Computer Education

B.Ed Semester ll
Unit lll

Topic:Education Application of Computer

Computer education means gaining basic knowledge and skills to

operate computers in order to perform desired jobs. Computer
Education not only involves basic knowledge about computer,
computer education extends to various branches of study in various
fields and sectors.

Computer Education is a broad term but it generally there are two

concepts used in education; with computer and about computer. The
definition of computer education actually depends on time we are
speaking of. In the past, computer used the languages which were too
complex for everyone to understand; only specific people having
specific qualification could be educated about and in computer. But,
as the technology has evolved, their application and reach has
widened due to simplicity they provide to general people and
sophisticated operations they can perform. As the human civilization
further advances in technology, more and more ubiquitous use of
computers is bound to be certain.

Benefits of Computer Education :

 It improves Research
 Efficient use of Technology
 Career aspirations
 Enhances creativity
 Improves Performance
  Information one click away

Computer education has become essential qualification for almost all

types of jobs. Since computers ensure effective, time saving and
accurate results of jobs it is being widely used in organizations and
personal use alike. You may notice even most entry level jobs desiring
basic training in software programs.

purpose of Computers in Education

Computers are one of the most valuable resources in a classroom
because they serve so many useful functions. With computers and the
internet, students today have a wealth of information at their
fingertips that can help them develop their research and
communication skills while preparing them for a future career in a
workforce that is increasingly reliant on computer technology.
One of the most common applications of computers in education today
involves the ongoing use of educational software and programs that
facilitate personalized online instruction for students. Programs like
iReady use computers to assess students in reading and math.
Students then work on interactive reading and math lessons that are
designed to target the specific academic needs identified during
diagnostic testing. Educational software like this makes it easier to
differentiate instruction so that lessons meet each student’s unique
learning needs. These tools also provide a wealth of useful data and
resources that teachers can use to work with their students in the
classroom and maximize learning. Online assessments are more
efficient than traditional paper testing because it allows for more
immediate feedback and data.
Computers also have an important role beyond primary and secondary
education classrooms. Thanks to computers and technological
advancements, higher education is now more accessible than ever.
Many colleges and universities offer online classes, and some even
offer degree programs that can be completed exclusively online.
Online classes and online degree programs make it easier for single
parents or students with heavy workloads to continue their education
from the comfort of their own home and at their own pace.

Benefits of Computers in the Classroom

The benefits of using computers in the classroom goes beyond more
efficient assessment and opportunities for online learning. Mobile
devices and technologies are an inevitable part of society, but that
does not mean that students naturally understand how to use those
technologies appropriately. Using computers in the classroom gives
teachers an opportunity to teach digital citizenship skills that
demonstrate ways to use technology correctly and responsibly.
Computers also help maximize student engagement. Modern students
are regularly exposed to technology outside of the classroom. Most
use and enjoy smartphones and other mobile devices, which is why
they are more likely to engage in the learning process if it involves
something to which they are already accustomed and enjoy.

Teacher Use of Computers in the Classroom

Computers have revolutionized the teaching profession in multiple
ways. Teachers use computers to record grades, calculate averages,
manage attendance and access data on student performance in online
programs and assessments. Computers have also made it easier for
teachers to vary their instructional delivery. Instead of lecturing at the
front of the room for an entire class period, teachers can incorporate
technology into their lessons to keep students engaged while
appealing to a variety of learning styles. From using computers to
create presentations on a topic to showing video clips that
complement the lesson at hand, technology helps teachers make the
content easier for students to understand.

Disadvantages of Computers in the Education Field

While the benefits of using computers in education are plentiful, it also
has some disadvantages. Some worry that computers are distracting
because they provide students with temptations like games, videos or
chats that can take them off task. It’s true that some students might
be lured off task by these tempting features, but luckily there are
settings available that can help teachers and parents set restrictions
to help minimize distractions.
Another disadvantage of computers in the classroom is over-reliance
on technology. Critics argue that spell check and other computer
features that automatically correct errors in spelling and punctuation
make students too lazy to learn and apply the rules themselves. These
features, however, help point out where students went wrong and offer
valuable learning opportunities that can help students enhance their
understanding of appropriate spelling and punctuation. The benefits of
using computers in the classroom outweigh any disadvantages that
may accompany it.
Computer is not new in the context. Advent of computer dated back
thousands of years. It may be the fact that computational instruments
nomenclated differently. But basic human understanding were
absolutely cetralised on the scope of utilizing technology for making
human led operations more and more swift and soft. Abacus1 was one
of such instrument. Use of abacus in counting and other basic
mathematical operations were evident even in ancientIndia.
Advancement in the systematized information flow recorded only after
advent of modern computer. It influenced the human life to a greater
extent. It also entered all the fields of human society.
Field of education is more sensitive field and information
technology is the most explored portion of technology. In due course
of time computer gradually acquired prominent place in the society
and even entered the field of day to day life of a person. There are
several operational activities where we observe computer as a master
player of the tasks. Instead of all basic things that appeared as
success indicator of applying computer in education some questions
still emerged:

