LESSON 10

The Computer as a Tutor

The computer is one of the wonders of human ingenuity, even in
its original design in 1950s to carry out complicated mathemetical and
logical operations.They saw its potential for individualization in learning.
They therefore devised strategies to use computer to break the barriers to
individualized instruction.

Computer-assisted instruction (CAI)

The computer can be a tutor in effect relieving the teacher of
many activities in his personal role as classroom tutor. It should be made
clear that the computer cannot totally replace the teacher since the
teacher shall continue to play the role of information deliverer and
learning environment controller.
The teacher must:
Ensure that students have the needed knowledge and skills for any
computer activity.
Detcide the appropriate learning objectives.
Plan the sequential and structured activities to achieve objectives.
Evaluate the students achievements by ways of tests the specific
expected outcomes.
The students in CAI:

Receive information.
Understand the instruction for computer activity
Retain/keep in mind the information and rules for computer activity
Apply the knowledge and rules during the process of computer
learning.

The computer:

Acts as a sort of tutor

Provides a learning environment.
Delivers learning instruction.
Reinforce learning through drill-and-practice.
Provides feedback.

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. The computer is a tutor in 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.
In integrating computer programs instruction, use tutorial software
associated with cognitive learning.
The tutorial software:
Teach new content/new information to students
Provide comprehensive information on concepts in addition to
pratice exercises.
Can be effectively used for remediation, reviewing, or enrichment.
Allow the teacher to introduce follow-up questions to stimulate
students learning.
Permits group activity for cooperative learning.

SIMULATION PROGRAMS
Simulation software materials are another kind of software that is
constructivist in nature. These simulation software:
Teaches strategies and rules applied to real-life problems/situations.
Asks students to make decision on models or scenarios.
Allows students to manipulate elements of model and get the
experience of the effects of their decisions.

INSTRUCTIONAL GAMES
Instructional computer games add the elements of competition
and challenge.GeoSafari is an example of instructional games. Learning
outcomes can be achieved along simple memorization of information,
keyboarding skills, cooperation and social interaction.

PROBLEM SOLVING SOFTWARE

These are more sophisticated than the drill and practice exercises
and allow students to learn and improve on their problem solving
ability.The students have to employ higher thinking skills such as logic,
recognition, reflection, and strategy-making.

MULTIMEDIA ENCYCLOPEDIA AND ELECTRONIC BOOKS

The Multimedia Encyclopedia can store a huge database with
texts, images, animation, audio and video. Childrens Encyclopedia is an
example of Multimedia Encyclopedia.
Electonic bokks provide textual information for reading,
supplemented by other types of multimedia information. Exampls es are
Just Grandma and Me animated storybook.

CONCLUSION
The computer is atutor in this new age of learning. It does not
replace the teacher. Also, computer activities are not the end-all of
learning since they have to conform to the lessons/curriculum. Integrating
computer is the new task of teacher.

LESSON 11

The Computer as the Teachers Tool

In this lesson, we shall again look at the computer, but this time
from another perspective the computer as the teachers handy-tool. It can
in fact support the constructivist and social constructivist paradigms of
constructivist learning.
Constructivism was introduced by Piaget (1981) and Bruner
(1990). They gave stress to knowledge discovery of new
meaning/concepts/principles in the learning process.
Social constructivism iof knowledge is an effort to show that the
construction of knowledge is governed by social, historical and cultural
contexts.
The psychologist Vygotsky stressed that learning is affected by
social influences.He suggested the interactive process in learning. Dewey
sees language as a medium for social coordination and adaption.

Learning Framework
Assumption

Definition of Learning

Learning Strategies

General Orintation
Example

Constructivism
Knowledge is
constructed by the
individual
Students build their
own learning
Gather unorganized
information to create
new concept/principle
Personal discovery of
knowledge
8*5-8+8+8+8+8

Social Constructivism
Knowledge is
constructed within a
social text
Students build
knowledge influenced
by the social context
Exchange and share
form ideas, stimulates
thinking
Students discuss and
discover meanings
Two alternative job
offers
Option 1 8 hrs./day
for 6 days/week
Option 2 9 hrs./day
for 5 days/week

The Computer Capabilities

The computer can provide access to information, foster creative
social knowledge-building, and enhance the communication of the
achieved project package. The modern computer can help teacher-andstudents to focus on more high level cognitive tasks.

