Instructional software is designated
by the type of teaching function it serves; basically reflecting their basic
five functions as:
Drill
and Practice Allows learners to work problems or answer questions and get
feedback on correctness.
Tutorial Acts like a human tutor by providing all the information
and instructional activities a learner needs to master a topic: information
summaries, explanation, practice routines, feedback, and assessment.
Simulation Models real or imaginary systems to show how those
systems or similar ones work or to demonstrate underlying concepts.
Instructional Game Increases motivation by adding game rules to
drills or simulations
Problem Solving (a) Teachers directly engage learners (through explanation and/or
practice) the steps involved in solving problems or (b) helps learners acquire
problem-solving skills by giving them opportunities to solve problems.
However, in light of current
trends toward multiple-function software, for example, as with drill
and-practice software, teachers can use games to help students acquire
automatic recall of prerequisite skills.
I have found the following principles of
learning falling in tandem with what education software packages have to offer.
The behaviourist and constructivist learning theories
Drill and practice and the
tutorial software functions reflect the behavioural and cognitive learning
theories since these remain focused on directed strategies that grew out of
these theories- delivering information to help students acquire and retain
information and skills. Drill and practice software is not intended to teach
new concepts, but instead to reinforce concepts already taught through review
and practice. It provides immediate, relevant feedback and prevents students
from learning something incorrectly. Drill and practice allows students to work
at their own pace while focusing on skills they need to work on rather than
forcing them to work on concepts they already know. Drill and practice can also
help identify mastery of a skill for both the student and the teacher.
On the other hand, instructional software
–simulation, games and problem solving was designed to support the more
constructivist aims of helping students explore topics and generate their own
knowledge. Simulations offer more
versatile implementation with a whole class, small groups, or individuals because they instigate discussion and
collaborative work. Simulation can be used
in place of or as supplement to role-playing — Many students either refuse to
role play in front of a class or get too enthusiastic and disrupt the
classroom. Computerized simulations can take the personal embarrassment and
logistical problems out of the learning experience, make classroom role playing
more controllable, and spark students’ imagination and interest in the
activities. Also, many instructional games serve as the basis for or
introduction to group work. In addition, some games can be played
collaboratively over the Internet (e.g., via an Internet-enabled game console).
A game’s competitive qualities can present opportunities for competition among
groups.
Scaffolding learning
Instructional Software create environments that support learners in
the processes that they might find difficult in a complex task when it is not
possible for a teacher to attend to each student in a class. Software tools can
thus be used to prompt students to reflect, articulate, and complete the steps
of a complex task in one of the two ways: Structuring which scaffolds
students by decomposing the task and guiding them through the steps of a
complex task by providing prompts that help students with reflection and
articulation, helping them move forward in a complex task. Problematizing,
on the other hand, involves having learners confront the complexity of the task
by helping them focus on aspects of the task that need to be resolved. For
example, in doing research, having students analyse their findings based on a
theoretical framework forces students to think about the theoretical constructs
that they should use in their explanations, supporting the notion of
problematizing.
Problem-solving software packages are
specifically designed to scaffold students as they practice solving complex
problems. For example, Geometer’s Sketchpad helps students draw objects and
investigate their mathematical properties. Wiki software provides capabilities
for collaborative problem solving by providing the necessary environments that
enable solving problems in small groups
Providing Active Experience
Instructional software provides
an active experience for students by equipping students to independently
organize their learning process instead of being passive recipients of
information, students using instructional software become active users thus
transferring some responsibility for learning to students, scheduling flexibility
and use of alternative media such as digital games so students have the flexibility
to direct their individual progress.
Theories –self-paced learning
Most drills are designed to allow
self-pacing and personalized feedback. Whenever students have difficulty with
higher order tasks ranging from reading and writing to mathematics this
software can provide the instruction and practice the specific prerequisite
skills that these students lack. In these cases, learning may require a
rehearsal activity to make sure information is stored in long-term memory so
students can retrieve it easily. Drills’ motivation, immediate feedback, and
self-pacing can make it more productive for students to practice required
skills on the computer than on paper.
When
students need to prepare to demonstrate mastery of specific skills in important
examinations (e.g., for end-of-year grades or for college entrance),
drill-and-practice software can help them focus on their deficiencies and
correct them. Drill software serves mainly to debug and to help students retain
their grasp of familiar concepts .Tutorials encourage Students
to repeat instruction on a topic after the teacher’s initial presentation. Some
students may be slower to understand concepts and need to spend additional time
on them. Others may learn better in a self-paced mode without the pressure to
move at the same pace as the rest of the class. Still others may need a review
before a test. Tutorials can provide self-paced instruction to address all
these needs. Learners using simulations usually must choose tasks to do and the
order in which to do them.
Student-centred
learning and the theory of multiple intelligence
Instructional software presents content
in multiple ways that aims to address the needs of the broadest range of
learners by highlighting the importance of providing multiple means of
representation, expression, and engagement in order to provide access for
students who learn best in particular ways, as well as to deepen learning for
all students. They provide multiple means of action and expression, to provide
learners with options for demonstrating what they know. They provide multiple means of engagement to
tap into learners’ interests, offer appropriate challenges, and increase
motivation. Tutorials addresses the needs of all students –slow or fast learners
depending on how they learn. Tutorials can also form the basis of introducing
material for a flipped classroom. Games provide appealing formats and
activities.
What according to me
is the most engaging type of educational software?
I find digital games as most engaging.
My little girl has a Nintendo DS with games that keep her engaged in either
cooking a dish- involving sorting, mixing, cooking, serving food or with Shrek
where she has to unravel the Shrek mystery with the game proceeding gradually
from simple to complex. I see the excitement of success and the concentration
of struggle to achieve. Above all, I see learning.
Digital games can be computer-,
game console- (XBox, PS3), or handheld-based (Nintendo DS, iPhone), and are
defined by two key elements: an interactive virtual playing environment and the
player pursuing a win-state (Salen & Zimmerman, 2003). Games are virtual
worlds in which learners “play at” some role as they solve problems and make
connections by learning to “think like” scientists, historians, journalists,
soldiers, diplomats, or any other group that employs systematic methods of
inquiry and problem framing in order to investigate the world. Groff, Haas,
Klopfer, & Osterweil (2009) have observed teachers using games to get
students to take on the role of scientist, engineer, mathematician, journalist,
etc., and found that students developed the higher order thinking skills
associated with those professions. Games also provide a way for teachers to
meet students where they are. Gee (2005a) has proposed that games can provide
kids with experiences that teach them valuable higher order thinking skills and
some habits of mind that are very valuable in today’s post-industrial society. Gee
(2005b) has demonstrated that game playing can help to develop users’ thinking
skills, such as the ability to quickly process information, to review
information and decide what is relevant and irrelevant, to process information
concurrently from a variety of sources, to explore content in non-linear
fashion, to become familiar with digital collaboration networks, to take a relaxed
approach to play and problem solve by exploring, to form hypotheses, and to
experiment.
Successful implementation of digital games in
the classroom must overcome a number of barriers, including school culture,
pedagogical and technical support, teacher’s proficiency with technology and
pedagogy, students’ technical proficiency, and resources. Teachers should spend
time becoming familiar with digital games, especially the ones they want to use
in their classroom, and collaborating with a colleague, either in person or
online. Collaborating with another teacher who is interested in similar
teaching methods is a good way to generate ideas and troubleshoot (Groff et
al., 2009)
