CHAPTER 10: COMPUTER AS A TUTOR
SUMMARY :
With
the invention of the microcomputer, the personal computer becomes the tool for programmed
instructions. Educators saw that this invention could help the students to
learn individually, so they devised different strategies to use the computer in
the learning of the students. Computer could be a tutor but the teacher must
continue to play the major roles of information deliverer and learning
environment controller. Even though we have different computer and software
which help the student in learning the teacher must insure that they have the
needed knowledge in every computer activity, decide to the appropriate learning
objectives, plan the sequential and structured activities to achieve the
objectives and evaluate the students achievement by the way of testing the
expected outcome. On the other hand, students of the computer assisted
instruction play their own roles by receiving the information, understanding
instructions for the computer activity, keeping in mind the information and
rules for the computer activity and
lastly applying the knowledge and rules they have learn in the process of the
computer activity. Also during the activity the computer also CAI play its
roles which it acts as a sort of tutor, provides a learning environment which
help the learners to learn more, delivers the learning instruction, reinforces
the learning of the students to the drill and practice which means that it
reinforces the learning of the students by the hands on activity and lastly provides
feedback for the students. In today generation we saw that computer has indeed
succeeded in providing an individualized learning for the students, this
individualized learning also help the teachers in handling the class because of
this teacher would only facilitate the learning of the students during the
process. CAI computer learning should not stop with the drill and practice
activities of students. Simulation software materials are another kind of
software that are constructivist in nature. An example of such software is
SimCity in which students are allowed to artificially manage a city given an
imaginary city environment. While relating to low-level learning objectives,
instructional computer games add the elements of competition and challenge. Problem
solving software are more sophisticated than the drill and practice exercises
and allow students to learn and improve in their problem solving ability. Since
problems cannot be solved simply by memorizing facts, the students have to
employ higher thinking skills. 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 proposition. The
computer is a tutor in this new age of learning. It does not replace the
teacher, although it assumes certain roles previously assigned to teachers who
now has to take the new role of facilitator and guide.
We
are truly now on the technology age where technology can be one touch away.
Technology has made its impact to the new generation; one of its impacts is
that technology now acts as a tutor to our students. Technology could really
helpful in many ways, we have this many applications that could help us in
leaning different subjects. Computers make learning easy and fun, it has its
features which make us really make the learners curious and crave for more.
Learning with the help of the technology becomes exciting and by this students
would be exposed to hands-on activity. With the help of the Educational
technology subject I have learn a lot about technology just like for example in
the doing exam it could be online exam. Another one is in doing your assignment;
we could use technology for example in making comics. Technology has a lot of
importance but it has also its advantages, so let us not forget that we are the
now manipulating the technology not the technology manipulating us.
We
cannot deny the fact that we really need technology in our life as a teacher.
It is like this is part of our life. Computers can do a lot of things; in just
one click you can open a lot of applications and browsers. Some says that
technology only exist today, but this technology were also existing in the past
we did not see it because were to focus to other things. Technology is really
helpful for the teacher because by this teachers could create an active and
collaborative class. But this computers/ technology could never replace the
role of the teachers.
As
a future teacher, I should integrate this technology to my class in order to
meet the different need and interest of my students. This fast changing world
is a great challenge for us future educators because we would also encounter
different types of learners. To the next 10 years we cannot say that teachers
are still the fountain of knowledge because we are now having this new
technology which could help the students in learning. But teachers in the next
10 years will act as a facilitator which will guide the learners to learn more.
Some Limitations
Research on computers in education is several years behind actual
computer use. Other than case studies, most research on using computers in instruction
has been done with school children and has tested commercial software packages.
Much software has been developed by computer programmers and to some extent
by educational technologists (Meyer & Rose, 1999) not familiar with adult
learning theory (Askov, 1998). Many researchers, therefore, consider that most
of the potential of computers for learning has not been tapped (Mandanach &
Kline, 2000).
