The Computer as a Tutor

The computer is one of the wonders of human ingenuity, even in its original design in the 1950s to carry out complicated mathematical and logical operations. With the invention of the microcomputer (now commonly referred to PCs or personal computers), the PC has become the tool for programmed instruction.

                

Educators saw much use of the PC. It has become affordable to small business, industries and homes. They saw its potential for individualization in learning, especially as individualized learning is a problem since teachers usually with a class of forty or more learners. They therefore devised strategies to use the computer to the break the barriers to individualized instruction

Computer-assisted instruction (CAI)

The computer can be a tutor in effect relieving teacher of many activities in his personal role as classroom tutor. It should be made clear, however, that the computer cannot totally replace the teacher since the teacher shall continue to play the major roles of information deliverer and learning environment controller. Even with the available computer and CAI software, the teacher must;

·        Insure that students have the needed knowledge and skills for    any computer activity

·        Decide the appropriate learning objectives

·        Plan the sequential and structured activities to achieve objectives

·        Evaluate the students’ achievements by ways of tests the specific expected outcomes.

On the other hand, the student in CAI play their own roles as learners as they;

·        Receive information

·        Understand instruction for the computer activity

·        Retain/keep in mind the information and rules for the computer activity

·        Apply the knowledge and rules during the process of computer learning

During the computer activity proper in CAI the computer too plays its roles as it:

·        Act as a sort of tutor (the role traditional played by the teacher)

·        Provides a learning environment

·        Delivers learning instruction

·        Reinforces learning through drill and practice

·        Provides feedback

    

CAI Integrated with Lesson

CAI computer learning should not stop with the drill and practice activities of students in effect, CAI work best in reinforcing learning trough repetitive exercise such that student can practice basic skills or knowledge in various subject areas. Common types of drill and practice programs include vocabulary building, math facts, and basic science, and history or geography facts. In these programs, the computer presents a question/ problem the first and the student is asked to answer the question/problem. Immediate feedback is given to the student’s answer. After the number of practice problems and at the end of the exercise, the students get a summary of his overall performance.

The question arises: When and how can teacher integrate drill and practice programs with their lessons? The following suggestion can be made:

·        Use drill and practice programs for basic skills and knowledge that require rapid or automatic response by students (e.g. multiplication table, letter and word recognition, identification of geometric shapes, etc.)

·        Ensure that drill and practice activities conform to the lesson plan/curriculum.

·        Limit drill and practice to 20-30 minutes to avoid boredom.

·        Use drill and practice to assist students with particular weakness in basic skills.

SIMULATION PROGRAMS

Simulation software materials are another kind of software that is constructivist in nature. This simulation software:

·        Teacher strategies and rules applied to real-life problems/situation

·        Ask students to make decision on models or scenarios

·        Allow students to manipulate elements of a model and get the experience of the effect of their decisions

An example of such software is SimCity in which students are allowed to artificially manage a city environment. 

INSTRUCTIONAL GAMES

While relating to low level learning objectives (e.g. basic spelling or math skills), instructional computer games add the elements of competition and challenge.

An example is GeoSafari which introduces adventure activities for Geography History and Science. Learning outcomes can be achieved along simple memorization of information, keyboarding skills, cooperation and social interaction, etc.

PROBLEM SOLVING SOFTWARE

These are more sophisticated than the drill and practice exercises and allow students to learn and improve on their own problem solving ability. Since problems cannot be solved simply by memorizing facts, the students have to employ higher thinking skills such as logic, recognition, reflection, and strategy-making

The Thinking Things 1 is an example of a problem solving software in which the team learners must help each other by observing comparing.

MULTIMEDIA ENCYCLOPEDIA AND ELECTRONIC BOOKS

The Multimedia Encyclopedia can score a huge database with text, images, animation, audio and video. Students can access any desired information, search it vast contents and even download/print relevant portions of the data for their composition or presentation. An example is the eyewitness children’s encyclopedia.

Electronic books provide textual information for reading supplemented by other types of multimedia information (sounds, spoken words, pictures, animation).

Reflection:

• Being computer as a tutor is not bad, because now a days the students attention easily caught with the use of gadgets especially the computer. 
• Teacher should be careful in using computers software in teaching.
• Computers cannot replace a teacher. 

