Type One: Drill and Practice
They say practice makes perfect, and this type of software capitalizes on that notion.
- Software presents items for students to answer
- Immediate feedback of correctness
- Some software will also give explanations of answer choices
- Gives instant, personal feedback
- Helps to motivate students to learn
- Helps the teacher save time as there is no work to grade
- User must remain in control of presentation speed
- The software must adequately grade responses
- Feedback for both correct and incorrect answers must be appropriate
Drill and Practice Example Sites:
Earobics
Description: This software give practice in phonological awareness and other reading skills
http://www.earobics.com/
Type Two: Tutorials
- Presents an entire sequence of instruction
- Is considered complete instruction instead of supplemental
- Drill & Practice functions are included
- Is organized either in a linear fashion or branching fashion
- This software gives instant, personal feedback
- Helps to motivate students to learn
- Helps the teacher save time as there is no work to correct
- Can be a standalone instructional software
- Can help the teacher keep records of student progress
- Must have extensive interactivity
- User must remain in control
- Must apply appropriate pedagogy
- Must use graphics appropriately
- Feedback and answer judging must be adequate
- Record keeping must be adequate
Tutorial Example Sites:
Phonics Alive
Description: Comprehensive grammar software to improve elementary students phonics skills.
http://www.learningservicesus.com/home/ls1/page_806/phonics_alive_4_grammar.html
Type Three: Simulation
- Characteristics of Simulation
- Software provides a model of real or imaginary systems
- Physical phenomenon and hypothetical situations can be modeled
- Students can see the immediate impact that their choices have made
- Gets students involved
- Experiments are safe
- Can speed up time or slow down processes
- The impossible becomes possible
- Helps to save money and other resources
- Allows repetition with different variations
- Complex processes can be observe
- Since this type of software can be complex, good documentation, which explains characteristics and uses is needed.
- Accuracy and fidelity of the system is needed for some simulations
Description: This simulation is set in 1890's. Students go on a simulated wagon train journey.
http://www.riverdeep.com/
Type Four: Instructional Games
- Characteristics
- Provides opportunities for problem solving and or skill practice in a fun way
- Uses rules of games
- Challenges the student to do their best and win (usually competitive)
- Benefits
- This type of software is highly motivational
- Helps students spend more time on topic
- Criteria for Effectiveness
- Activities and format must be appealing
- There must be an obvious instructional value
- There should be a reasonable amount of physical dexterity
- Violence and aggression should be minimal
Description: This game helps students study history and geography by answering questions which provide clues to where Carmen is hiding.
http://www.riverdeep.com/
Type Five: Problem Solving Software
- Characteristics
- Problem solving tool are included
- These programs create environments, which challenge students to solve complex problems
- Provide problems which help to develop problem solving skills, such as, recalling facts and following a sequence
- Gives the chance for students to practice solving content-area problems
- Benefits
- Motivates students to spend more time with content area with challenging activities
- Inert knowledge is prevented by illustrating situations in which skills apply
- Criteria for Effectiveness
- Format should be interesting and challenging
- Must be clearly linked to developing specific problem-solving skills
Description: Students use this software to practice thinking strategies such as using logic, analyzing attributes, working backwards, creativity and multiple solutions.
http://www.riverdeep.com/
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