Lesson 10

"The Computer as a Tutor"

Computer-assisted instruction (CAI)

  The computer can be a tutor in effect relieving the teacher of many activities in his personal role as classroom tutor.  

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.
•  Evaluate the students’ achievement by ways of tests the specific expected 
• Plan the sequential and structured activities to achieve objectives.

On the other hand, the students in CAI play their own roles as learners as they:

      →      Receive information.

        →      Understand instructions 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:

 1. Acts as a sort of tutor (the role

traditional played by the teacher)

  2.  Provides a learning environment

   3. Delivers learning instruction.

   4. Reinforces learning trough

drill-and-practice

   5. Provides feedback           

CAI Integrated with Lessons

   CAI computer learning should not stop with the drill and practice activities of students. In effect, CAI works best in reinforcing learning through repetitive exercises such that students can practice basic skills or knowledge in various subject areas. Common types of drill and practice programs include: Vocabulary building, math facts, basic science, and history or geography facts.

Suggestions on when and how can teachers integrate drill and practice programs with their lessons:

  *Use drill and practice programs for basic skills and knowledge that require rapid or automatic response by students

 *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.

The Tutorial software should be able to:

Teach new content/new information

Provide comprehensive information on concepts I addition to practice exercise.

Can be effectively used for remediation, reviewing or enrichment

Allow the teacher to introduce follow-up questions to stimulate students learning

Permits group activity for cooperative learning.

Simulation Programs

Simulation software materials are another kind of software that is constructivist

in nature. This simulation software:

                  Teaches strategies and rules applied to real-life problems/situations.

                   Ask students to make decision on models or scenarios.

              Allows students to manipulate elements of a model and get the experience of the effects of their decisions.   

Instructional Games

         While relating to low-level learning objectives (e.g. basic spelling or math skill),

     Instructional computer games add the elements of competition and challenge.

    
              Example: GeoSafari

Problem Solving Software

These allow students to learn and improve on their problem solving ability. The students have to employ higher thinking skills such as logic, recognition, reflection, and strategy-making.

Example: Thinking Things 1

Multimedia Encyclopedia and electronic books

The Multimedia Encyclopedia can store a huge database with texts, images, animations, audio and video.

Example: eyewitness Children’s Encyclopedia.

Electronic books provide textual information for reading, supplemented by other types of multimedia information (sounds, spoken words, pictures, animation). These are useful for learning reading, spelling and words skills.

Lesson 9

"COMPUTERS AS INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY"

In the Educational Technology Course 1 the role of the computer in education was well discussed. It was pointed out that the advent of the computer is recognized as the third revolution in education, the first was the invention of the printing press; the second, the introduction of libraries; and the third, the invention of the computer, especially so with the advent of the microcomputer in 1975. Thus emerged computer technology in education.

   Through computer technology, educators saw the amplification of learning along computer literacy. Much like reading, the modern student can now interact with computer messages; even respond to questions or to computer commands. Again like writing, the learner can form messages using computer language or program.

Soon computer-assisted instruction (CAI) was introduce using the principle of individualized learning through a positive climate that includes realism and appeal with drill exercises that uses color, music and animation. The novelty of CAI has not waned to this day especially in the basic education level as this is offered by computer-equipped private schools. But the evolving pace of innovation in today’s Information Age is so dynamic that within the first decade of the 21st century, computer technology in education has matured to transform into an educative information and communication technology (ICT) in education.

Lesson 8

"Higher Thinking Skills through IT-Based Projects"

    It is to be understood that these projects do not address all of the thinking skills shown previously in the Thinking Skills Framework. But these projects represent constructivist project.

  In this lesson, we shall discuss four types of IT-based projects which can effectively be used in order to engage students in activities of a higher plane of thinking. To be noted is the fact that these projects differ in the specific process and skills employed, also in the ultimate activity or platform used to communicate completed products to others.

  On the other hand, it is the students themselves who demonstrate higher thinking skills and creativity through such activities searching for information, organizing, and synthesizing, ideas, creating presentations, and the like.

Now let us see four IT-based projects conducive to develop higher thinking skills and creativity among learners.

RESOURCE BASED PROJECT

In these projects, the teacher steps out of the traditional role of being a content expert and information provider, and instead lets the students find their own facts and information. The general flows of events in resource-based projects are;

1. The teacher determines the topic for the examination of class.

2. The teacher presents the problem to the class.

3. The students find information on the problem/questions.

4. Students organize their information in response to the problem/questions.

Relating to finding information, the central principle is to make the students Student are encouraged to go to the, particularly to the modern extension of the modern library.

Furthermore, the inquiry-based or discovery approach is given importance in resource-based projects. Finally, the process is given more importance than the project product.