1. Improving education by empowering students and

teachers: Technology empowers its users. In what ways is our
overall educational system improved by providing students and
teachers with good access to computers and other information
technology facilities along with good education on how to make use of
these facilities? How can teachers provide useful feedback to
students who are working in a hypermedia2 environment, and how can
teachers adequately assess the kind of activities of students?

2. Learning about technology: What should students learn about

computers and other information technology, also what would be the
learning ladder leading toward higher pursuit of knowledge, and in
what context should they gain this knowledge? For example, should
all students be required to take a “computer literacy” course, and
should we assume that successful completion of such a course
adequately prepares a student to deal with computer-related
technology?

3. Learning with self pace: How can computers and other

information technology help students to learn? (Does self paced
learning become a more viable and important component in the
curriculum as technology-based aids to instruction such as computer-
assisted learning and means of distance education become more
readily available?)

4. Impact on curriculum3 content: How should computers and

other information technology affect the content of the subjects
students currently passing through in school?

5. Essence of Technology coordinators: What level of

technology coordinator support is needed in a school and in a school
district to help students and teachers learn to make effective use of
hypermedia facilities for learning, for communicating, and as an aid to
problem solving?
Basic questions with identical dimensions of application oriented
queries related to role of information technology in education, and the
situation may be represented differently with a profound base of the
understanding of the fact. The interpretations may change in due
course of time. Strategy and activity related to education also change
in due course of time. It may be assessed by thinkers periodically, but
what today? How we address these questions at this moment?
Each of the above questions asks about both computers and other
information technology. Initially, computers were large, quite
expensive, and required a great deal of expertise to use. However,
over the years computers have become much cheaper, smaller, easier
to use, and more versatile. Even one can carry a computer in a handy
box. Now it is common to build computer circuitry into microwave
ovens, cars, TV tuners, VCRs, children’s games, and a host of other
equipment. Worldwide production of integrated circuits in 1990 was
roughly equivalent to seven such circuits for every person on earth!
By the year 2002 it may well be double this and the number of
components in an integrated circuit continues to grow rapidly. The
increasing sophistication and cost effectiveness of such integrated
circuits is helping to make laptop and palmtop computers
commonplace.
In the late 1980s, many schools began to experiment with hypermedia.
Some of the leading schools explored the possibility of applying
hypermedia in curriculum planning and content delivery. Students
began to work with a combination of computer, VCR, videodisc,
camcorder, CD-ROM, scanner, audio digitizer, and other electronic
equipment. It became evident that such a hypermedia environment
empowers students and teachers. It allows them to undertake tasks
that they could not do in the non-computer classroom environment.
Of necessity, the role of the school or district computer education
specialist expanded to dealing with all types of electronic
technologies. The title computer coordinator began to become
somewhat out of date, and the titles technology facilitator, technology
coordinator, and instructional technology coordinator began to
emerge. In the Knowledge centers managed by M S Swaminathan
Research Foundation (MSSRF4) the term being used to designate the
role is “Knowledge Worker5.” We may use the term technology
coordinator (TC) to designate a person at the school or district level
who works as a leader in instructional uses of computers and other
information technology tools and also will work as a guiding force for
other fellow partners of progress.
Technology Coordinators at the school level and at the school district
level are being expected to develop and implement answers to the five
exploratory questions enlisted above. They have been cast in the role
of leaders; they are asked to play a significant part in a major school
restructuring revolution that is sweeping our educational system.