Lesson 12: Information Technology in Support of Student-Centered Learning Classroom

The Traditional Classroom

            It may be observed that classroom are usually arranged with neat columns and rows of student chairs, while the teacher stands in front of the classroom or sits behind his desks. This situations is necessitated by the need to maintain classroom discipline, also they allow the teachers to control classroom activities through lecture presentation and teacher-led discussion.

Noticeably, however, after spending so many minutes in lesson presentation and class management, students can get restless and fidgety. Often enough, the teacher has to also mange misbehaviour in class as students start to talk among themselves or simply stare away in lack attention. To prevent this situation, teachers often make students take time to work individually on worksheets can help the situation.

Another option is now presented and this is adopting the idea of developing students to be independent learners with the end of making them critical and creative thinkers.

The SCL classroom

          John Dewey described the traditional learning process in which the teacher pours information to students learners, much like pouring water from a jug into cups. This is based on the long accepted belief that the teacher must perform his role of teaching so that learning can occur. This learning approach is generally known as direct instruction, and it has worked well for obtaining many kind of learning outcomes.

              The problem with the direct instruction approach to learning, however, is the fact that the world’s societies have began to change. Of course, this change may not be strongly felt in many countries in which the economy longer depends primarily on factory workers who do repetitive work without thinking on the job. The traditional classroom and direct instruction approach to learning conform to this kind of economies.

           In contrast, industrialized societies we find knowledge based economies in which workers depends on information that can be accessed through information and communication technologies (ICTs). Desiring to gain effectiveness, efficiency and economy in administration and instructions, schools in these developed economies have also adopted the support of ICTs. Their students have now become active not passive learners, who can interact with other learners, demonstrating independence and self-awareness in the learning process.

Generally the new school classroom environment is characterized by student individually or in group:

·         Performing computer word processing for text or graph presentation

·         Preparing power-point presentation

·         Searching for information on the internet

·         Brainstorming on ideas, problems and project plans

·     As needed, the teacher facilitating instruction, also giving individual instruction to serve individual needs.

            Observably, there is departure from traditional worksheet, read-and-answer, and drill-and-practice activities. Students also no longer need to mark the test of peers since the computer has programs for test evaluation and computerized scoring of results.

Given this trend in teaching-and-learning, it must be pointed out, however, that traditional classroom activities-especially in less developed countries-will continue to have a strong place in the classroom. In spite of this setback experienced in some countries, the option has now been opened for the modern teacher to shift gears to students centered learning.

Reflection:

• In a traditional classroom environment, it's not uncommon for children to become bored or frustrated. Some children learn better by visual means, others will learn better with auditory means, and still others are going to learn better with a hands-on approach.
• Responsibility for learning now lies with students - who are central to their own learning process, not teachers as in the past. Student-centered learning focuses on how students learn, what they experience, what they bring to the classroom and how they engage. With the use of information technology students will have greater desire to learn and to explore that results to a wider range of learning experience.

Lesson 13: Cooperative Learning with the Computer

Singapore has set the global pace for student-centered learning with a 2:1 (2 pupils with one computer) ratio in its master plan for IT in Education. This shows that even in other progressive countries, the 1: 1: pupil-computer ratio is still an ideal to be achieved. Reality therefore dictates that schools face the fact that each classroom, especially in public or government schools, may not be equipped with the appropriate number of computers.

          The creativity of the teacher will have to respond to the situation, and so cooperative learning will likely be the answer to the implementation of IT supported learning in our schools. But the situation may not be that bad since there are motivational and social benefits to cooperative learning and these can compensate for lack of hardware that educators face.


 Defining cooperative learning

            Cooperative or collaborative learning is learning by small groups of students who work together in a common learning task. It is often also called group learning but to be truly cooperative learning, 5 elements are needed:

1. A common goal

2. Interdependence

3. Interaction

4. Individual accountability

5. Social skills

          Therefore not every group work is cooperative learning since students working on their work sheets physically sat around a table may be working together without these features of cooperative learning.

From several studies made on cooperative learning, it is manifested that cooperative learning in its true sense is advantageous since it:

(a) Encourage active learning, while motivating students

(b) Increases academic performance

(c) Promotes literacy and language skills

(d) Improves teacher effectiveness

          In addition, there are studies show that cooperative learning enhances personal and social development among students of all ages, while enhancing self-esteem and improving social relations between racially and culturally different students. 

