LESSON 10 The Computer as a Tutor

I love computers! I consider it as the most awesome invention in the history of humankind. Who would contradict to this one? And I dare you to give me an invention that is more valuable than computer. Computer is responsible for all the advancement in technology! Cannot think of anything else, right? I guess so. Computer as many of us would say, make our lives easier and better. Computers perform a wide variety of activities in our daily lives reliably, accurately, and quickly. I am here saying as a digital learner that in my schooling computer takes a very hefty role. Truly, computer is my companion. Computer serves as my tutor. And this is what we are going to discuss in this blog post. Especially it’s assistance in education.

The computer is one of the wonders of human ingenuity. Educators saw much use of the PC. 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. This is a common scenario here in the Philippines, right? What I mean is, the forty or more learners in a classroom. They therefore devised strategies to use the compute to break barriers to individualized instruction.

The computer-assisted instruction (CAI) which acts as a tutor and provides a learning environment should never replace the teacher since the teacher shall continue to play the major roles of information deliverer and learning environment controller. Even with the availability of CAI, the teacher must insure that students have the needed knowledge and skills for any computer activity (which by the way is VERY important! How would you teach something with the use of CAI if you yourself cannot master to operate a computer? Come on guys, seriously?!). The teacher must decide the appropriate learning objectives. Teachers should know their specific goals. They must plan sequential and structured activities to achieve objectives. And lastly, teacher must evaluate the students’ achievement by ways to tests and specific expected outcomes.

Not only the teachers are the proponents of the effectiveness of CAI but the students as well should do their part as the learners. The students in CAI play their own roles as learners as they receive information, understand the instructions for the computer activity, retain the information and rules for the computer activity and apply the knowledge and rules during the process of computer learning.

CAI INTEGRATED WITH LESSONS

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. In these programs, the computer presents a question/problem first and the student is asked to answer the question/problem, immediate feedback is given to the student’s answer. After a number of practice problem, at the end of the exercise, the students get a summary of his/her overall performance.

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.

In integrating computer programs in instruction, use tutorial software associated with cognitive learning. While practice exercise or learning by doing is still the heart of each tutorial, the tutorial software should:

• Be able to teach new content/new information to students 
• Provide comprehensive information on concepts in addition to practice exercises
• Be effectively used for remediation, reviewing or enrichment
• Allow the teacher to introduce follow-up questions to stimulate students’ learning
• Permit group activity for cooperative learning

With the integration of CAI in education, simulation softwares are another kind of software that is constructivist in nature. It teaches strategies and rules applied to real-life problems/situations, asks students to make decision on models or scenarios, and it allows experience of the effects of their decisions. I didn’t able to try using this software but I think is suites best with engineering students because as stated from the games definition, SimCity, the student or the simulator will build a city and decides on what tools/materials will he/she use in building it, considering financial limits and etc.  

Example:

In SimCity, the player is given the task of founding and developing a city, while maintaining the happiness of the citizens and keeping a stable budget.

While relating to low-level learning objectives, instructional computer games add the elements of competition and challenge. I would really love to play this game but the only problem is I didn’t have any software of it available. It is also created a long time ago so the tendency is that, its animation is far more advanced that the newer instructional computer games.

Example:

GeoSafari, an educational toy company that releases various technological educational toys.

Problem solving softwares are more sophisticated than the drill and practice exercises and allow students to learn and improve on their 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.

Example:

Thinkin' Things Collection 1 is a set of tools and toys that strengthen auditory and visual discrimination develop spatial awareness and foster visual and musical creativity.

The Multimedia Encyclopedia can store a huge database with texts, images, animation, audio and video. Students can access any desired information, search its vast contents, and even download/print relevant portions of the data for their composition or presentation. I love this software. Aside from I love reading factual and trivial books, this software can really help students in gathering or getting reliable information.

Example:

Children's Encyclopedia, could be used as a conventional reference library. It covered scientific subjects such as geology, biology and astronomy but such scientific terms were generally avoided.

Electronic books provide textual information for reading, supplemented by other types of multimedia information. These are useful for learning reading, spelling and word skills.

Example:

 Little Critter in this interactive book app as he and his Grandma spend a day at the beach! Explore pictures, learn new vocabulary, and personalize the story with your own narration. 

