Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching

Integrating Instructional Software into Teaching & Learning

INSTRUCTIONAL SOFTWARE

Programs developed for the sole purpose of delivering instruction or supporting learning activities

• Drill & Practice

• Tutorial

• Simulation

• Instructional Games

• Problem-Solving

• ILS: Combination of Above

Instructional Software Classifications

DRILL AND PRACTICE

Allow learners to work problems or answer questions and get feedback on correctness.

Drill and Practice activities have frequently been shown to allow the effective rehearsal students need to transfer newly learned information into long term memory. (Merrill & Salisbury, 1984; Salisbury, 1990)

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Drill and Practice (continued)

Kahn (1998-1999) cites drill and practice as a worthwhile software substitute for paper worksheets.

According to Gagne (1982) and Bloom (1986) students need to develop automaticity or automatic recall of lower order skills to help them master higher order ones faster and more easily. Many teachers believe this can be achieved by the use of drill and practice software.

DRILL AND PRACTICE

Three criteria for well-designed programs

• Control over

presentation

• Appropriate feedback

• Answer reinforcement

DRILL AND PRACTICE

Three benefits compared to paper exercises

• Immediate feedback

• Motivational• Saves teacher time

DRILL AND PRACTICE

Two classroom applications

• To supplement or replace worksheets

• To assist in preparing for objective tests

DRILL AND PRACTICE

Some guidelines for using drill & practice

• Set time limits

• Assign individually

• Use learning

stations

Act like human tutors by providing all the information and instructional activities a learner needs to master a topic:

Information summaries Explanations Practice routines Feedback Assessment

TUTORIALS

TUTORIALS

Four criteria for well-designed programs

• Extensive interaction• Through user control• Appropriate &

comprehensive sequencing

• Adequate answer-judging & feedback

TUTORIALS

Three ways to use tutorials

• Self-paced reviews

• Alternative learning

strategies

• When teachers are

not available

SIMULATIONS

A simulation is a computerized model of a real or imagined system designed to teach how a system works.

Unlike tutorials and drill and practice activities in which the structure is built into the package, learners must create their own sequence for using simulations.

SIMULATIONS

Four types of simulations

• Physical (Users manipulate objects or

phenomena represented on the screen)

• Iterative (Speed up or slow down

processes)

• Procedural (Teach the appropriate

sequence of steps to perform certain

procedures)

• Situational (These programs give

students hypothetical problem situations and

ask them to react.)

SIMULATIONS

Benefits of using simulations

• Compress time

• Slow down processes

• Get students

involved

• Make

experimentation safe

SIMULATIONS

Additional benefits of using simulations Make the impossible

possible Save resources Repeat with variations Make situations

controllable

SIMULATIONS

Ways to use simulations• Lab experiments• Replacement or supplement to role

playing• Replacement or supplement to field

trips• Introducing a new topic• Fostering exploration• Encouraging cooperation & group

work

INSTRUCTIONAL GAMES

Instructional games are courseware designed to increase motivation by adding game rules to learning activities

INSTRUCTIONAL GAMES

Game Characteristics

• Game rules• Elements of

competition & challenge

• Amusing or entertaining formats

INSTRUCTIONAL GAMES

Three ways to use games

• In place of worksheets and

exercises

• To foster cooperation and group

work

• As a reward

PROBLEM SOLVING

Two views on fostering problem solving

• As component skills that can be

taught (Teach directly through explanation and/or

practice the steps involved in solving problems)

• Inquiry approach (Help learners acquire

problem-solving skills by giving them opportunities to

solve problems)

PROBLEM SOLVING

Two types of courseware

• Specific to content area

• General content-free skills

PROBLEM SOLVING

Benefits of using problem solving

• Motivates students to solve problems

• Keeps knowledge from becoming inert

Lecture 4

Teaching and Learning with Productivity Tools