Most computer use in K-12 classrooms focuses on two applications:
drill-and-practice software and computer programming (Cognition and Technology
Group at Vanderbilt [CTGV], 1996). Other software showcases the newest "bells
and whistles" that computer software has to offer, but it is technology-, not
learning-driven (Jonassen & Land, 2000). In fact, most educational software
is based on behaviorism: the idea that people learn when they are simply exposed
to information and are rewarded for choosing right answers.3
Despite a high level of interest in technology among teachers
and policymakers in ABE, little published research on adult literacy students
and technology exists.4
Beyond individual teachers' recommendations and experiences, adult basic
educators have little firm evidence for the most effective ways to use technology
in the ABE setting. Until we have a body of research on adult literacy and technology,
we can benefit from the lessons learned from computers used with K-12 and college-aged
students. The review of the literature that follows here is therefore very selective.
In some cases, only a few studies back up the suggestions; in other cases, dozens
do, and I have cited only the most pertinent.
Effective Uses
When researchers have compared more and less effective uses of
technology, they have noticed that computer use that involves one or more of
the following appears to be most successful:
- Critical thinking skills
- Customization and student interests
- Human interaction
- Student collaboration
- Accommodating disabilities
- Using drill for memorization
- Performing real-life tasks
- Performing complex tasks
Technology can tap different skills than do textbooks and group
work. For example, ABE learners
need to develop complex thinking skills. They need to be able to analyze and
read critically, to explain what they believe and why they believe it. ABE students
might feel nervous when asked "why" in front of a class. Computer software can
prompt learners to explain their thinking without making them feel vulnerable.
The Scientists in Action software series asks learners to choose a
tool for measuring mussels, crayfish, and other macroinvertebrates that are
sensitive to river quality, and are therefore an indicator of pollution. Students
choose a tool and also give an explanation for why they chose the tool. They
receive feedback over the World Wide Web from students in other classrooms (Vye
et al., 1998). Students examine their thinking processes by engaging in these
dialogues. Several good software packages such as this exist, and I believe
they would appeal to adult learners.
Another skill many ABE learners must develop is the ability to
compare and evaluate information. The seemingly endless sources of information
on the Internet almost dictate that Internet users do this (Benton Foundation,
1997). In addition, the Internet provides teachers with an easy way to find
texts with opposing viewpoints that can generate student discussion and debate.
ABE teachers can use computers to develop evaluation skills by downloading materials
from the Internet to use in conventional classes or by asking students to search
for information and then evaluate the credibility of the sources. For more on
this, see page 25.
Increased Interest
Many adult education teachers have seen a student's engagement
increase when they wrote word problems based on a student's favorite sport or
hobby. Perhaps they created games that allow students to practice skills in
an engaging way. They may have used the language experience approach, in which
a student dictates a story to the teacher, who writes it down so the student
can then read it. Studies of children have found that computer programs are
more motivating when they included the user's name and interests in the problems
(Cordova & Lepper, 1996) and used game formats (Fitzgerald & Koury,
1996). In one of these studies, for example, a math game gave students feedback
such as "Congratulations, Bill, you just saved New York from the aliens." Few
commercially available software packages, especially software designed for ABE
use, incorporate these motivational features. ABE teachers should seek out software
that does.
Spreadsheets, calculator software, word processing programs, and
some math programs can relieve students of tedious calculating and copying,
freeing them to focus on understanding concepts (see the article on page 19
for more on the role of calculators in teaching mathematics). Many elementary
school students have used the Logo computer programming language for math activities.
Using Logo, students have to program the computer, for example, to draw and
copy angles; the computer does the calculations for them. A review of 10 studies
in which middle-school students used Logo to learn measurement, fractions, and
geometry showed better learning for students using the computer than for students
in traditional classrooms (McCoy, 1996). Students can use computers to perform
many real-world math tasks, similar to the way spreadsheets are used in the
workplace (Merrill et al., 1996). Likewise, students rewrite more often when
they use word processors because they do not have to tediously recopy everything
they have written (Kamil et al., 2000).
Interactivity
Studies of both traditional pencil-and-paper methods and distance
learning, such as web-based courses and two-way video courses, show that student�teacher
and student�student interaction are vital to keeping students from dropping
out and enabling them to learn effectively (Hiltz, 1999; Parke & Tracy-Mumford,
2000). Parke and Tracy-Mumford found that distance learning programs in which
students studied on their own and rarely interacted with others led to little
learning and showed high student dropout rates. Computers are most effective
in distance education classrooms when they are used in ways that include person-to-person
interaction. Interactive methods include real-time chat rooms (in which users
can post messages that are read right away, like a typed conversation), electronic
discussion lists and bulletin boards (in which e-mail is posted and distributed
to all users, sometimes at a later time), threaded discussion lists (electronic
discussion lists where messages are sorted according to topic), telephone conferencing,
and face-to-face meetings. Building human interaction into distance learning
may be more effective than noninteractive distance learning in prompting learning,
because teachers and fellow students ask questions that require high-level thinking
skills.
