SECTION 2.4 - USING THE COMPUTER TO LEARN
In the past, it has often been the case that we have focused on learning the computer and stopped short of using the computer to learn. In that the computer represents a very powerful and flexible learning tool, it is important to move past simply teaching and learning the basics of how to use a computer. As a recent article in From Now On: Educational Technology Journal suggests:
For more than a decade we have been pre-occupied with staff
development for technologies which fixated on the development of technology skills - how
to use the machines and how to master the functions of the spreadsheet - without paying
adequate attention to the challenge of powerfully blending such tools into the daily
routine.
The following subsections will examine the question of how to integrate the computer into our curriculum as a tool for learning versus a subject in and of itself.
2.4.1 MODES OF USE
As we discussed in Module 1, there are three general modes for using the computer in learning including:
Support mode - the computer is
used to support instruction versus deliver it (e.g., assistive technologies which are used to
support the learning of students with learning/physical disabilities, course material that
is delivered face-to-face or by correspondence, but some or all of the administrative
features such as the course outline, assignments, schedule, etc., are posted to a web
site, students use word processing and other programs to do assignments, and so on
Mixed mode - some of the course
material is delivered face-to-face and some via technology (e.g., online discussion, use
of a software program)
Full mode - all of the course
material is delivered via technology (e.g., a course delivered completely via the
computer, either online or using a software
program).
One of the major benefits of putting course material online is that it makes that material available 24/7 to learners, thus they are able to study when and where it is convenient to them. This is especially important to adult learners whose days are generally busy with life's responsibilities. However, while full online courses may be suitable for practitioners and volunteers, we need to carefully consider when and if they are suitable for literacy learners. In addition to requiring a certain level of literacy skills, online learning cannot match face-to-face learning in terms of providing emotional and educational support. Thus, it is suggested that the computer be used in mixed mode for beginner and intermediate literacy learners, whereas it could be used in full mode with advanced students when and where appropriate.
Part of integrating computers into instruction requires that we understand the features of the computer that can be used for teaching and learning. Basically these can be grouped into two categories including computer-based training and web-based training. These are discussed in greater detail in the following subsection.
2.4.2 COMPUTER-BASED TRAINING (CBT)
Computer-based training refers to interactive instructional software on CD-ROM/floppy disk that is used with a computer. For example, My Reading Coach is a "self-paced, integrated program" which has 47 interactive lessons involving video instruction and practice activities for adult literacy learners. Another example is STAPLE, a literacy practitioner/volunteer-training program on CD-ROM. As described by the authors, " Users choose modules and objectives, see and hear students and tutors, work with concepts, and respond via the computer keyboard. An accompanying handbook provides reference material and worksheets. An alternative to the commercial educational software which can be quite costly, is shareware. These are limited versions of educational software programs that can be downloaded for free over the Internet. They are designed to allow you to try a limited version of a program before purchasing it.
One aspect of computer software that offers much to education is its ability to simulate reality. For example, the Battle of Gettysburg is a civil war simulation in which participants role-play key figures and make decisions as if they were participating in the battle. Due to the expense of development, however, virtual reality software has mainly been used for scientific/mathematical modeling, military training and the commercial gaming industry. Although educationally oriented software is still somewhat limited, more is becoming available on an almost daily basis.
2.4.3 WEB BASED TRAINING (WBT)
(Optional - PowerPoint Presentation: Why Online Learning?)
The computer becomes even more powerful when we link it to the Internet. Access to the Internet offers varied and numerous capabilities that can be used in teaching and learning. These include:
Conferencing: Educationally
speaking, conferencing generally refers to courses that are delivered online and are
primarily discussion-based and focus on readings that are available online or sent in
print form to participants. They are typically text-based and use delayed-time message
boards known as "asynchronous threaded discussions." However, this capability
can also be used in other innovative ways such as online
conferences, a relative newcomer on the Internet that is very enticing because it
substantially reduces the costs of staging and attending conferences.
Optional: Article: 25 Reasons to Consider Teaching in
a Computer Conferencing Environment
Interactive web sites: As the
name suggests, these web sites present material that learners don't simply read through,
but can interact with online in one form or another. Some examples include the English Language
Study Zone from the University of Victoria (contains 200 interactive
vocabulary-building exercises) or the Adult
Learning Planner (helps users assess their current job skills and plan for future
career changes).
Virtual Field Trips - Computers
can take us far beyond the walls of the classroom to the remote corners of
our world and beyond.
Of course books allow us to do this too, but because computers are multimedia we can do so
in a much more sensory, interactive, timely and inexpensive way.
Research - Earlier in this
course we said that discovery
learning is one of the main advantages to using the computer in instruction.
Essentially, this approach to learning sets up an investigative task
and students must use the Internet to research
the topic or issue. This is also known as a web quest and has the advantage
of making learning much more active (and thus more motivating), than traditional passive
classroom approaches such as lectures.
Video/audio Streaming - Streaming allows you to view video
clips or listen to audio clips over the Internet on your computer. The main advantage to
this is that online learning moves from being predominantly text-based to incorporating
sound and moving 3D images. As mentioned elsewhere in this course, this enhances learning
because it addresses a wider range of learning styles and is more appealing/interesting.
Optional: You must be able to download, install and use the RealPlayer for all of the following if it is not already on your computer:
· View a video streaming demonstration Excellence in Non-profit Leadership and management
· Listen to Choose to Change, an audio clip by learners in the Brandon Correctional Institute Literacy Program about addiction and recovery.
· Listen to various streaming audio clips about learning disabilities
2.4.4 WEB AUTHORING
One of the areas that literacy staff will need to look at if they want to go beyond using commercial products and available sites is web authoring. In most cases the programs and tools available are easy-to-use and allow instructors to construct everything from single/multiple units to full courses as the examples below illustrate:
full courses (e.g.,
WebCT, Blackboard)
individual quizzes
(e.g., Answer Me This)
online threaded discussions (e.g., ProBoards)
program web sites (e.g., Big
Chalk, Crosswinds, Teachers.Net Homepage Maker)
Some of these tools are free, while others are have an associated cost that can range from fairly inexpensive to quite prohibitive. The Resources section of this course lists several free tools and tutorials for programs. The list is not exhaustive, however, and in that new sites are added to the Internet every day you are encouraged to look for others on your own.
One of the main advantages to putting course material online, either fully or partially, is that the Internet provides access to a far deeper/wider range of information through the use of hyperlinks than text-based correspondence or an in-class courses. Hyperlinks connect learners instantly to illustrative and/or supplementary information, something not easily accomplished in any other learning environment. Web authoring such as those listed above allows program staff to develop courseware that is specific to the needs of their particular program and individual learners. In the next and final section we will look at some examples of curricula in which computers are integrated in various ways.
Next Section ( 2.5 )