Perspective of Technology Enabled Learning

An important aim in technology education is to “develop positive
attitudes towards their peers and understanding the value of working
with others” (Stables, 1999). Technology activities have the potential
to allow all children to succeed. Children develop respect for each
other because they realize that everyone can engage in technological
activities. This fosters a nurturing learning environment. Children need
opportunities to work on activities that they can succeed at, but still
have room to offer them challenges, where they have the safety for
handling risks and analyzing failure (Stables, 1999). Lemke’s third
positive way is that, “Technology in schools can also be a wonderful
link to between academics and emerging practices in professional
fields” (Salpeter, 1999). Lemke notes that for example, math and
science courses are conducted in different ways today than it used to
be. She says that, “Today practicing mathematicians and scientists in
many cases are not looking for single answers buy rather a host of
answers through the design of models and simulations…Let’s prepare
our students for their futures by exposing them to the latest field
practices” (Salpeter, 1999).
Kay Stables (1999) comments that, “Once primary teachers become
involved in a technology activity, they realize how much they can draw
both on their general teaching skills and also on work from other areas
such as science, mathematics, and art”. Lemke’s fourth positive way
that technology can positively impact schools is that it can,
“dramatically increase the viability of students in the work
force…workers fluent in technology will make the workplace more
effective, increase productivity and help ensure America’s
competitiveness in a global economy. The time to begin preparing our
children for the realities of the new American workplace is now”
(Salpeter, 1999).
Preparing children for the future use of technology needs to begin
when they’re young. It was believed that teaching children skills at a
young age was deemed appropriate. Kay Stables (1999), believes
differently. She says that, “There is increasing acceptance that
general technological competencies are more appropriate for young
children in a rapidly changing technological society than are specific
skills. By developing a more generic potential from a young age, this
next generation may be more comfortable, confident, and secure in
their own capability”. Lemke’s fifth way that technology has a positive
impact on education is that technology can strengthen teaching. She
says that technology is, “a powerful learning tool to add to a teacher’s
repertoire. It allows teachers to adjust and adapt the system to meet
diverse student needs by focusing on student-centered learning”
(Salpeter, 1999).
Technology can be a powerful tool for teachers to use, if they know
how to use it. Kay Stables (1999), commented that when computer
technology first came out, many teachers were confused. They
weren’t sure if technology meant computers, applied science, or craft
work. She says that very few teachers are trained in technology
education and recommends four key areas to address to help teachers
move forward.
1) Developing an understanding of what technology education is.
2) Helping teachers see how the work they currently do and the
experience they have can be adapted to allow technology activities to
grow and be added on.
3) Providing teachers with hands-on experience with technology
activities and giving teachers a broad range of manageable teaching
activities to start from.
4) Providing opportunities for teachers to share their practices and
good ideas with each other to build a repertoire of successful
activities.
Once teachers have found that they have a competent
background in technology education, another concern pops up. How
can a teacher fit what he or she has learned into the curriculum? Al
Rogers (1999), from the Global School Net Foundation, believes that
for teachers to effectively teach students using technology, they have
to change their teaching practices and beliefs. The educational
system requires teachers to teach a prescribed sequence of
information. TodayRogersbelieves that as we enter the 21st century,
he says, ” We need teachers who are able and willing to become side-
by-side learners with their students. Teachers who are not afraid to
acknowledge, “I don’t know”, and then can turn around and say, “Let’s
find out together”. These teachers need to know how to use various
technologies which can not only answer questions, but create
questions as well. We need teachers who understand that learning in
today’s world is not just a matter of mastering a static body of
knowledge, but also being able to discover the rapidly changing ideas
about that knowledge itself”.
Once teachers are able to accept becoming side-by-side learners
alongside their students, technology will become a powerful tool to aid
their students’ learning. Finally, Lemke’s last point was that,
“technology can also be a catalyst for change in schools” (Salpeter,
1999). Lemke goes on to say that, “The decline in public confidence in
America’s public schools is due in part to the incompatibility of an
educational model developed during the industrial age with the
educational requirements of today’s information-based society”
(Salpeter, 1999). In an article by James Lerman (1998), he says that
“many students drop out of school, mentally or physically because
they don’t see the connection between real life and schoolwork”.
Technology can provide that connection between real life and
schoolwork. Lemke states that, “Teachers are realizing that there’s
more information that they can possibly provide students. Instead they
need to put tools into the hands of kids so they know how to ask
questions, evaluate sources, hypothesize and communicate
effectively” (Salpeter, 1999).