Game-type interaction, where the computer flashes a smiling face
or a score or tells the student an answer was correct, is not enough to keep
distance learning students engaged. Although much educational software is called
interactive, most of it does not truly "interact" with the student: it just
tells the student whether she or he answered the question correctly. This helps
students to memorize facts but does not build deep understanding or critical
thinking skills (Report to the President, 1997). Only the most sophisticated
artificial intelligence programs developed by universities can give constructive
feedback similar to the interaction between a human teacher and a student. At
this time, these programs are not available commercially.
Teachers in ABE programs can build in interaction when using computers
by having discussions before and after students use computers, just as teachers
have discussions before and after students read from a book. To be effective,
distance education in ABE should always incorporate student�teacher and student�student
interaction.
Collaboration
Many ABE teachers find that students learn better when they work
in groups to solve a problem. Project-based learning (working together on real-life
class projects), jigsaws (splitting students into "expert" groups who report
back to each other), and other cooperative learning methods help students to
solve more difficult problems than they could on their own, learn from each
other, and build critical teamwork skills. Educational computing researchers
are designing applications that allow students to work collaboratively by linking
many classrooms or many students in a classroom. These projects have resulted
in increased student learning and motivation (CTGV, 1996). In the Computer-Supported
Intentional Learning Environment (CSILE) project, for example, high school students
used computers to contribute to a classwide database by writing and drawing
about topics they were studying, including social studies, science, literature,
and math. Students who used the computers collaboratively showed better results
on tests of deep understanding of the topic, using what they had learned in
a new situation, learning more for understanding (rather than just to pass a
test), and also scored higher on standardized tests (Scardamalia et al., 1994).
These findings on the benefits of collaboration parallel findings about students
working in groups in conventional classrooms (Slavin, 1998).
ABE teachers can have students engage in e-mail discussions with
an outside "expert" such as another teacher or another ABE classroom. Several
good collaborative software packages exist, such as CSILE and LabNet, which
I believe would appeal to adult learners. See the article on page 33.
Accommodations
In many K-12 schools, students who have learning disabilities
use specialized technology to support their learning. Text-reading software
and hardware (as well as books on tape) are used to read books to students with
visual disabilities and learning disabilities. Text-reading technology helps
students to learn new content (Merrill et al., 1996), but technology alone does
not help them learn to read better since they are not practicing reading (Fitzgerald
& Koury, 1996). Having students read along while listening to books on tape
is highly recommended for those with reading difficulties (McCormick, 1999).
Although little research has been done with adult literacy students in this
area, one small study showed that Army recruits who read along with an audiotape
comprehended a reading better than those who read alone or who listened to the
audiotape alone (Sticht, 1969). A more recent study with college students with
severe learning disabilities found the same benefits, but found that reading
technology actually interfered with the learning of college students who had
milder disabilities (Raskind, 2000). Overall, it is not clear whether reading
machines help students with or without disabilities learn to read, which is
a necessary skill for becoming an independent learner (Meyer & Rose, 1999).
Speech-recognition software is used to help students with physical
and visual disabilities and learning disabilities to learn to write. The ability
to revise quickly using word processing programs, combined with spell-checking
features, has been found to improve all students' writing (Kamil & Lane,
1998). In a review of four studies with learning - disabled college students,
word processing with spell checking provided similar benefits (Raskind, 1998).
One of these studies also found benefits from speech production software that
read drafts aloud to college students with learning disabilities. The evidence
for the use of word processors to improve writing with adult literacy students
is therefore stronger than the evidence supporting text-reading machines, but
it is not definitive.