Traditional learning model VS Resource-based learning model

WEBquest as a Resource

San Diego State University developed the Web Quest as an Internet approach to support resource-based projects.  Webquest is a design to use learner’s time well, to focus on information rather than looking for it.

SIMPLE CREATIONS

Simple Creations Students can also be assigned to create their software materials. Of course, there are available software materials such as Creative Writer (by Microsoft) on writing, Kid Work Deluxe (by Davidson) on drawing and painting, and Media Weave (by Humanities software) on multimedia).

In developing software, creativity as an outcome should not be equated with ingenuity or high intelligence.

Creativity is said to combine three kinds of skills/abilities:

Analyzing- distinguishing similarities and differences/ seeing the project as a problem to be solved.

Synthesizing- making spontaneous connections among ideas, does generating interesting or new ideas.

 Promoting- selling of a new ideas to allow the public to test the ideas themselves.

To develop creativity, the following five key tasks may be recommended:

1.  Define the task- clarify the goal of the completed project to the student.

 2. Brainstorm- the students themselves will be allowed to generate their own ideas on the project. Rather than shoot down ideas, the teacher encourages ideas exchange.

3. Judge the ideas- the students themselves make an appraisal for or against any idea. Only when students are completely off check should the teacher intervene.  4. Act- the students do their work with the teacher a facilitator.

5. Adopt flexibility- the students should be allowed to shift gears and not follow an action path rigidly.

GUIDED HYPERMEDIA PROJECT

 The production of self-made multimedia projects can be approached into different ways:

Such as in the production by students of a power-point presentation of a selective topic.

 Such as when students do a multi- media presentation (with text, graphs, photos, audio narration, interviews, video clips, etc.).

    It can be approached in two different ways. First, As an Instructive tool, such as in the production by the students of a power point presentation. You can apply this in your discussion. It is easy for the teacher to catch up the attention of the students because they love moving letters or pictures and also sounds and the teacher can discussed well the topic because of its beautiful visual aid which is suitable for the topic. And Second, as a communication tool when students do a multimedia presentation to stimulate a television news show. It is easy for the teacher to discuss about news or literature if they have tools like television or you can use your own video clips in order to present the topic they wanted.

WEB-BASED PROJECTS

Students can be made to create and post web pages on a given topic. But creating new pages, even single page web pages, maybe too sophisticated and time consuming for the average student.

 It should be said, however, that posting of web pages in the Internet allows the students (now the web page creator) a wider audience. They can also be linked with other related sites

Lesson 7

"Evaluation of Technology Learning"

   Evaluation is used in Ed Tech and its means considering the merits of the material used. It entails about how to determine if the technology is appropriate and enhances the teaching and learning process.

 Its strength and weaknesses as a tool for learning.

  The student standard evaluation of learning must change.

  Today, students are expected to be not only cognitive, but also flexible, analytical, and creative.

     Students must have six important fluencies that reflect process skills. (Solution fluency, information fluency, collaboration fluency, creative fluency, media fluency and digital citizenship.)

Mass Amateurization

           Refers to the capabilities that new forms of media have given to non-professionals and the ways in which those non-professionals have applied those capabilities to solve problems (e.g. create and distribute content) that compete with the solutions offered by larger, professional institutions.

     The personal and group creative activities in school should aim at bridging the gap between amateur creators of outputs to professional creators of future outcomes and products in the real world.

     The process does not entail the end of traditional report and essay writing.

   Relevance and engagement shall be carried both in the learning process.

Lesson 6

"DEVELOPING BASIC DIGITAL SKILLS"

Knowledge and skills that digital learners should develop must be clear and these literacies will be complemented by six essentials skills for them to be successful in the millennial world.

Solution fluency - requires whole brain thinking to create a solution to a problem.

 Information Fluency 

      - where learners access to information, retrieved information and reflect on it.

Collaboration fluency - emphasizes on teamwork with virtual or real partners in the online environment.

Media fluency- refers to the channels of mass communication or digital resources where learners used their analytic minds to evaluate the message from the channels.

   

 Creativity Fluency - where design and arts, patterns and layouts are given attention.

Digital Ethics - talks about the principles of leadership. global responsibility, environmental awareness, global citizenship, and personal accountability.

          Entering the new world of information and communication technology opens the way for complex and higher cognitive skills.

        In developing higher thinking skills, there should be also an instructional shift from lecture-to-task to digital tasks-to-learning. The structured problem solving process known as 4D’s exemplifies the instructional shift in digital learning these are:

  Define problem

  Design solution

 Do the work

 Debrief on the outcome.

The new era of creativity in the digital world has led to new framework of skills; Creating- new product/point of view, Evaluating- justify stand or position, Analyzing- distinguish different parts, Applying- use information in a new way, Understanding- explain ideas and Remembering- recall information.