Vokasional (Pertanian) Teluk Intan. A survey was conducted through
the distribution of questionnaires in order to ascertain the level of expert validity percentage and the
usability of the AGRONUTRI-X application, and the results were then analysed using SPSS 28.0
software in a descriptive statistical manner and mean score interpretation. The results demonstrate that the
usability and content validity of the AGRONUTRI-X application are both very excellent. The evaluation's
findings also demonstrate that the AGRONUTRI-X application is appropriate for use as a learning tool
because it is connected to competencies and can help users develop their skills in those competencies.
Overall, the AGRONUTRI-X application successfully created in accordance with the needs of the target
group and has the potential to be used as support content for blended learning at vocational colleges. This
existing application will be updated in accordance with current trends, such as the use of augmented
reality, virtual reality, and virtual communication, as part of a future project.

Keywords: Mobile learning, TVET, Vocational college, Crop Agro-industry

1. INTRODUCTION

Due to their ability to be accessed at any time and from any location, smartphone applications are
considered to be a more accessible form of education than e-learning, which is in line with the
development of today's world. (Mohamad, 2021). The main advantage of mobile learning is access to
unlimited knowledge. The cost of obtaining information is lower than the purchase of books, and the
widespread ownership of smartphones nowadays makes it a more efficient tool for spreading knowledge
(Sattarov & Khaitova, 2019). Smartphones are now almost owned by every individual, and a good
internet access network today has changed the landscape of the world of education with changes in the
delivery of knowledge digitally through mobile learning.

The TVET sector must seize this chance to incorporate digital learning into teaching and learning,
particularly in vocational colleges that prioritise preparing students to face the challenges of IR 4.0 and
the modern world. The Twelth Malaysia Plan, in Policy enabler 1 Developing Future Talent, also touches
on TVET digital learning by suggesting that this sector can take advantage of emerging technologies to be
used as a teaching and learning resource. The Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013–2025 also makes
reference to this issue and expresses the hope that Malaysian 21st century education will incorporate
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elements of information and communication technology to raise the standard of teaching and learning.

Generation Z, which is currently enrolled in vocational colleges, is more vulnerably and heavily
reliant on smartphones. In light of that, educators must take advantage of the chance to use smart phone
technology for instruction and learning (Nor Asmawati et al., 2019). As a result, mobile learning can be
utilised as a method of knowledge delivery in the sector of agricultural TVET.

The development of the AGRONUTRI-X mobile learning application was motivated by the low
performance of students in the competency of fertigation nutrients mix, as shown in continuous
assessment scores. Learning is less engaging due to the limited learning resources available for this
competency and the total reliance on written instructional materials. A survey on YouTube and the
Google Play Store found that existing digital learning materials could not meet the curriculum needs of
students in vocational colleges. Technology elements like images, text, movies, and quizzes were
incorporated into the AGRONUTRI-X application, which was created specifically for Android
smartphones and adheres to curricular standards. The AGRONUTRI-X application is integrated as a
blended learning for Crop Agro-industry programme students at vocational colleges. Because it is
student-centered, promotes learning at several levels, and may be used formally or informally outside of
the classroom, blended learning using mobile learning applications with instructor supervision is
appropriate.

2. AGRONUTRI-X MOBILE LEARNING APPLICATION

The MIT App Inventor 2 platform, which enables the development of android-style smartphone
applications using block programming rather than sophisticated programming, was used to create the
AGRONUTRI-X application. Applications developed using MIT App Inventor 2 can be published in .apk
format files for direct installation on smartphones or special .aab format files for publishing applications
on the Google Play Store. The application is specially developed for Android-type smartphones because
three-quarters of the world's smartphone market are smartphones operated by the Android system. The
content of the AGRONUTRI-X application is according to the SVM curriculum of the Crop Agro-
industry programme for the Fertigation Nutrient Mix Competencies, which contains six learning
standards combined into four topics. The major purpose is to keep the number of screen displays in the
application to a minimum since, if there are more than 10 screen views, the application is likely to run
less smoothly and shut down automatically. With the use of command blocks, MIT App Inventor 2
enables the development of several presentation types including text, graphics, games, video, augmented
reality, video, and animation. (Patton et al., 2019). This application has been published on the Google
Play Store, and users can download and install it on their respective smartphones.