Audiotapes have been used extensively in classes of English for
speakers of other languages (ESOL) and in language labs. While this technology
can help learners build pronunciation and listening skills, language learning
has shifted away from artificial patterned drills and towards more real-life
situations, in which students must determine what to say and how to say it (D�az-Rico
& Weed, 1995). Handheld scanners called "C-Pens," "Quicklink Pens," or "Pocketreaders"
have recently come on the market. These can scan text, "pronounce" words, and
beam information into a computer using infrared technology. The impact of this
technology on learning is totally untested as far as we know.
ABE teachers can use all of these technologies, since we know
that many ABE students have learning difficulties. Reading technology can help
learning-disabled students build content knowledge, word processing and voice
recognition can help students focus more on their ideas while worrying less
about spelling and mechanics, and language labs can improve students' English
pronunciation and listening skills.
Memorization
Most education researchers agree that multiplication and addition
tables and correct spelling must be memorized. This information needs to be
"overlearned" so that the answers come automatically, without thinking, freeing
students' minds to think about and understand what they are doing. Computers
can be an excellent tool for this. Thousands of drill-based programs have been
developed for schools, and they are largely successful at reinforcing disconnected
skills (Report to the President, 1997). Several studies have shown that students who have trouble with
basic skills benefit from computer practice on a small number of items at a
time (CTGV, 1996). For facts that need to be memorized, drill-based programs
can provide effective practice on students' weak areas and can accelerate training.
But, unlike a teacher, who can pay attention to the reasons why students make
mistakes and can reteach them more effectively (Lepper et al., 1997), most computer
programs can only identify which questions students got wrong and keep drilling
them. This can be frustrating for students who they do not know why they are
getting the wrong answer; and the computer cannot help them figure that out.
So ABE teachers can use drill-and-practice strategically, to reinforce basic
skills when students need more practice and more variety than they are getting
from paper-and-pencil tasks.
Adult learners in particular want learning to be relevant and
useful. Technology has been effective when it is used in classrooms to do real-life
tasks: writing a resume on a word processor, making a household budget using
a spreadsheet, or searching for health information on the Internet (Cowles,
1997). Researchers have found that when software includes tasks in which students
are interested, they learn better. For example, one study detailed young learners'
experience with the Adventures of Jasper Woodbury series, in which
students are introduced to a playground project on a videodisc, and then design
their own playground equipment. They learn about measurement, scale, what details
need to be included in drawings, and so on. Low-, average-, and high-achievement
students all improved in a real-world test on their use of scale and measurement
and on a standardized geometry test (Barron et al., 1998).
Thinking Tools
Computers have significant advantages over people in a few select
areas. They can store huge amounts of information that they will never forget,
they can organize and retrieve that information very quickly, and they can do
very complex calculations very quickly. The newest generation of computer applications
for learning uses these computer advantages to help students do much more complex
problems than they otherwise could. For example, applications have been developed
to teach doctors how to read mammograms (RadTutor; Azevedo, & Lajoie, 1998),
to teach nurses how to manage patients in intensive care units (SICUN tutor;
Lajoie et al., 1998), and to help high school students learn how to discuss
policy issues (Paolucci et al., 1996). "Computers as cognitive tools" applications
can allow students to test ideas, such as the effect of raising the minimum
wage, by having the computer perform the huge, complex calculations that students
could not do themselves. These applications have produced dramatically improved
student learning and deep understanding. A few simulation applications are available
from publishers of high school textbooks that could be used with ABE students,
such as Addison-Wesley's Biology Labs On-Line. Although very little
of this type of software is available to ABE teachers, it holds enormous potential
for student learning in the future.
Implications
ABE teachers who want to improve
student learning should keep these suggestions in mind when planning to use
technology, particularly computers, in the classroom. First, do not count on
educational software as a stand-alone tool. Put it in a context for students
by having discussions before and after they use it. For example, the Pig dissection
software (Pierian Spring, 1995) could be a great review after a class on inner
organs, but it will not teach students by itself. Have face-to-face discussions
before and after students use computers, just as you would before and after
they read a traditional reading passage. This ensures that students can ask
questions before they start using the computer. It also gives you a chance to
find out, after an exercise is completed, if they understood the tasks they
were doing on the computer.