Informative Tool
The computer can provide vast amounts of information in various
forms, such as texts, graphics, sound, and video. The Internet itself
provides an enormous database from which users can access global
information resources. The Internet on Education can be sourced for kinds
of educational resources on the Internet.

Constructive Tool
The computer itself can be used for manipulating information,
visualizing ones understanding, and building new knowledge. The
Microsoft Word computer program is a desktop publishing software that
allows users to organize snd present their ideas in attractive formats.

Co-constructive Tool
Students can use constructive tools to work cooperativey and
construct a shared understanding of new knowledge. The ComputerSupported International Learning Environments (CSILE) is an example of
an integrated environment developed by the Ontario Institute for Studies
in Education. Within CSILE, students can enter their ideas in notes and
respond to each others ideas.

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. An example of this is a flight stimulation
program which places the user in a stimulated flying environment.

Evaluating Web Sites: Criteria and Tools

The Primary Factor

The User Context: The most important factor when evaluating

Web sites is your search, your needs. What are you using the Web
for? Entertainment? Academic work? Hobbies or avocational
interests? Scholarly sources are traditionally very strongly textbased.Compare the appearance and the content of an academic
journal with a popular magazine.

The Web Context: Some of the visual distinctions that signal the
nature of content in print sources hold true on the Web as well,
although, because the Web encourages wider use of graphics, Web
versions of printed works usually contain more graphics and more
color than their print counterparts.

6 Criteria for Websites

1. AUTHORITY
Authority reveals that the person, institution or agency
responsible for a site has the qualifications and knowledge to
do so.
Evaluating a web site for authority:

Authorship: It should be clear who developed the site.

Contact information should be clearly provided: e-mail address, snail mail

address,
phone number, and fax number.

Credentials: the author should state qualifications, credentials, or

personal background

that gives them authority to present information.

Check to see if the site supported by an organization or a commercial
body
2. PURPOSE

The purpose of the information presented in the site should be

clear. Some sites are meant to inform, persuade, state an
opinion, entertain, or parody something or someone.

Evaluating a web site for purpose:

Does the content support the purpose of the site?

Is the information geared to a specific audience (students,

scholars, general reader)?

Is the site organized and focused?

Are the outside links appropriate for the site?

Does the site evaluate the links?

Check the domain of the site. The URL may indicate its purpose.

3. COVERAGE
It is difficult to assess the extent of coverage since depth in a
site, through the use of links, can be infinite. One author may
claim comprehensive coverage of a topic while another may
cover just one aspect of a topic.
Evaluating a web site for coverage:

Does the site claim to be selective or comprehensive?

Are the topics explored in depth?

Compare the value of the sites information compared to other

similar sites.

Do the links go to outside sites rather than its own?

Does the site provide information with no relevant outside links?

4. CURRENCY
5. Currency of the site refers to: 1) how current the information
presented is, and 2) how oftenthe site is updated or maintained. It is
important to know when a site was created, when it was last
updated, and if all of the links are current.

Evaluating a web site for currency involves finding the date information
was:

first written

placed on the web

last revised

Then ask if:

Links are up-to-date

Links provided should be reliable. Dead links or references to sites

that have moved are

not useful.

Information provided so trend related that its usefulness is limited to

a certain time

period?

the site been under construction for some time?

5. OBJECTIVITY
6. Objectivity of the site should be clear. Beware of sites that contain
bias or do not admit its bias freely. Objective sites present
information with a minimum of bias.
Evaluating a web site for objectivity:

Is the information presented with a particular bias?

Does the information try to sway the audience?

Does site advertising conflict with the content?

Is the site trying to explain, inform, persuade, or sell something?

6. ACCURACY
7. There are few standards to verify the accuracy of information on the
web. It is the responsibility of the reader to assess the information
presented.
Evaluating a web site for accuracy:

Reliability: Is the author affiliated with a known, respectable

institution?

References: do statistics and other factual information receive

proper references as to their origin?

Does the reading you have already done on the subject make the
information seem

accurate?

Is the information comparable to other sites on the same topic?

Does the text follow basic rules of grammar, spelling and

composition?

Is a bibliography or reference list included?