The following examples of CAI being shown above are the presentation of how educators can integrate CAI in their lessons and applications that are applicable in achieving their tools. I will discuss further with the gory details on the CAI’s applications by educators in my next blog post. Those examples above are just few of the vast number of educational softwares available worldwide. All you have to do as a student is to choose for the list and enhance or practice the skills you want to learn or enhanced more. It just a matter of picking and judging what software you are going to use and how will you use that software to boost your talent and skills. Like me, example, as a BSED Physics student, I want to practice my problem solving skills because as we all know Physics is all about problems, (even though I don’t really care about them, haha, I am oblige to do so.) so I installed software in my laptop and also in my smartphone. Softwares like pHet, Physics problem solver, Pocket Physics, Physics Formulas and many more. These softwares are very useful in my studies. They really serve as a guide in my education.

So, how about you? Do you use one of the softwares mentioned above? How do you use computer as a tutor? Just comment in this post below. 

LESSON 9 Computers as Information and Communication Technology

On my previous blogs, I have been accentuating on how technology partakes to the daily lives of people. Most especially, the gadgets we use every day. As a future educator, it is a must for us to know how these gadgets contribute to education, particularly the computers.

It was pointed out on EdTech1 the role of computer in education, and the advent of 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 computers, especially so with the arrival of the microcomputer in 1975. Thus emerged computer technology in education.

Soon computer-assisted instruction (CAI) was introduced 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 21^st Century, computer technology in education has matured to transform into an educative information and communication technology (ICT) in education.

Typical CAI provides

·         text or multimedia content

·         multiple-choice questions

·         problems

·         immediate feedback

·         notes on incorrect responses

·         summarizes students' performance

·         exercises for practice

·         Worksheets and tests.

Types of Computer Assisted Instruction

Drill-and-practice. Drill and practice provide opportunities or students to repeatedly practice the skills that have previously been presented and that further practice is necessary for mastery.

Tutorial. Tutorial activity includes both the presentation of information and its extension into different forms of work, including drill and practice, games and simulation.

Games. Game software often creates a contest to achieve the highest score and either beat others or beat the computer.

Simulation. Simulation software can provide an approximation of reality that does not require the expense of real life or its risks.

Discovery. Discovery approach provides a large database of information specific to a course or content area and challenges the learner to analyze, compare, infer and evaluate based on their explorations of the data.

Problem Solving. This approach helps children develop specific problem solving skills and strategies.

Advantages of CAI

·         one-to-one interaction

·         great motivator

·         freedom to experiment with different options

·         instantaneous response/immediate feedback to the answers elicited

·         Self pacing - allow students to proceed at their own pace

·         Helps teacher can devote more time to individual students

·         Privacy helps the shy and slow learner to learns

·         Individual attention

·         learn more and more rapidly

·         multimedia helps to understand difficult concepts through multi sensory approach

·         self directed learning – students can decide when, where, and what to learn

Limitations of CAI

·         may feel overwhelmed by the information and resources available

·         over use of multimedia may divert the attention from the content

·         learning becomes too mechanical

·         non availability of good CAI packages

·         lack of infrastructure

LESSON 8 Higher Thinking Skills Through IT-Based Projects

In this blog we will add up our knowledge about the four types of IT-based projects which can effectively be used in order to engage students in activities of a higher order of thinking.

It is to be understood that projects differ in the specific process and skills employed thus saying that these projects do not address all of the thinking skills shown previously in the Thinking Skills Framework. But these projects represent constructivist projects, containing the key elements of a constructivists approach to instruction, namely:

a)     The teacher creating the learning environment

b)     The teacher giving students the tools and facilities

c)      The teacher facilitating learning

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.

In tackling about the four types of IT-based projects which are the following:

a)     Resource-based Projects

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

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

Ex. WebQuest, an inquiry-oriented activity in which most or all of the
 information used by learners are drawn from the web.

b)     Simple Creations

• Students are assigned to create their software materials to supplement the need for relevant and effective materials. In developing software, creativity as an outcome should not be equated with ingenuity or high intelligence. Creating is more consonant with planning, making, assembling, designing, or building. Creativity is said to combine three kinds of skills/abilities: analyzing, synthesizing and promoting.