Have students work together at the computers with other learners,
or via e-mail as much as possible, so that they can help each other, learn from
each other, and learn by discussing what they are doing. Give real-life assignments
to students using the computer: research a business plan, produce a flyer or
newsletter for the school, learn about a health problem that affects them or
a family member. Teach and reinforce computer skills that require students to
think critically.
Use drill software sparsely and strategically to build basic skills
that need to be practiced until they are automatic. Choose drills that allow
students to practice in a meaningful context.
Use the Internet to allow students to read about, hear, and see
new places and things that expand their knowledge of the world. Technology cannot
replace teachers, nor can it teach students on its own. Used wisely, however,
it has the proven potential to enrich student learning and motivation.
B.How will computer develop the higher thinking skills of students?
Strategies for enhancing higher order thinking
These following strategies are offered for enhancing higher order thinking skills. This listing should not be seen as exhaustive, but rather as a place to begin.Take the mystery away
Teach students about higher order thinking and higher order thinking strategies. Help students understand their own higher order thinking strengths and challenges.Teach the concept of concepts
Explicitly teach the concept of concepts. Concepts in particular content areas should be identified and taught. Teachers should make sure students understand the critical features that define a particular concept and distinguish it from other concepts.Name key concepts
In any subject area, students should be alerted when a key concept is being introduced. Students may need help and practice in highlighting key concepts. Further, students should be guided to identify which type(s) of concept each one is — concrete, abstract, verbal, nonverbal or process.Categorize concepts
Students should be guided to identify important concepts and decide which type of concept each one is (concrete, abstract, verbal, nonverbal, or process).Tell and show
Often students who perform poorly in math have difficulty with nonverbal concepts. When these students have adequate ability to form verbal concepts, particular attention should be given to providing them with verbal explanations of the math problems and procedures. Simply working problems again and again with no verbal explanation of the problem will do little to help these students. Conversely, students who have difficulty with verbal concept formation need multiple examples with relatively less language, which may confuse them. Some students are "tell me" while others are "show me.Lesson 11: The Computer as the Teacher’s Tool
In the previous lesson, we saw how the computer can act as a
tutor, particularly along a behaviorist and cognitive approach to
learning. But we also saw how certain computer software programs have
been developed to foster higher thinking skills and creativity.
In
this lesson, we shall again look at the computer, but this time from
another perspective, the computer as the teacher’s handy-tool. It can in
fact support the constructivist and social constructivist paradigms of
constructivist learning.
Constructivist
was introduced by Piaget (1981) and Bruner (1990). They gave stress to
knowledge discovery of new meaning/concepts/principles in the learning
process. Various strategies have been suggested to foster knowledge
discovery, among these, is making students engaged in gathering
unorganized information from which they can induce ideas and principles.
Students are also asked to apply discovered knowledge to new
situations, a process for making their knowledge applicable to real life
situations.
While
knowledge is constructed by the individual learner in constructivism,
knowledge can also be socially constructed. Social constructivism. This
is an effort to show that the construction of knowledge is governed by
social, historical and cultural contexts. In effect, this is to ay that
the learner who interprets knowledge has a predetermined point of view
according to the social perspectives of the community or society he
lives in.
The
psychologist Vygotsky stressed that learning is affected by social
influences. He therefore suggested the interactive process in learning.
The more capable adult (teacher or parent) or classmate can aid or
complement what the learner sees in a given class project. In addition,
Dewey sees language as a medium for social coordination and adaptation.
For Dewey human learning is really human languaging that occurs when
students socially share, build and agree upon meanings and knowledge.
FIGURE 7 SUMMARY OF THE TWO LEARNING PERSPECTIVE
The Computer’s Capabilities
Given
its present-day speed, flexibility and sophistication, the computer can
provide access to information, foster creative social knowledge
building, and enhance the communication of the achieved project package.
Without the computer, today’s learners may still be assuming the
tedious task of low-level information gathering, building and new knew
knowledge packaging. But this is not so, since the modern computer can
help teacher-and-students to focus on more high level cognitive tasks.
Based on the two learning theories, the teacher can employ the computer as a/an:
· As an information tool
· A communication tool
· A constructive tool
· As co-constructive tool
· A situating tool
Informative tool
The computer can provide vast amounts of information in various
forms, such as text, graphics, sound and video. Even multimedia
encyclopedias are today available on the internet.