Cooperative learning and the computer

    Researchers have made studies on the learning interaction between the student and the computer. The studies have great value since it has been a long standing fear that the computer may foster student learning in isolation that hinders the development of the student’s social skills.

            Now this mythical fear has been contradicted by the studies which show that when students work with computers in groups, they cluster and interact with each other for advice and mutual help. And given the option to work individually or in a group, the students generally wish to work together in computer-based and non-computer-based activities. Reflecting on this phenomenon, psychologists think the computer fosters this positive social behavior due to the fact that it has a display monitor – just like a television set – that is looked upon as something communal.

            Therefore researchers agree that the computer is a fairly natural learning vehicle for cooperative (at times called promotive) learning.

Components of cooperative learning

            Educators are still wary about the computer’s role in cooperative learning. Thus they pose the position that the use of computers do not automatically result in cooperative learning. There therefore assign the teacher several tasks in order to ensure collaborative learning. These are:

· Assigning students to mixed-ability teams

· Establishing positive interdependence

· Teaching cooperative social skills

· Insuring individual accountability, and

· Helping groups process information

          These are in addition to assigning a common work goal in which each member of the group will realize that their group will not succeed unless everyone contributes to the groups’ success. It is also important for the teacher limits learning group clusters (six is the ideal number in a group) so there can be closer involvement in thinking and learning.



Reflection:

• The computer can be a wonderful tool to facilitate discussion.With a cooperative learning strategy, the computer helps them get around the problem. The reason is this: kids want to succeed with these tools and this motivates them to overcome their natural shyness about sharing or working together.
• The use of computer software is often task oriented, moving about in search of information or using programs in combination with each other. This fits well with the cooperative teaching methodology. The computers can also generate a lot of excitement and some anxiety among the kids.

Lesson 14: The Software as an Educational Resource

Whenever people think about computers, they are most likely thinking about the computer machine such as the television-like monitor screen, the keyboard to type on, the printer which produces copies of text-and-graphics material, and the computer housing called “the box” which contains the electronic parts and circuits (the central processing unit) that receives/ stores data and direct computer operations. The computer machine or hardware is naturally an attention-getter.

 It’s more difficult to realize, however, that the computer hardware can hardly be useful without the program or system that tells what the computer machine should do. This is called software.

There are two kinds of software:

1. The system software. This is the operating system that is found or bundled inside all computer machines.

2. The application software. This contains the system that commands the particular task or solves a particular problem.

In turn the applications software may be:

(a) A custom software that is made for specific tasks often by large corporations, or

(b) A commercial software packaged for personal computers that helps with a variety of tasks such as writing papers, calculating numbers, drawing graphs, playing games, and so much more.

Microsoft Windows

 Also referred to as program, Microsoft Windows or Windows for short is an operating environment between the user and the computer operating system. Also called a shell, it is a layer that creates the way the computer should work. Windows uses a colourful graphics interface (called GUI – pronounced “gooee”) that can be seen on the computer screen or monitor whenever the computer is turned on.

 The user can work with on-screen pictures (icons) and suggestions (menus) to arrive at the desired software. Windows 95 (now improved with Windows 2003 and 2007) is software designed for Microsoft Windows. Actually, Windows is in itself a self-contained operating system which provides

· User convenience – just click a file name to retrieve data or click from program to program as easy as changing channels in your TV screen

· A new look – fancy borders, smooth and streamlined text fonts

· Information center – Windows puts all communications activities (e-mail, downloads etc. in a single screen icon); adapts/configures the computer for the Internet.

· Plug and play – configures the computer with added components, such as for sound and video.

Instructional Software

Instructional software can be visited on the Internet or can be bought from software shops or dealers. The teacher through his school should decide on the best computer-based instructional (CBI) materials for the school resource collection. But beware since CBIs need much improvement, while web-based educational resources are either extremely good or what is complete garbage. In evaluating computer-based educational materials, the following can serve as guidelines:

• Be extremely cautious in using CBIs and “free” Internet material.
•  Don’t be caught up by attractive graphics, sound, animation, pictures, video clips and music forgetting their instructional worth.
• Teachers must evaluate these resources using sound pedagogical principles.
•  Among design and content elements to evaluate are: the text legibility, effective use of color schemes, attractive layout and design, and easy navigation from section-to-section (such as from game to tutorial to drill-and-practice section).
• Clarity in the explanations and illustrations of concepts and principles.
• Accuracy, coherence, logic of information.
• Their being current since data/statistics continually change.
• Relevance/effectiveness in attaining learning objectives.
• Absence of biased materials (e.g. gender bias or racial bias).