Ex. Creative Writer, by Microsoft, an available software material on writing.

c)      Guided Hypermedia Projects

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

• As an instructive tool, such as in the production by students of a power-point presentation of a selected topic.
• As a communication tool, such as when students do a multimedia presentation to simulate a television news show.

Ex. HyperStudio, by Roger Wagner Productions, a multimedia software.

d)     Web-Based Projects

• Students can create and post webpages on a given topic. Posting webpages in the Internet allows the students a wider audience. They can also be linked with other related sites in the Internet.

LESSON 7 Evaluation of Technology Learning

This chapter may seem too short but we should be cognizant about the topic, the evaluation of technology learning.

The standard student evaluation of learning must change. Why? It is by the fact that not only the new generation changed into digital learners, but also the traditional world has metamorphosed into a digital world.

Teachers must adopt a new mindset both for instruction and evaluation. Evaluation must be geared to assessment of essential knowledge and skills so that learners can function effectively, productively and creatively in a new world. It must use the evaluative tools that measure the new basic skills of the 21^st century digital culture mentioned on my previous blog.

In reading for example, single text reading become less important compared with the empowerment process of being imbibed by varied informative, educational and recreational literature, textual, audiovisual, and digital. Apart from reading, learners are asked to engage in the process of writing reports, essays, articles, stories, power-point presentations, video scripts, drama skits, etc. the standard paper test will prove inadequate in assessing new learning.

Mass amateurization is referred to  the change in evaluation approach today, as the term implies a mass reach of students’ outputs. The process will not entail the end of traditional report and essay writing, but the writing process will now have to undertake the process of idea conception, planning, layout and graphic designing, editing proofreading, and publishing. The use of desktop publishing software can make writing both easier as well as more exciting for learners.

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

LESSON 6 Developing Basic Digital Skills

In the traditional way of learning, the 3Rs are the given emphasis in the instruction. But do you think it is still applicable in today’s generation? Guess not. On this blog post we will know deeper about the basic digital skills that are looked-for in the new digital world of information and communication technology (ICT).

On my previous blog we give prominence on the differences and comparison between the old and new generation. But on this post, we will tackle on the new generation only for this is all about their fluency skills.

Going back to the 3Rs, which are reading, writing and arithmetic, these three are the foundation in the traditional system of instruction but in the new system where literacies need to be developed by the digital learners. These literacies were the following: basic knowledge in ICT, values in ICT, and skills in ICT. These basic literacies will not replace the 3Rs but they will be complemented with six essential skills to equip students for success in the millennial world. These literacy skills are better called as fluency skills conveying the ease and facility in acquiring and using them. These are the following fluency skills:

1.      Solution fluency

• Refers to the capacity and creativity in problem solving
• Requires whole brain thinking executed when students define a problem, design the appropriate solution, apply the solution, and assess the process and result.

2.      Information fluency

• Involves 3 subsets of skills: an ability to access information, an ability to retrieve information, and the ability to reflect on, assess and rewrite for instructive information packages.

3.      Collaboration fluency

• Refers to teamwork with virtual or real partners in the online environment.

4.      Media fluency

•  Media refers to channels of mass communication or digital sources.

5.      Creativity fluency

• Also called artistic proficiency. It adds meaning by the way of design, art, and story-telling to package a message.

6.      Digital ethics

• Guided by 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. Bloom’s Taxonomy of Thinking Skills can serve as a general framework of skills, a new era of creativity in the digital world has led to introducing a kind of framework that requires information processing, idea creation and real-world problem-solving skills.

The above taxonomy is patterned after new scientific knowledge on how the human brain works. By developing higher thinking skills, the schools today can inculcate the digital fluencies, while overcoming limitations inherent in digital technology, resulting in superficial and mediocre learning skills of new learners. 

       

This serves as a guide for teachers on how the learning process of their learners took place or how it happens. As a future teacher, it is very important that we are knowledgeable of the skills that our learners need to achieve. It is as if the same with our objectives in the instruction. Also, because we are more onto the digital era, teachers as well as the students need to enhance their digital skills thus saying that we should add to the three basic R skills. We will not eradicate the three basic Rs but rather add improvement in the betterment of our skills.

We can apply this one whenever we will use audio-visual materials/resources as the aid for our instruction. For example, we choose PPT presentation in discussing our designated lesson of the day. But before we come up with that presentation, we should be able to make a good PPT slides in order for us to deliver the lesson well and attractive to student. Another thing is that we should be aware of the copyrights when we will research in the net. Ethics it is.

