I.

COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY AND LEARNING

Computers can support the variety of ways learners construct their own understanding.
Students who gather information from the Internet can be self-directed and independent. They can
choose what sources to examine and what connections to pursue. Depending on the parameters set by
teachers, the students may be in complete control of their topics and their explorations.

Computer software can mix text, pictures, sound, and motion to provide a variety of options for
learners. Multimedia software will not be the only classroom resource, but it can contribute richness
and variety to student work.

Students can build on their own understanding by using computers as resource tools, as work
stations for individual learning, or as communication channels to share their ideas with other learners.
Individual understanding and experiences must be shared and compared to curriculum content. By
uncovering students' individual understandings, teachers can determine the influence of students' prior
knowledge and further their education through new experience.

Computers can be used to assist active experiences--gathering data and resources, conversing
with colleagues, struggling through a challenging puzzle or application--or they can assist in reflection.
For example, while an on-line conversation through e-mail is an active event, such discussions usually
prompt reflection. They help us think about ideas and check our understanding. In another reflective
application, teachers can enlist computers as authoring tools for students' journals which are excellent
vehicles for thoughtful examination of experience.

The use of real world tools, relevant experiences, and meaningful data inject a sense of purpose
to classroom activity. Part of the mission of educational institutions is to produce workforce-ready
graduates who can, among other things, manipulate and analyze raw data, critically evaluate
information, and operate hardware and software. This technological literacy imparts a very important
set of vocational skills that will serve students well in the working world.

Technology has allowed schools to provide greater assistance to traditionally underserved

populations. Assistive technology such as voice recognition systems, dynamic Braille displays, speech
synthesizers, and talking books provide learning and communication alternatives for those who have
developmental or physical disabilities.

Role of the Student

 Students’ autonomy and confidence increase as they rely less on their teacher and more on
their own initiative for knowledge-creation. As students gather more real-world data, share their
findings with learners beyond their school, and publish their findings to the world, their role
broadens from investigators of other products to designers, authors, purveyors, and publishers
of their own work.
 Role of the Teacher

 Technology amplifies the resources teachers can offer their students. Rather than relying on the
textbook for content, computers can provide on-line access to content experts and up-to-date
information from original sources.

II. COMPUTER ASSISTED INSTRUCTION (CAI)

 CAI refers to the use of the computer as a tool to facilitate and improve instruction. CAI
programs use tutorials, drill and practice, simulation, and problem solving approaches to
present topics, and they test the student's understanding.

 CAI uses a combination of text, graphics, sound and video in enhancing the learning process. The
computer has many purposes in the classroom, and it can be utilized to help a student in all
areas of the curriculum.

Typical CAI provides

1. text or multimedia content

2. multiple-choice questions
3. problems
4. immediate feedback
5. notes on incorrect responses
6. summarizes students' performance
7. exercises for practice
8. Worksheets and tests.

Types of Computer Assisted Instruction

1. 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.

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

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

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

5. 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.
6. 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
III. COMPUTER MANAGED INSTRUCTION (CMI)

Computer-managed instruction is an instructional strategy whereby the computer is used to provide

learning objectives, learning resources, and assessment of learner’s performance (programs that
evaluate and diagnose students' needs, guide them through the next step in their learning, and record
their progress). Its main difference from the CAI is that CMI aids the instructor in instructional
management without actually doing the teaching.

Disadvantages

 Individuality was restricted to the amount of time spent in the learning process.
 No teacher intervention
 Uncertainties (hesitations to computer-based learning on the part of some medical
educators)
 Sometimes, information is not being updated.
 Negligence of students (students have the tendency to ignore the lesson and their
attention is not focused)

Advantages

 Entertaining and informative

 More developer- and learner-friendly as well as increasingly inexpensive

 The teaching path was fixed and linear. (The communication style was mono-directional (from
the computer to the student) and imperative)
 Provide drill and practice exercises

 Offers a variety of potential interactive strategies.

o Interactive cases and brief quizzes as part of the lecture could reveal student's
understanding of the subject.
o Quiz score and explanations of the answers can provide students immediate feedback
and resources to improve gaps in knowledge on the topic.
o Online discussion could further describe the student's progress in mastering the
objectives for the lecture.
  Serve as a diagnostic aide to discern the impact of the lecture and to augment accountability in
the learning process. It may manage the learning process, including testing and record keeping

Verbal E-mail, chat rooms, texts, online journal

Visual Virtual tools, videos, three-dimensional

representations

Kinesthetic Manipulation of skills used for keyboarding and

games, info on athletics and dance

Affective Online group discussions, personal expression

of thoughts and reflections

 Computer-based approach would free up time for the teacher to spend time with students in
more interactive activities (small group sessions or providing feedback), and a larger number of
students (even students at other institutions) would be able to benefit from well-done modules
on the computer.

IV. THE INTERNET

The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard
Internet Protocol Suite to serve billions of users worldwide. It is a network of networks that consists of
millions of private, public, academic, business, and government networks of local to global scope that
are linked by a broad array of electronic and optical networking technologies.

INTELLIGENCE AND INTERNET OPPORTUNITIES

Disadvantages

 May divert the attention of the student to other websites not related to the intended topic
 Some knowledge or texts are not verified as that of the books.
 Cost and availability
 Tendency for the student to merely copy what is written in the text without proper
understanding.

Advantages

 Provides a wide range of choices of information.

 Allows repetition and rehearsal of information because students are able to visit and revisit
different sites.
 Ease of searching for information needed.
 Spend less time for researching.
 Allows access to different people and experts all over the world