The
internet itself provides and enormous database from which user can
access global information resources that includes the latest news,
weather forecasts, airline schedule, sports development, entertainment
news and features, as well as educational information directly useful to
learners. The internet on education can be sourced for kinds of
educational resources on the internet.
Along
the constructivist point of view, it is not enough for learners to
download relevant information using the computer as an information tool.
Students can use gathered information for composition or presentation
projects as may be assigned by the teacher. Given the fact that the
internet can serve as a channel for global communication, the computer
can very well be the key tool for video teleconferencing sessions.
Constructive Tool
The
computer itself can be used for manipulating information, visualizing
one’s understanding and building new knowledge. The Microsoft Word
computer program itself is a desktop publishing software that allows
uses to organize and present their ideas in attractive formats.
Co-constructive Tools
Students can use constructive tools to work cooperatively and
construct a shared understanding of new knowledge. On ways of
co-constructive is the use of the electronic whiteboard where students
may post notices to a shared document/whiteboard. Students may also
co-edit the same document from their homes.
The
Computer-Supported International Learning Environments (CSILE) is an
example of an integrated environment developed by the Ontario Institute
for studied in Education. Within CSILE, students can enter their ideas
in notes and respond to each other’s ideas. Manifest in the
student-generated database are higher level thinking
processes-explaining, problem solving/finding, expertise and
development, literacy improvement.
Situating Tool
By means of virtual reality (RS) extension systems, the computer
can create 3-D images on display to give the user the feeling that are
situated in a virtual environment. A flight simulation program is an
example of situating tool which places the user in a simulated flying
environment.
Multi-User
domains or Dungeons (MUDs) MUD Object Oriented (MOOs), and Multi-User
Shared hallucination (MUSHs) are example of situating systems MUDs and
MOOs are text-based virtual reality environments on the Internet. When
users log on to a MOO environment, they may interact with the virtual
reality (such as by writing on a notice board) through simple text based
commands. A school-to-school or classroom-to-classroom environment is
possible whereby the user can choose to talk around the campus, talk
with other users who are logged to the same site.
To caution users, the computer as a situating tool is news and still undergoing further research and development.
REFLECTION
A. How will computer improve the teaching methods and strategies?
As teachers, it’s necessary to be able to teach and remain engaging. It puts a greater level of responsibility on creating lesson plans that truly work. Here are three teaching methods that are making an impact.
Spaced Learning
Teachers have reported amazing results when it came to spaced learning. Spaced Learning is a learning method in which the condensed learning content is repeated three times, with two 10-minute breaks during which activities such as physical activities are performed by the students – I think, that PE and lessons can be combined.Spaced learning involves encouraging students to quickly switch through activities. For example, providing ten minutes of knowledge on the nervous system with a PowerPoint presentation and then having 15 minutes of basketball would be the way to get the better grades.
The results don’t lie and the creators of the system at Monkseaton High School in Tyne and Wear have reported that it does work. They claim that it’s more effective than simply teaching students by utilising traditional methods for four hours.
The key is in the brain cells. It helps them to create the connections that they need to actually remember the knowledge. Furthermore, it has the additional benefit of allowing people to relax. If they are compressing sections of the syllabus into such small sections then there’s no time to worry. It’s all about the learning before moving on to another session of activity.
Flexible Fridays
Sometimes conventional lesson blocks just don’t work as every student is different and they all have their problematic subjects. The concept of Flexible Fridays is that an in-depth session of a subject can be acquired by simply having a whole day of mathematics or some other subject.At Flexible Fridays lessons a teacher try to help each student to study and learn what is the most difficult for him/her personally. Somebody repeats, somebody learns. It makes it more convenient for students as now they can focus on one thing while in school. It means that students don’t have a breaking point by spending hours struggling with a subject along at home.
Teachers also find it easier as they can keep their lesson plans and simply go over them again with a more personal touch. Flexible Friday lessons are more in-touch with students and gives focused study time that can help students grasp difficult concepts.
Teachers are also able to aid students by simply having fast-track weeks. Having a whole week of mathematics or English can help students to get through the subjects in a shorter amount of time.
It’s good news for teachers and students alike because even though a lesson lasts an hour it could actually lose up to 25 percent of its designated time. There’s the preparing for class and packing away to take into account, and students are not always the quickest at performing these tasks.
