Pushing the Envelope of Human Potential

1
Pushing the Envelope of Human Potential

• It was once thought that the United States would
  need only 4 computers.
• In this chapter
• In what way is the educational system still tied
  to the industrial revolution?
• How have microcomputers affected teaching and
  learning?
• What role does the computer play in teaching?
• What can computers help us learn?
• What advances in computer technology have changed
  the way learning is done?
• How can the classroom become less
  teacher-centered?

2
Historical Perspective The Education Factory

• Our educational system
• Developed during the Industrial Revolution.
• Built on the factory model.
• Children enter at age 5 or 6.
• Children processed through several stages.
• Emerged 12 years later as finished products.
• Knowledge, facts, and skills for industry and
  agriculture.
• Assumes all students learn the same things, the
  same way, at the same pace.
• Teachers responsibility to pour knowledge into
  students.
• For learning to take place, students must sit
  quietly, in straight rows, listening to teachers.

3
Historical Perspective The Education Factory

• Microcomputers enter the educational system
• 1975 - Altair 8800 (first commercially available
  microcomputer)
• 4KB of memory, for under 1,000.00.
• Little or no software (Wrote it yourself!)
• 1977 - Apple II, Commodore, and Tandy
  microcomputers.
• Early 1980s -
• Educational software became readily available on
  cassettes and 5-1/4 floppies.
• Software was textual in nature with low quality
  sound (beeps).
• Color was introduced (very minimal).
• Subsequently, as speed and capacity of computers
  increased
• Advancements in audio and visual became possible.

4
Historical Perspective The Education Factory

• More recent software, such as World Atlas,
  incorporate a graphical user interface and
  background sound into the learning experience.

5
Why Can Computers Teach?

• What makes the computer such an effective
  teaching/learning tool?
• Most people like to learn with computers.
• Computers can accommodate different learning
  styles.
• Some learn better visually, others learn better
  through listening, others through touch.
• Microcomputers, in the long run, are cheaper than
  human beings.
• Microcomputers are flexible, they can be experts
  in any field.

6
What Can Computers Teach?

• All education and training can be grouped into
  three major categories (and the role computers
  play in each)
• Cognitive learning
• Psychomotor skills
• Social interaction

7
What Can Computers Teach?

• Cognitive learning
• Knowledge - facts, figures, dates, comparisons,
  causes/effects, meanings, spellings
• Thinking skills - ability to analyze and solve
  problems, give directions, apply criteria,
  generalize.
• Includes
• Math programs that teach math facts
• Encyclopedia programs teaching dates, showing a
  video of how something works
• World Wide Web scavenger hunts
• Programs that check for content mastery

8
What Can Computers Teach?

• Psychomotor skills
• The relationship between the brain and muscles.
• Includes
• Arcade games teaching eye-hand coordination
• Software teaching a specific task such as flying
  a plane or driving a car
• Software that improves a golf swing

9
What Can Computers Teach?

• Social interaction
• Involves the successful relationship with others
• Includes working or communicating with others,
  teamwork, winning and losing, management skills
  and leadership skills
• Includes
• Playing any sport
• Management of a lemonade stand
• Playing games with others or against the computer
• Chatting with others on the Internet
• Writing email to a pen-pal

10
What Can Computers Help Us Learn?

• Educational Goals of the Information Age
• The development of skills that enable us to
  define tasks.
• The ability to find and utilize information.
• The ability to deal effectively with the rapidly
  changing world our technology has evolved.

11
What Can Computers Help Us Learn?

• Some areas where computer-aided learning can help
  us achieve the Educational Goals of the
  Information Age
• Increase reading/writing literacy.
• Help develop skills to apply math concepts to
  solve problems.
• Help develop skills to analyze situations and
  determine appropriate actions.
• Increase technical familiarity including
  underlying concepts.
• Incorporate local and global communication
  skills.
• Cultural awareness.
• Learning how to learn independently.

12
How Do Computers Help Us Learn?

• Recent advances broaden the computers
  effectiveness as a learning tool
• CD-ROM
• Local Area Networks
• Internet
• Distance Learning

13
How Do Computers Help Us Learn?

• CD-ROM - Allows immediate access to large amounts
  of data on demand.
• Local Area Networks -
• Increased flexibility of lab use.
• Decreased software and hardware.
• Ease of software maintenance.

14
How Do Computers Help Us Learn?

• Internet -
• Can be searched by any students, any grade or
  age.
• Materials can be used as a resource in any
  context.
• Encourages development of creativity and
  curiosity.
• Can support any teachers strategy or students
  learning styles.
• Contains a limitless educational resource.

15
How Do Computers Help Us Learn?

• Distance Learning - The unsupervised, independent
  mode of education where students do not meet in a
  classroom. (email, video, Internet, real-time
  electronic communication.)
• Get the same lecture.
• Can receive assignments and handouts from teacher
  at any time.
• Internet and CD-ROMs provide nearly endless
  resource.
• Email allows students to submit assignments
  electronically and receive timely feedback.
• Review and tests can be answered online, giving
  immediate feedback and scoring.
• Students can get immediate responses from
  teachers.

16
The Information Age Classroom

• Twenty-first century will become less
  teacher-centered and more focused on each
  individual student.
• Classrooms will have wide variety of of learning
  and activity stations.
• Teacher will become a guide to resources and
  their usage.
• Learning will become individualized.
• Resources will be instantly available online.
• Mastery will be demonstrated through presentation
  of projects and demonstration of problem-solving
  activities and experiences.
• The burden of acquiring an education will shift
  from the teacher to the student.