Education or Computer?
It is really difficult to accommodate all the role of computer in
education The overall field of computers in education may be divided
into administrative, instructional, and research uses. Each may be
further subdivided. The emphasis in this book is on instructional uses.
Thus, the diagram given below shows subdivisions for that aspect of
the field of computers in education.
The overall field of instructional use of computers may be divided into
learning/teaching about computers, learning/teaching integrating
computer-as-tool (computer-integrated instruction, or CII), and
computer-assisted learning (CAL). Each component of this three-part
model of instructional use of computers emphasizes that both
students (learning) and teachers (teaching) are essential. The model
differs slightly from and is a little more general than the “tutor, tool,
tutee” model popularized by Robert Taylor (1980). A TC holds a
leadership position, interacting with classroom teachers, curriculum
specialists, and school administrators. This leadership position
involves dealing with all three major components of instructional use
of computers. This chapter defines the three components while the
next three chapters contain a more detailed examination of the
components from a TC point of view.

Learn and Teach About Computers

In learning/teaching about computers, the field of computer science,
along with related areas such as information science and data
processing, is considered as a subject area. The computer field is
clearly an important academic discipline. Many community colleges,
colleges, and universities offer degree programs in this discipline.
Thus, schools need to make a decision about what to teach from this
subject area. Some schools express this decision as a goal that all
students should become computer literate, and thus require a
computer literacy course. Other schools specify a list of courses that
are to be offered as electives, such as various programming
languages, an advanced placement course, a robotics course, or an
electronics course. Still other schools integrate instruction about
computers into a number of curriculum strands.
It is important to realize that the computer-related disciplines are now
well established even though they continue to grow and change
rapidly. For example, the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)
is a large professional society that began in 1947. In 1968 the ACM
Curriculum ’68 specified details of a college undergraduate curriculum
of study. Those recommendations were updated about a decade later
in Curriculum ’78. Astill more recent version of this curriculum is
scheduled to be released in 1992. Other college-level curriculum
recommendations have been developed by the Computer Society of
the Institute for Electrical and Electronic Engineers, and by the Data
Processing Management Association. Both of these organizations are
large professional societies of people interested in the computer field.
At the two-year college, four-year college, and university levels,
computer science departments have existed for 15-25 years and more.
There are hundreds of associate and bachelor degree programs.
InNorth Americathere are about a hundred doctoral programs in
computer science. There are hundreds of research journals as well as
a great many popular periodicals carrying computer-related articles.
Because computer science is a large and well established discipline, it
is natural to ask whether there should be a scope and sequence of
computer science instruction at the pre-college level. If such a
question is raised in a school or school district, the TCs will be asked
to help provide answers. This may require a substantial background in
the field of computer and information science. This is discussed more
in Chapter 4.
The intent of educational reform, of course, is to improve education. A
starting point for the study of school improvement is to examine the
missions of education. The following discussion of educational
missions comes from Moursund and Ricketts (1988). This is a very
brief discussion of a very complex topic; it is intended to be
suggestive rather than comprehensive.
It is important to realize that education is a very large institution. As
such, it has three underlying goals or unifying themes:
Our school system as an “Institution” has had a long existence and
seeks to preserve itself. Our educational system will strongly resist
changes that threaten its existence. A school system is a repository of
knowledge and a vehicle for the dissemination of this knowledge. It is
knowledgeable educators, libraries, school facilities, and pedagogical
traditions. A school is a valuable part of the community in which it
resides. The bedrock goal—the basic mission; schools exist to educate
students, to help students to learn and to “grow.”
The service mission can be broken into a number of parts. The
following list is a composite drawn from a wide range of literature
sources. These Mission Statements (MS) are stated in a positive
manner, as missions being accomplished.
1) Security: All students are safe from emotional and physical harm.
A school must be a safe, secure, “home away from home,” designed to
promote learning.
2) Full Potential: All students are knowingly working toward