Reflection:

• Educational computer software is any kind of computer software that teaches something, or helps someone to teach others, or to self-teaching. In school, educational computer software are useful by enhancing the capability of a teacher or student to be creative, teachers in their  lesson presentations and students in their activities.  

Lesson 15: Understanding Hypermedia

From the educational Technology 1 course the student has already become aware of multimedia or an audio visual package that includes more than the instructional media (means of knowing) such as text, graphics, audio animation and video clip.

Hypermedia is nothing but multimedia, but this time packaged as educational computer software where information is presented and student activities are integrated in a virtual learning environment. Most educational IT applications are hypermedia and these include:

• Tutorial software packages
• Knowledge web pages
• Simulation instructional games
• Learning project management and others

The presentation of information-learning in hypermedia is said to be sequenced in a non-linear manner, meaning that the learner may follow his path of activities thus providing an environment of learner autonomy and thinking skills.

Characteristics of hypermedia applications

There are two important features that are outstanding among other features---that characterize the hypermedia software:

1.              Learner control - This means the learner makes his own decisions on the path, flow or events of instruction. The learner has control on such aspects sequence, page content, media, feedback, etc. that he/she may encounter in the hypermedia learning program.

2.              Learner wide range of navigation routes - the learners controls the sequence and pace of his path depending on his ability and motivation. He has the option to repeat and change speed, if desired.  The learner also has a wide range of navigation routes such as by working on concepts he is already familiar with.

In the use of hypermedia the following instructional events will prove useful to the teacher:

• Get the learner's attention
• Recall prior learning
• Inform learners of lesson objectives
• Introduce the software and its distinctive features
• Guide learning, eliciting performance
• Provide learning feedback
• Asses performance
•  Enhance retention and learning transfer 

Reflection:

• As we all know effective teaching and learning now a days is not just giving students information through visual aids or using chalk and board. Hypermedia which is an audiovisual package is a big help for teachers to make their presentations not just attractive but also easy to understand by the students. Also, teachers can let their students to use hypermedia in their learning activities that can enhance students thinking skills.

Lesson 16: The Internet and Education

The Internet, also simply called the Net ,is the largest and far-flung network system-of-all-system. How is everything coordinated through the Internet? This is done through a standardized protocol(or set of rules for exchanging data) called Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol(TCP/IP).To gain access to the internet, the computer must be equipped with what is called a Server which has a special software (program) that uses the Internet protocol. Originally developed and still subsidized by the United State government, the Internet connect not only commercial, industrial, scientific establishments but all other sectors including education and its libraries, campuses and computer centers.

Getting Around the Net


The vast sea of information now in the Internet, including news and trivia, is an overwhelming challenge to those who wish to navigate it. Everyday, the Net user-population and the available information continue to grow, and new ways are continuously being developed to tour the Internet.

The most attractive way to move around the Internet is called browsing. Using a program called a browser, the user can use a mouse to point and click on screen icons to surf the Internet, particularly the World Wide Web (the web), an Internet' s subset of text, images, and sounds are linked together to allow users to access data or information need.

The future of the Internet seems limitless. Already its complexity has spawned and continues to spawn Net sites including new demand for services to business, industries, science, government and even homes. Many experts predict that the Internet is destined to become the center piece of all online communications on the planet and in some future time in the solar system using interplanetary satellite communication stations.

A View of  Educational Uses of the Internet

        Today, even elementary school graders in progressive countries like the United States are corresponding via e-mail with pen pals in all 50 states. They ask probing question like, "What is your state's most serious problems," or how much does a pizza cost in your state? This educational activity prodded by their schools are paying dividends from increasing the pupil's interest in Geography to a greater understanding of how people live in large cities and other places in the United States or the world.

        Educational software materials have also developed both in sophisticated and appeal. There is now a wider choice from rote arithmetic or grammar lesson to discovery and innovation projects .But the real possibility today is connecting with the world outside homes, classrooms, and Internet cafes. And today schools are gearing up to take advantage of Internet access ,where they can plug into the Library of Congress, make virtual visits to famous museums in the world, write to celebrities and even send questions to heads of states.    


Reflection:

• Internet is very helpful to education especially to the students. Using the internet and with the proper guide of the teachers, students can build their own learning experience.