See? In order for us to create digital instructional materials we should first improve our basic digital fluency skills.

LESSON 5 Preferences of the Technology Generation

In the field of education, it is important that critical differences in perceptions between old and young which create a generation gap need to be discussed. In my previous blog, I have been emphasizing about the generation gap between old and the new generation. Now, I will focus generally on how the two cohorts differentiate from one another.

I will start with their pattern of gathering information. The older generation’s way of researching is into going to libraries, using the card catalogue and signing up to borrow books for home reading for as the newer ones that are exposed to digital technology and have been rendered to cable television and video images. Most especially the use of internet, wherein you can see all the information you are researching for by just a click. See the difference? It was like comparing a book from a computer. Text versus visuals, it is.

Old generation rely on books

New generation rely on internet and visual technology

The next comparison between the two is on how they focus on the information gathered and its ways. For example, in the older generation wherein technology is not widespread, they tend to focus their attention in school or in a certain area only, education. Where as in the newer generation where there is smartphones, laptops, iPads and other digital gadgets. They tend to be less aware or focused on their studies because their attention is oblique with other things such as social media and such. We can say that the older generation obtained information in a undeviating, logical and sequential manner. They focused their learning in linear way. While newer generation because exposed to gadgets and likes follows a personal random access to hyperlinked digital information, less superior to elders in focus and reflection. Thus, they appear to be more easily bored and distracted during class lectures.

These two generations interact with the society in two different ways. The independent learners – the older generation and the social learners – the new generation. Now, the traditional education system gives priority to independent learning, prior to participative work. And not to forget that in older times, traditional learning or traditional system of education is the king system in every educational institutions which make the older ones more onto being self-governing learners. In the newer generation, they are already accustomed with digital tools that adopt to both personal and participative work. Mobile calls, Emails, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and wikis are some of the immediate ways to communicate within or outside the educational institutions.

            

Another with learning to do versus learning to pass the test rationale of the learners in each generation. Each types of learner incorporated with different teachers have different ways to helps the learners. Old teachers teach students in order to help them pass tests and complete the course requirement. On the other hand, the new teachers teach learners simply to acquire skills, knowledge and habits as openings of prospects afford them to learn.

            

The traditional reward system in education consists in grades, honors certificates and medals, diplomas, including future jobs are said to be unclear rewards for performance. Whereas on the digital learners, which have more immediate gratification through immediate scores from games enjoyable conversations from webcam calls, excitement from emails, and inviting comments from  Facebook accounts. Delayed rewards and instant gratification are the two different reward systems on the two generations.

            

Lastly, teachers feel oblige to deliver content-based course in which the learning is measurable by standard test, in the old generation. New generation learners prefer to have fun learning which is relevant and promptly useful to them.

This difference between the two corresponds to the generation gap’s part in the educational system; although it is not needed in the system it is still inevitable in the scheme. We set back wants and priorities in school differently such ways that pictures a clear image of how the two generations vary from each other.

            

In sum, teachers need to connect with digital learners, and not to think of them as entering their past thirty years old traditional world. While there are apparent setbacks or limitations to digital learning, there are opportunities to tap through:

• New learners’ digital fluency with visual learning with the use of audiovisuals, media and multimedia;
• Using hyperlinked multimedia for projects that enhance work focus and reflection
• Problem solving activities to suit the new generation’s style and preference for fun and relevant learning

In my opinion, we should not be stuck on the traditional ways that the older generation’s learning was uphold but I am also not saying that we should eradicate those ways but rather nurture them with ways that the new generation is more uphold onto. It is not bad for a change in the system as long as this will have positive effects on our learners. This is what I emphasized on my previous blogs.  For us to be more competent in facing the future which is more digitized than ever, we should be exposed to what is the current trend and adapt to changes in our environment as well as in our society. But we should not forget the old ways of learning or the traditional ways of learning for they were the foundation of how the new ways of learning came up to.

As future teachers, our knowledge of the differences between the two generations of learning will be applied whenever we will conduct PTAs and meeting wherein or students are there together with their parents. To avoid bias, we should know the differences between their ways of learning, the way they obtain information and etc., this for us to respect everybody and to have a diplomatic and warm assembly with them all.