achieving and increasing their healthful physical, mental, and
emotional potentials.
3) Values: All students respect the traditional values of the family,
community, state, nation, and world in which they live.
4) Environment: All students value a healthy local and global
environment, and they knowingly work to improve the quality of the
environment.
5) Basic Information Skills: All students gain a working knowledge
of speaking and listening, observing (which includes visual literacy),
reading and writing, arithmetic, logic, and storing and retrieving
information. The underlying orientation is to gain basic knowledge and
skills useful in dealing with the full range of problem situations one
encounters in life.
6) General Education: All students have appreciation for,
knowledge about, and some understanding of:
• History and change.
• Nature in its diversity and interconnectedness.
• Religion, the professed relationships between humans and a
deity.
• The artistic, cultural, intellectual, social, and technical
accomplishments of humanity.
7) Lifelong Learning: All students learn how to learn; they have the
inquiring attitude and self-confidence that allows them to pursue life’s
options.
8) Problem Solving: All students make use of decision-making and
problem-solving skills, including the higher-order skills of analysis,
synthesis, and evaluation. All students pose and solve problems,
making routine use of their overall knowledge and skills.
9) Productive Citizenship: All students act as informed, productive,
and responsible citizens, members of organizations to which they give
allegiance, and to humanity as a whole.
10)Social Skills: All students interact publicly and privately with peers
and adults in a socially acceptable and positive fashion.
11)Technology: All students have appropriate knowledge and skills for
using our rapidly changing (Information Age) technology as well as
relevant technologies developed in earlier ages.
It may not be generalized on all instances of educational applications
also it may not be the case for all institutions in general. Some of the
broad categories may be considered for consideration. Not every
school district accepts all of these Mission Statements, and many
school districts are not adequately achieving these missions, even
some of the schools may not be equipped enough for imparting
operational considerations of all the educational practices. Moreover,
it is not easy to accurately assess the nature and extent to which
each child achieves the goals underlying these Mission Statements.
However, in general, these Mission Statements provide a good starting
point for addressing unified goals and possible changes in schools
configuration to better achieve the goals stated earlier.
It is evident that each of the Mission Statements can be achieved at a
variety of levels. In isolated communities, the “competition” that
students encounter comes from within the community, and so local
standards are appropriate. Increasingly, however, students are no
longer preparing for adulthood in an isolated community. Rather, they
are preparing for adulthood in a national or world community. Thus, we
are gradually witnessing the development of a set of world standards.
Standardization thus changes its momentum from local level
specifications upto the global specifications. Moreover it confers the
expansion of the role of any pupil toward the field of performances.
Being a global performer one must try to explore their existence. The
kind of educational planning thus, should accommodate all such global
standards for enhancing the individual progression. The development
of such standards, and assessment across national boundaries, is a
major challenge to world educational leaders. Information about
recent international assessment in the field of computer technology is
given in Pelgrum and Plomp (1991).
Observing the complexity of the educational system with many
interwoven components planned perspective of accommodating
information technologies catered on the base of the applicability of
such system in relation to the knowledge base of the pupil under
consideration. It should be some sort of participatory in nature, also it
should enhance the knowledge base of teachers through
supplementing with time tested instructions. It is not easy to design a
system that successfully accomplishes a list of Mission Statements
such as that given above. Moreover, it is not easy to measure whether
a school system is successfully accomplishing such a list of Mission
Statements. It is not surprising that many of the school reform and
school restructuring studies call for changes in methods of
assessment. The literature in this area is growing rapidly. Examples
include Charles, Lester, & O’Daffer (1987), Frederiksen & Collins
(1989), Nicherson (1989),Rogers(1990), and Stiggins (1991). There is
increasing emphasis on assessment being more “authentic”—that is,
more closely related to the types of tasks to which students will apply
their knowledge when they become adults. If a student is learning to
write and to solve problems in a computer-rich environment, then the
student should be tested in the same environment. Portfolios and
electronic portfolios (hypermedia portfolios) are beginning to come
into our schools.

