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.