Teacher should choose what method is more appropriate for his/her students: spaced learning or Flexible Fridays.
Engagement
Under a new teaching method called “engagement” students are urged to engage with the real world, analyse everything that happens in different life spheres (not only internship but also economical, business, social spheres, etc.). Business studies are where this new focus of engagement occurred at the Leasowes Community College in Dudley.Instead of conventional teaching methods, students were taken to visit local businesses where they were able to witness how the knowledge that they were learning applied to the real world.
Multiple days were set aside for this practice and all students were required to wear business suits in order to attend. The idea is to get students engaged and to connect their learning to the real world. If teachers can show them how what they are teaching connects to the real world then their own brain cells are going to connect them and associate them.
The results are there for all to see because before this new method was introduced only 40 percent of students achieved grades of A-C across both years 10 and 11. Under the new teaching method the institution reported that the numbers had shot up to a massive 91 percent of students achieving A-Cs in years 10 and year 11.
New methods of teaching have the purpose to improve the quality of education and involve students in educational process. Innovations mean a progress and development.
b.Why is there a need to use computers in the teaching-learning process?
here is clear and widespread agreement among the public and educators that all students need to be proficient computer users or "computer literate." However, while districts are spending a great deal of money on technology, there seems to be only a vague notion of what computer literacy really means. Can the student who operates a computer well enough to play a game, send e-mail or surf the Web be considered computer literate? Will a student who uses computers in school only for running tutorials or an integrated learning system have the skills necessary to survive in our society? Will the ability to do basic word processing be sufficient for students entering the workplace or post-secondary education?
Clearly not. In too many schools, teachers and students still use computers
only as the equivalent of expensive flash cards, electronic worksheets, or as
little more than a typewriter. The productivity side of computer use in the
general content area curriculum is neglected or grossly underdeveloped
(Moursund, 1995).
Recent publications by educational associations are advocating for a more
meaningful use of technology in schools (ISTE, 2000). Educational technologists
are clearly describing what students should know and be able to do with
technology. They are advocating integrating computer skills into the content
areas, proclaiming that computer skills should not be taught in isolation and
that separate "computer classes" do not really help students learn to apply
computer skills in meaningful ways. There is increasing recognition that the end
result of computer literacy is not knowing how to operate computers, but to use
technology as a tool for organization, communication, research, and problem
solving. This is an important shift in approach and emphasis.
LESSON 12- INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN SUPPORT OF STUDENT-CENTERED LEARNING
When we say traditional
classroom it is when a teacher is the one who dominates the teaching
process.
He is the only source of knowledge or the fountain of information to
students. In Student Centered Learning there is an interaction between
the student and the
teacher .The student is the one who will discuss to the whole class
wherein the
teacher is has given him the topic to be discussed. And through this the
students
then become active and develop independence and self-awareness in the
learning
process.
REFLECTION
A. How was the change or improvement in classroom management after the shift from the traditional learning environment to SCL?
Education in our middle schools and high schools these days is rapidly changing. The old notion of a classroom where the students are sitting quietly and neatly in their seats, while the teacher is up front pouring pearls of wisdom and knowledge into their brains is absurd.
Reality in the 21st century is quite a different story. Students seem to know that once a teacher stands up in front of the room and starts "teaching," not only is their life going to get very boring very quickly, the end result will be that there will be more quizzes and tests to fail and more opportunities to end up feeling dumber and dumber. So, how do they cope? They text their friends or get some sleep, or interrupt the teacher with a myriad of cleverly constructed distractions. The teacher who intends to stand in front of a high school or middle school class and "teach" is in a constant battle.
Unfortunately, not all problems have easy solutions. Our students come into the classroom with the same attitudes and expectations as the society in which they live. How could it be otherwise? For many people in America, the Dream Job is one in which they are required to do very little work and get paid mega bucks for doing it. The main objective at work for some people is to avoid work. By example, our youth are taught these same values, or lack thereof. They simply do not understand that education will not occur if they don't get involved. They don't understand that their education is both their responsibility and their right.