The dual coding theory of Paivio (1971), which emphasises memory storage through the
simultaneous use of the visual and auditory senses, was one of the learning theories used in the
development of the AGRONUTRI-X mobile learning application.. This dual coding theory is used with
video, which also supports Mayer (2001) multimedia theory, which claims that the mind will process
verbal information and images in the visual memory before connecting memories to past experiences.
According to the constructivism theory, using multimedia resources that can lighten cognitive load makes
it simpler to construct knowledge. (Mohamad Ali, 2019). The theories of constructivism and cognitivism
are interconnected in forming knowledge through exposure to learning materials using the senses and
relating them to the surrounding conditions in order to form meaning for new experiences. Through the
use of quizzes, the AGRONUTRI-X application implements the theory of behaviourism through positive
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reinforcement. A person can be encouraged to learn more and perform better by receiving praise and
encouragement, which is a form of positive reinforcement of the behaviourism theory. (Rachlin, 1991).
The AGRONUTRI-X application incorporates contextual theory by demonstrating how the learning topic
can be related to its role in daily life (Mayer, 1999). Butler et al. (2021) explained that contextual theory
in TVET training can be practically implemented into digital learning materials through multimedia
elements such as animation, video, virtual reality, and augmented reality. The AGRONUTRI-X
application combines the use of cognitivism, constructivism, behaviourism, and contextual theories in
addition to multimedia learning theory and cognitive load in the display of the application interface.
Figure 1 illustrates the application development process.

Figure 1. Application development process

3. MATERIALS AND METHODS

The evaluation of expert validity and usability of the AGRONUTRI-X application is carried out through
the distribution of questionnaires. The expert validity respondents consisted of five field experts, while
the AGRONUTRI-X application usability respondents involved 30 Sijil Vokasional Malaysia (SVM)
students of the Crop Agro-industry programme at Kolej Vokasional (Pertanian) Teluk Intan. A
quantitative approach was used in this study to obtain expert validity and usability of the AGRONUTRI-
X application. The expert validity instrument is based on Russell (1974) and an instrument developed by
Ahmad Fkrudin and Ammar Badruddin (2018) was adapted and modified to assess the usability of the
AGRONUTRI-X application.

To assess the validity of the application's contents, five experts were chosen to serve as reviewers.
They were made up of two experts in mobile application development and three experts in agricultural
TVET who teach in vocational college. The validity of the content was evaluated based on five
questionnaire items using a 10-point Likert scale (ranging from strongly disagree [1] to strongly agree
[10]). According to Tuckman & Waheed (1981), each item and the whole questionnaire should score 70%
or higher during the evaluation to ensure good content validity

The following step involves using the application through blended learning for six weeks
intervention while testing its usability. The student evaluation form was given to the respondents after the
end of the intervention period, and the respondents were asked to fill in the options on the item statements
to represent their level of agreement using a 5-point Likert scale (strongly disagree [1], disagree [2],
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somewhat agree [3], agree [4] and strongly agree [5]). In order to determine the usability of the
AGRONUTRI-X application in terms of descriptive statistics for each item and the entire instrument, data
analysis was carried out using the IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 28.0 software.
According to Pallant (2002) perspective, the data that have been statistically descriptively analysed are
interpreted into a mean score interpretation scale, as shown in Table 1.

Table 1. Mean Score Interpretation Scale

Mean scale Interpretation level
3.34 – 5.00 High
1.67 – 3.33 Average
0.00 – 1.66 Low
Reference : Pallant (2002)

4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

4.1. Expert validity

The expert evaluation's findings demonstrated that the AGRONUTRI-X application has a high level of
content validity according to Tuckman and Waheed (1981), with an overall content validity percentage of
89.2% as shown in Table 2. In conclusion, the AGRONUTRI-X application has a good level of
content validity as a whole and also a good level of content validity according to the aspects of
evaluation suggested by Russell (1974). The results of this expert validation show that the
application is ready to be tested for usability among the target group.

