the computer continuum13-1 chapter 13: pushing the envelope of human potential it was once thought...

The Computer Continuum 13-1

Chapter 13: Pushing the Envelope of

Human Potential

It was once thought that the United States would need only 4 computers.


Pushing the Envelope of Human Potential

In this chapter:• In what way is the educational system still tied to the

industrial revolution?

• How have microcomputers affected teaching and learning?

• What role does the computer play in teaching?

• What can computers help us learn?

• What advances in computer technology have changed the way learning is done?

• How can the classroom become less teacher-centered?

• What new testing tools are available for teachers?


Historical Perspective

Our educational system:• Developed during the Industrial Revolution.

• Built on the “factory model.”

– Unschooled students (raw material) enter at age 5.

– Children processed through several stages.

– Emerged 12 years later as finished products.

• Knowledge, facts, and skills for industry and agriculture.

– Assumes all students learn the same things, the same way, at the same pace.

– Teacher’s responsibility to pour knowledge into students.

– For learning to take place, students must sit quietly, in straight rows, listening to teachers.


Historical Perspective

The Seed of Educational Change• Late 1970s, microcomputers enter the educational system:

– Little or no software was available.

• By the 1990s, Hundreds of thousands of computer programs had been written.

– Expensive and cheap software was available to address any content area or skill-based learning need.

– Software was textual in nature with low quality sound (beeps).

– Color was introduced (very minimal).• By the late 1990s, as speed and capacity of computers

increased:• Advancements in audio and visual became possible.


Why are Computers Effective Teaching Tools?

A vast amount of education and training is done with microcomputers.• Government and business need to train sales people, computer

programmers, assembly line workers, and managers.• Four major reasons for the computer’s effectiveness in

education:– Learning Satisfaction: People like to learn with computers.

• Computers can accommodate different learning styles.– Support for Both Teachers and Learners: Computers can present

information independently, and at an individual pace.– Support for All Content Areas: Unlimited resources available

online. Can provide expert knowledge in any field.– Support for All Ages, Grades, and Skill Levels: Endless list.


What Can Computers Teach?

All education and training can be grouped into three major categories: (and the role computers play in each)• Cognitive learning

• Psychomotor skills

• Social interaction



Cognitive learning• Knowledge - facts, figures, dates, comparisons,

causes/effects, meanings, spellings.

• Thinking skills - ability to analyze and solve problems, give directions, apply criteria, generalize.

• Includes:

– Math programs that teach math facts.

– Encyclopedia programs teaching dates, showing a video of how something works.

– World Wide Web research exercises.

– Programs that check for content mastery.



Psychomotor skills• The relationship between the brain and muscles.

• Includes:

– Arcade games teaching eye-hand coordination.

– Software teaching a specific task such as flying a plane or driving a car.

– Software that improves a golf swing.



Social interaction• Involves the successful relationship with others.

• Includes working or communicating with others, teamwork, winning and losing, management skills and leadership skills.

• Includes:

– Playing any sport.

– Management of a lemonade stand.

– Playing games with others or against the computer.

– Chatting with others on the Internet.

– Writing e-mail to a pen-pal.


What Can Computers Help Us Learn?

Educational Goals of the Information Age:• The development of skills that enable us to define tasks.

• The ability to find and utilize information.

• The ability to deal effectively with the rapidly changing world our technology has evolved.



In Computer-aided learning: The student uses the computer and Internet technology to help him or her learn.

In Computer-aided instruction: The teacher uses the technology to assist in the task of teaching.

• How can computer-aided learning help us achieve the educational goals of the Information Age?



Some areas where computer-aided learning can help us achieve the Educational Goals of the Information Age:• Increase reading/writing literacy.

• Help develop skills to apply math concepts to solve problems.

• Help develop skills to analyze situations and determine appropriate actions.

• Increase technical familiarity including underlying concepts.

• Incorporate local and global communication skills.

• Cultural awareness.

• Learning how to learn independently.


High-Tech Tools that Help Us Learn

Recent advances broaden the computer’s effectiveness as a learning tool:• CD-ROM

• Local Area Networks

• Internet and the World Wide Web

The advances are changing the way learning is done.• Distance Learning



CD-ROM and DVD• Allows immediate access to large amounts of inter-related

digitized data on demand.

– CD-ROM can contain books and articles, sound and video clips, helpful hints, and enrichment material.

– DVD can contain over 2 hours of high quality digital video, as well as audio, and textual information.



Local Area Networks - Three major advances to learning technology:• Increased flexibility of lab use.

– Access to uncorrupted software.

– Can work collaboratively to solve group problems and assignments.

• Decreased software and (redundant) hardware costs.

– Many courseware development companies have network pricing on software.

