Software Goes to School brings together leading experts to offer an in-depth examination of how computer technology can play an invaluable part in educational efforts through its unique capacities to support the development of students' understanding of difficult concepts.
For Computers in Education and Instructional Technology courses. This text describes the computer as a necessary classroom tool that not only empowers teachers to teach their students to use computers to solve problems, but also shows teachers how to do the same. The text explains technical matters in language that's understandable to the non-computer savvy, and includes numerous examples drawn from both PC/Windows and Macintosh platforms. The authors use problem-solving models to clarify specific applications, and incorporate national/international standards to create a text that works across a broad educational spectrum. The inspiration for this readable, student-friendly text is the idea that technology should be a means to an end, not the focus of attention.
Highlighting and illustrating several important and interesting theoretical trends that have emerged in the continuing development of instructional technology, this book's organizational framework is based on the notion of two opposing camps. One evolves out of the intelligent tutoring movement, which employs artificial-intelligence technologies in the service of student modeling and precision diagnosis, and the other emerges from a constructivist/developmental perspective that promotes exploration and social interaction, but tends to reject the methods and goals of the student modelers. While the notion of opposing camps tends to create an artificial rift between groups of researchers, it represents a conceptual distinction that is inherently more interesting and informative than the relatively meaningless divide often drawn between "intelligent" and "unintelligent" instructional systems. An evident trend is that researchers in both "camps" view their computer learning environments as "cognitive tools" that can enhance learning, performance, and understanding. Cognitive tools are objects provided by the instructional environment that allow students to incorporate new auxiliary methods or symbols into their social problem solving which otherwise would be unavailable. A final section of the book represents researchers who are assimilating and accommodating the wisdom and creativity of their neighbors from both camps, perhaps forming the look of technology for the future. When the idea of model tracing in a computer-based environment is combined with appreciation for creative mind-extension cognitive tools and for how a community of learners can facilitate learning, a camp is created where AI technologists and social constructivist learning theorists can feel equally at home.
Students today are growing up in a digital world. These "digital natives" learn in new and different ways, so educators need new approaches to make learning both real and relevant for today's students. Marc Prensky, who first coined the terms "digital natives" and "digital immigrants," presents an intuitive yet highly innovative and field-tested partnership model that promotes 21st-century student learning through technology. Partnership pedagogy is a framework in which: - Digitally literate students specialize in content finding, analysis, and presentation via multiple media - Teachers specialize in guiding student learning, providing questions and context, designing instruction, and assessing quality - Administrators support, organize, and facilitate the process schoolwide - Technology becomes a tool that students use for learning essential skills and "getting things done" With numerous strategies, how-to's, partnering tips, and examples, Teaching Digital Natives is a visionary yet practical book for preparing students to live and work in today's globalized and digitalized world.
Can computer applications help improve student performance? For what skills, grade levels, content areas, and type of students are computer applications most effective? Can computer applications improve student attitude toward school and decrease drop-out rates? Discover what the research reveals--in this provocative new book--about these and other crucial questions concerning the impact of computer-based instruction. Assessing the Impact of Computer-Based Instruction provides the most comprehensive and up-to-date summary available on the effects of computer applications on both student achievement and attitudes. Within its pages are also the most extensive bibliography ever prepared on past reviews of research, current reports and articles, and dissertations in the area of computer uses in education. This groundbreaking new book provides educational decisionmakers with the facts they need in order to justify the expense and effort of maintaining and expanding the instructional role of computers in schools. It is also useful as a resource text in the pre-service training of computer educators and for graduate students doing research in instructional computing.
Hypermedia and multimedia have penetrated the world of computer games, Internet, and CD-ROM based reference manuals. However, the fields of education, schooling, and training ask more specific benefits from them. This book provides practical approaches to transform these media into learning tools. Crucial helping steps include the migration from expository to exploratory learning strategies, the integration of collaborative learning practices in plenary and individualistic teaching styles, and the evolution from test-driven to experience-oriented training. This volume has three goals: * to discuss the concepts of hypermedia, multimedia, and hypertext and review pertinent research lines; * to provide guidelines and suggestions for developing multimedia applications; and * to place technology within a broader context of education and training through a discussion of rich environments for active learning (REALs). The book takes a developmental focus to helpf readers set up and manage the process of developing a multimedia application. It is not a technical or a how-to manual on working with video, sound, digitized graphics, or computer code. The text takes a unique approach to the idea of media-- viewing media as delivery systems: if video is called for, use it; if sound will help in an application, use it. The fundamental guidelines presented here are usually not media specific. Media works only within the strategies with which they are used. Aimed at practitioners--people who teach about or develop multimedia and hypermedia applications--this volume carefully examines the main components and issues in developing applications. It provides suggestions and heuristics for sound, fundamental design processes.
Computers play a crucial and rapidly evolving role in education, particularly in the area of language learning. Far from being a tool mimicking a textbook or teacher, Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) has the power to transform language learning through the pioneering application of innovative research and practices. Technological innovation creates opportunities to revisit old ideas, conduct new research and challenge established beliefs, meaning that the field is constantly undergoing change. This fully revised second edition brings teachers and researchers up-to-date by offering: A comprehensive overview of CALL and current research issues Step-by-step instructions on conducting research projects in CALL Extensive resources in the form of contacts, websites and free software references A glossary of terms related to CALL Closely linked to other branches of study such as autonomy in language learning and computer science, CALL is at the cutting edge of current research directions. This book is essential reading for all teachers and researchers interested in using CALL to make language learning a richer, more productive and more enjoyable task. Ken Beatty has taught at colleges and universities in Canada, Asia and the Middle East. His publications include more than 100 textbooks for learning English as a Second Language, as well as various websites, CD-ROMs and educational videos.