The good news, however, is that not all students are so unaware. More and more of society at large, and consequently many students, are demanding an educational system that works for and with them. These students are not bored. They are very curious, eager to learn, and willing to do whatever it takes to learn. I believe that the student-centered learning environment enables an educator to deal effectively with all types of students in the same classroom. A student-centered learning environment encourages students to become independent learners and ultimately to be in charge of their own education.
Are teachers obsolete? Absolutely not. But, an educator's role is changing from the traditional "imparter of knowledge" to that of coach and consultant. There are many exciting examples of successful strategies and programs in which the students are not only allowed, but encouraged and required, to take responsibility for much more of their learning than ever before.
B. How effective is SCL?
Definition:
»Student-Centred Learning represents both a mindset and a culture within a given higher education institution and is a learning approach which is broadly related to, and supported by, constructivist theories of learning. It is characterised by innovative methods of teaching which aim to promote learning in communication with teachers and other learners and which take students seriously as active participants in their own learning, fostering transferable skills such as problem solving, critical thinking and reflective thinking.«Characteristics:
Student Centred Learning is characterised by:- Flexibility and freedom in terms of the time and structure of learning;
- More and better quality teachers who strive to share their knowledge;
- A clear understanding of students by teachers;
- A flat hierarchy within higher education institutions;
- Teacher responsibility for student empowerment;
- A continuous ongoing improvement process;
- A positive attitude by teachers and students with the aim of improving the learning experience;
9 principles of SCL
Principle I: scl requires an Ongoing Reflexive Process. Part of the underlying philosophy of scl is that no one context can have one scl style that can remain applicable through time. The philosophy of scl is such that teachers, students and institutions need to continuously reflect of their teaching, learning and infrastructural systems in such a way that would continuously improve the learning experience of students and ensure that the intended learning outcomes of a given course or programme component are achieved in a way that stimulates learners’ critical thinking and transferable skills.Principle II: scl does not have a ›One-Size-Fits-All‹ Solution. A key concept underlying scl is the realisation that all higher education institutions are different, all teachers are different and all students are different. These all operate in very diverse contexts and deal with various subject-disciplines. Therefore, scl is a learning approach that requires learning support structures, which are appropriate to each given context, and teaching and learning styles appropriate to those undertaking them.
Principle III: Students have Different Learning Styles. Scl recognises that students have different pedagogical needs. Some learn better through trial and error, others learn through practical experience. For some learners much is learned by reading literature, others need to debate and discuss theory in order to understand it.
Principle IV: Students have Different Needs and Interests. All students have needs that extend beyond the class- room. Some are interested in cultural activities, others in sports or in representative organisations. Students can have children or can be faced with psychological conditions, illness or disability.
Principle V: Choice is Central to Effective Learning in scl. Students like to learn different things and hence any offer should involve a reasonable amount of choice. Learning can be organised in liberal formats, such as at colleges of liberal arts or choice can be offered in a more traditional, disciplinary style.
Principle VI: Students have Different Experiences and Background Knowledge. Learning needs to be adapted to the life and professional experience of the individual concerned. For instance, if students already have considerable experience in using information and communications technology, there is no point in trying to teach them the same thing again; if they already have considerable research skills, perhaps it would be better to help them in theory. Personal experience can also be used to motivate students, for instance, by allowing students to share a personal story to illustrate a point.
Principle VII: Students should have Control Over their Learning. Students should be given the opportunity to be involved in the design of courses, curricula and their evaluation. Students should be seen as active partners who have a stake in the way that higher education functions. The best way to ensure that learning focuses more on students is by engaging students themselves in how their learning should be shaped.
Principle VIII: scl is about ›Enabling‹ not ›Telling‹. In simply imparting facts and knowledge to students (telling) the initiative, preparation and content comes mainly from the teacher. The scl approach aims to give the student greater responsibility enabling the student to think, process, analyse, synthesise, criticise, apply, solve problems, etc. . . .
Principle IX: Learning needs Cooperation between Students and Staff.It is important that students and staff co- operate to develop a shared understanding both of the problems experienced in learning, as well as their problems as stakeholders within their given institution, jointly proposing solutions that might work for both groups. In the classroom, such cooperation will have a positive effect as the two groups increasingly come to consider each other as partners. Such a partnership is central to the philosophy of scl, which sees learning as taking place in a constructive interaction between the two groups.