• Ease of software maintenance.

– One set of software needs to be updated, that which resides on the file server (saves time and cost).



Internet and the Web • Can be searched by any students, any grade or age.

• Surfing (browsing) the Web encourages development of creativity and intellectual curiosity.

• Can support any teacher’s strategy or students’ learning styles.

• Provides a limitless educational resource.



Distance Learning - The unsupervised, independent mode of education where students do not meet in a classroom. (e-mail, video, Internet, real-time electronic communication.)• Get the same lecture.

• Can receive assignments and handouts from teacher at any time.

• Internet and CD-ROMs provide nearly endless resource.

• E-mail allows students to submit assignments electronically and receive timely feedback.

• Review and tests can be answered online, giving immediate feedback and scoring.

• Students can get immediate responses from teachers.

• Internet Relay Chat and Web-based chat rooms enable students to participate in online activities and discussions.



Presentation Technology• Both traditional and Information Age learning environments

rely heavily on the presentation of ideas and information.

– Teachers present new material to students.

– Students present reports, conclusions and solutions of problems to the teacher and classmates.

• Presentation software: Enables users to create presentation ‘slides’ combining text, photographs, video clips, and color graphics, and to display them via the computer, incorporating sound, animation and special effects into the presentation.


Real and Virtual Classrooms

Schools of the 21st century will:• Become less teacher-centered: Focus more on individual

student.

• Take place in physical (brick and cement) classrooms.

• Take place in a virtual classroom.

– Exists only in electronic terms through the Internet and the WWW.

• Demand that the teacher and student play new roles (shared responsibility).



Brick and Cement Classroom of the 21st Century:• Classrooms with learning and activity stations all with

computer and Internet access.

• Teacher’s role becomes one of facilitator or primary guide to resources and their usage.

• Students will follow an individualized program (best suited to educational needs of the student).

• Resources will be instantly available, on demand, online.

• Students will demonstrate mastery through portfolios and presentations.



Virtual Classroom of the 21st Century:• Classes have no specific meeting time or place.

• Students can log in from anywhere in the world.

• Students and teachers communicate through electronic means.

• Teachers’ materials are presented electronically.

• Students progress at their own speeds.

• Tests and knowledge checks are provided online, with rapid feedback.



Rewards of the 21st Century Classroom:• An individualized, meaningful, challenging, learning

environment.

– Emphasis on individualized abilities and goals.

• A population able to cope with the rapid changes characteristic of a highly technical society.


Electronic Test Generators

Electronic Test Generator: An application that simplifies the tasks of creating, taking, and administering tests using computer technology and the WWW.

• Provides different functions for teacher, student, and administrator:

– Teacher: Can create, format, post, and grade tests.

– Student: Can take a test, and get immediate feedback on scores and results.

– Administrator: Can generate a variety of reports based on student performance and question analysis. Can assign passwords.



Electronic Test Bank: A special database containing all of the questions available for use by the test generator program.

• Test questions can be entered into the bank in any of three ways:

– Typing the questions directly into the test generator.

– Importing the questions from existing tests or from word-processing documents.

– Loading the test banks that come with the textbook.



Parts of questions as they exist in the test bank:• The stem: The main part of the question.

• A correct answer indicator: Usually a check mark or asterisk placed near the correct answer. Some test generators use an answer key instead of an indicator.

• Objective: Identifies the topic being tested by that question. (Most require this type of labeling system.)

• Comment: Some allow the teacher to enter a comment that is displayed if a student marks the wrong answer.



Different programs allow different types of questions:• Multiple-choice and True/False: Supported by all.• Matching: Lists of words or phrases are “matched”.• Sequencing: Student puts a random list in order.• Fill-in-the-blank: Types whatever is needed to fill in the

blank(s). • Short answer: May have more than one answer in database.• Check-boxes: Student checks all responses that are correct.• Point-and-click: Student gets credit when areas (hot-spots), are

clicked.• Example: Click the area of an image, then click on the answer.• Essay: Can’t be electronically graded. Few support essays.



Building a Test using the Inqsit Online Testing Program:• Inqsit is an online testing program written at Ball State University.

Must be installed on a Windows NT web server.

• Loading the test bank: Two text files (Questions file and Answers file), accessed by password. Can be typed in directly or imported.

• Creating a test: Questions are selected by objective. Notations are inserted indicating how many of each type to include.

• Taking a test: Student logs on to a test-access web site. This may be password protected. As the student completes the test (answers can be changed until this point), the test is submitted for grading.

• Reporting test results: Each question has its own statistical information. Tests are recorded by name. Averages are given.

the computer continuum13-1 chapter 13: pushing the envelope of human potential it was once thought...

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