ED-205 Computers In Education Educational Software ED-205 Computers In Education

K-12 Educational Software Applications Software used to support teaching and learning of a subject. Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI) Provides individualized instruction and exploration Instant feedback, testing, and review. Computer Managed Instruction (CMI) Provides pre & post testing Provides placement Tracks student progress

K-12 Applications Drill & Practice Educational Games Tutorials Simulations Integrated Learning Systems (ILS) Web Based Education

Drill & Practice Drill & Practice programs provide exercises in which students work example items, usually one at a time, and receive feedback on their correctness. The most basic drill and practice programs function often as “Flashcards.” More sophisticated programs will move students on to the advanced questions after they get a number of questions correct at some predetermined mastery level.

Drill & Practice Issues Due to the overuse of drill & practice, this type of instructional software is often referred to as “Drill & Kill.” Many instructors incorrectly use this software for introducing new concepts rather than just practicing and reinforcing familiar ones. Many critics claim that introducing isolated skills and directing students to practice them contradicts the trend toward restructured curriculum where students learn and use skills in an integrated way within the context of their own projects

Benefits & Uses of Drill & Practice Benefits of Drill & Practice: Immediate Feedback, Motivation, Saves Teacher Time. Uses of Drill & Practice: Supplement for worksheets/exercises, Test Preparation Guidelines for Drill & Practice: Set Time Limits, Assign Individually, Use Learning stations with various programs to serve students with identified weaknesses.

Instructional Games Instructional games are courseware whose function is to increase motivation by adding game rules to learning activities. No Matter how instructional or motivating games are, instruction should not consist entirely of these kinds of activities. Studies show that retention over time favors the use of simulations and games.

Instructional Game Issues Computer based instructional games can be overused and misused. Winning the game becomes the students main goal and the instructional purpose is lost to this goal. Students can be confused on which part of the activity is the game and which part is the skill to be learned. The physical dexterity required must be evaluated before the game is used. Many games contain violence or combat.

Benefits & Uses of Instructional Games Benefits: Motivation Uses: - Use in place of worksheets or exercises - Use to foster cooperation or group work - Use as a reward

Tutorials Tutorial courseware uses the computer to deliver an entire instructional sequence similar to a teacher’s classroom instruction on the topics. Unlike other courseware activities, tutorials are true teaching courseware . Tutorials are categorized as either linear or branching. A linear tutorial gives the same instructional sequence to all students. A branching tutorial directs learners along alternate paths depending on how they respond to questions and whether or not they show mastery.

Tutorial Issues Tutorials deliver traditional instruction in skills rather than letting students create learning experiences through generative learning and development projects. Tutorials are difficult to find Tutorials can be very large and run slowly on microcomputers. Larger tutorials must be delivered via “Integrated Learning Systems.”

Benefits & Uses of Tutorials Benefits: -Tutorials are self-contained, self-paced substitutes for teacher presentations. -Since tutorials often contain drill & practice routines the benefits are the same as for drill & practice. Uses: -Self paced reviews of instruction -Alternative means of presenting material -Provide instruction when the teacher is not available

Simulations A Simulation is a computerized model of a real or imagined system designed to teach how a system works. Simulations differ from Drill & Practice & Tutorial courseware by providing learner-structured activities. Simulations can be divided into the following categories: Physical, Process, and Situational simulations

Simulation Issues When students see simplified versions of systems in a controlled situation, they may get inaccurate or imprecise perspectives on the systems’ complexity. Situational simulations must be followed at some point by real experiences. Students feel they know all about how to react to situations because they have experienced simulated versions of them. Some simulations promote “trial & error” rather than systematic analysis of of available information.

Benefits & Uses of Simulations Benefits of Simulations: Compress time, slow down processes, get students involved, make experimentation safe, make the impossible possible, save money and other resources, repeat with variations, make situations controllable Uses of Simulations: - In place of or as supplements for lab experiences - In place of or as supplements for role playing - In place of or as supplements for field trips - Introducing a new topic - Fostering exploration and process learning - Encouraging exploration and group work

Integrated Learning Systems Integrated Learning Systems (ILSs) are the most powerful and the most expensive of the courseware products. An ILS is more than just courseware, it is a combination of instructional and management systems that run on networked microcomputers. An ILS offers a combination of drill & practice, tutorial, simulation, problem solving, and productivity tools (word processing, etc.) integrated into a total curriculum support package. An ILS is capable of maintaining detailed records of student progress and performance.

ILS Issues The primary concern with ILS’s is cost compared to benefits. Purchasing an ILS can take a very large portion of a school systems’ instructional budget. ILS’s may shape or drive the curriculum rather than responding to it. Factors that affect the quality of an ILS include: - Use by regular and special populations - Integration of the ILS into the school/teacher culture - Financial considerations - Staff development

ILS Benefits & Uses Benefits: - Highly interactive - Self pacing - Motivational - Teachers can personalize instruction to meet student needs Uses: - Remediation - Mainstream delivery system (an ILS could be used to do the initial job of teaching a whole course for all students in a grade level)

Web-Based Education Web-Based Courses are mostly or completely taught on the Internet. Web-Enhanced Course is a traditional course that uses the net to enhance course content. Example: “Blackboard” and, our online course materials at ed205.com

Benefits of Web-Based Education Eliminates Commuting to campus Eases overcrowding in high schools More specialized courses can be offered Course offerings can be expanded by pooling resources Students can interact with experts

Issue of Web-Based Education Students must be self-motivated or have a mechanism in place to keep them on task Students lose out on the personal face-to-face interactions. Learning is dependent on technology Students must be able to learn from reading