Table 2. Experts’ Evaluation of the Content Validity

AGRONUTRI-X application content evaluation aspects Percentage (%)
The content of the AGRONUTRI-X application for Crop Agro-
industry students in vocational college meet the needs of target 92
population.
The content of the AGRONUTRI-X application for Crop Agro-
88
industry students in vocational college can be implemented seamlessly.
The content of the AGRONUTRI-X application for Crop Agro-
88
industry students in vocational college suit the time allocation.
The content of the AGRONUTRI-X application for Crop Agro-
industry students in vocational college can increase student’s academic 90
achievement.
The content of the AGRONUTRI-X application for Crop Agro-
industry students in vocational college can change student’s attitude 88
toward excellence.
Overall Content Validity 89.2
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4.2. Application’s usability

The analysis of data from the questionnaire distributed among Crop Agro-industry students in
the vocational college in Table 3 showed that the AGRONUTRI-X application has a high level
of usability, with an overall mean value of 4.41. These results demonstrate that the target group
gave the AGRONUTRI-X application positive feedback.

Table 3. Interpretation of mean score

Percentage (%)
No. Item Mean Interpretation
SD D SWA A SA
S1 This application is user 83.3 16.7
4.17 High
friendly. (25) (5)
S2 Learning using this 3.3 90 6.7
4.03 High
application is fun. (1) (27) (2)
S3 Information is presented
3.3 80 16.7
in simple and attractive 4.13 High
(1) (24) (5)
style.
S4 This application
50 50
reinforces the user’s 4.50 High
(15) (15)
existing knowledge.
S5 This application is related
6.7 93.3
to learning in a vocational 4.93 High
(2) (28)
college.
S6 This application can be 6.7 80 13.3
4.07 High
applied in everyday life (2) (24) (4)
S7 This application provides 70 30
4.30 High
the necessary quickly (21) (9)
S8 This application is
26.7 73.3
suitable for use as a 4.73 High
(8) (22)
learning material
S9 The information provided 50 50
4.50 High
is clear and concise (15) (15)
S10 This application improves
user skills on fertigation 30 70
4.70 High
nutrients mix (9) (21)
competencies
Purata 4.41 High

4.3. Application Publishing

In addition to using .apk files to deploy applications on mobile devices, MIT App Inventor 2 applications
can also be uploaded to the Google Play Store. The MIT App Inventor 2 platform enables the creation of
the .aab files required for uploading an application to the Google Play Console. The developer was
required to create a Google Play Console account and pay USD 25 prior to uploading files for
publication. Before an application can be published on the Google Play Store, Google administrators will
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investigate its content and ensure that it complies with applicable laws. This procedure typically requires
three days. As shown in Figure 2, the AGRONUTRI-X application can be downloaded directly to the
user's smartphone from the Google Play Store.

Figure 2. AGRONUTRI-X application on the Google Play Store

5. CONCLUSION

This paper summarises the development of the AGRONUTRI-X application from the perspective of
expert validity and the evaluation of the application's usability from the user's perspective. The
AGRONUTRI-X application aims to solve students' problems and meet the educational requirements of
modern students, who require technologically savvy study materials. This application serves as a learning
aid for enhancing students' knowledge and proficiency in the competency of fertigation nutrients mix.
Past research has demonstrated that the design and development of an application based on theories of
learning and multimedia can have a positive impact on its users. The use of this application in the
vocational college has removed the obstacles that have plagued the feasibility of smartphone applications
in TVET learning. The proposal for the future is to enhance this existing application by incorporating
elements based on advanced information and communication technology in line with current trends, such
as the use of augmented reality, virtual reality, and virtual communication.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We would like to thank the experts who have provided valuable input and assistance throughout
the process, as well as the respondents who contributed to the data collection.
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CORRESPONDING AUTHOR

Suhaimi Sobrie Bin Rosli

Jabatan Agroindustri, Kolej Vokasional (Pertanian) Teluk Intan,
Jalan Changkat Jong, 36000, Teluk Intan, Perak, Malaysia.
suhaimisobrie@gmail.com

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