Computers in Education Goals (CEG)

The following list of goals for computers in education is drawn, with
minor modifications, from Moursund and Ricketts (1988). It is based on
a careful analysis of current literature and current practices within the
field of instructional uses of computers at the pre-college level. Such a
list of goals can be used as a starting point for long-range planning for
computers in schools.
Computer literacy (hypermedia literacy) All students shall be
functionally computer literate (hypermedia literate). Many educational
leaders now consider this to be part of Basic Information Skills. The
redundancy in using the two expressions “computer literacy” and
“hypermedia literacy” is to emphasize the changing nature of
computer literacy in the past decade. Hypermedia literacy is an
extension of computer literacy. A relatively broad-based,
interdisciplinary, general knowledge of applications, capabilities,
limitations, and societal implications of computers and other
information technology to be achieved by the end of the eighth grade.
This has four components:
1. Talking and reading knowledge of computers and other
information technology, and their effects on our society. More
specifically, every discipline that students study should teach
them something about how electronic aids to information
processing are affecting that specific discipline.
2. Knowledge of the concept of effective procedure, representation
of procedures, roles of procedures in problem solving, and a
broad range of examples of the types of procedures that
computers can execute.
3. Basic skills in use of word processing, database, computer
graphics, spreadsheet, telecommunications, and other general
purpose, multi-disciplinary application packages. Basic skills in
 creating hypermedia materials as an aid to communicating and
to storing and processing information
4. Basic skills in computer input. Currently this is keyboarding, but
in the future the emphasis may be on voice input, use of pen-
based computer input devices, and effective interaction with
virtual reality systems.
Deeper knowledge of computers and other information
technologies as they relate to the specific disciplines one studies in
senior high school should be incorporated in the original framework.
For example, a student taking advanced math courses shall learn
about roles of computers in the math being studied. A student taking
commercial art courses shall learn about roles of computers in the
types of commercial art being studied. A student studying industrial
arts should learn about computer-assisted design. A student taking
science courses should learn about microcomputer-based laboratories
and computer simulations in science.
Computer-assisted learning. Schools shall use computer-
assisted learning (CAL), when it’s pedagogically and economically
sound, to increase student learning and to broaden the range of
learning opportunities.CAL includes drill and practice, tutorials,
simulations, and micro-worlds. It also includes computer-managed
instruction. Eventually,CAL will include virtual realities designed for
instructional purposes.
Basically all students shall learn both general ideas of how
computers can be used as an aid to learning and specific ideas on
howCALcan be useful to them. They shall become experienced users
ofCALsystems. The intent is to focus on learning to learn, being
responsible for one’s own learning, and being a lifelong learner.
Students have their own learning styles, so different types ofCALwill
fit different students to greater or lesser degrees. In situations in
which CAL is a cost-effective and educationally sound aid to student
learning or to overall learning opportunities, CAL shall be used if
possible. For example,CALcan help some students learn certain types
of material significantly faster than conventional instructional
techniques can. Such students should have the opportunity to
useCALas one aid to learning. In addition,CALcan be used to provide
educational opportunities that might not otherwise be available. A
school can expand its curriculum by delivering some courses largely
viaCAL.
Computer-managed instruction (CMI) includes record keeping,
diagnostic testing, and prescriptive guides as to what to study and in
what order. This type of software is useful to both students and
teachers. Students should have the opportunity to track their own
progress in school and to see the rationale for work they are doing.
CMI can reduce busywork. When CMI is a cost-effective and
instructionally sound aid to staff and students, they shall have this aid.
Distance Education. Telecommunications,CAL, and other
electronic aids are the foundation for an increasingly sophisticated
distance education system. Schools shall use distance education,
when it’s pedagogically and economically sound, to increase student
leaning.
Note that in many cases distance education may be combined
withCAL, so that there is not a clear dividing line between these two
approaches to education. In both cases students are given an
increased range of learning opportunities. The education may take
place at a time and place that is convenient to the student, rather than
being dictated by the traditional course schedule of a school.
Applications: Computer-as-tool. The use of computer
applications as a general-purpose aid to problem solving using word
processor, database, graphics, spreadsheet, and other general
purpose application packages, shall be integrated throughout the
curriculum. This is called computer-integrated instruction, or CII. The
intent here is that students shall receive specific instruction in each of
these tools, probably before completing elementary school. The middle
school or junior high school curriculum, as well as the high school
curriculum, shall assume knowledge of these tools and shall include
specific additional instruction in their use. Throughout secondary
school, students shall be expected to make regular use of these tools,
and teachers shall structure their curriculum and assignments to take
advantage of and to add to student knowledge of computer-as-
tool. Information technology courses. A high school shall provide both
of the following “more advanced” tracks of computer-related
coursework.
 Computer-related coursework preparing a student who
will seek employment immediately upon leaving school. For example,
a high school business curriculum shall prepare students for entry-
level employment in a computerized business office. A graphic arts
curriculum should prepare students to be productive in use of a wide
range of computer-based graphic arts facilities. Computer science
coursework, including computer programming, designed to give
students a college-preparation type of solid introduction to the
discipline of computer science.
The professional education staff shall have computers to increase
their productivity, to make it easier for them to accomplish their
duties, and to support their computer-oriented growth.
This means, for example, that all teachers shall be
provided with access to computerized data banks, word processors,
presentation graphics software, computerized grade-books,
telecommunications packages, and other application software that
teachers have found useful in increasing their productivity and job
satisfaction. Computer-based communication is becoming an avenue
for teachers to share professional information. Every teacher should
have telecommunications and desktop presentation facilities in the
classroom. Computer-managed instruction (CMI) can help the teacher
by providing diagnostic testing and prescription, access to item data
banks, and aids to preparing individual educational plans. The use of
computers to help prepare individual educational plans (IEPs) for
special education students, now common, provides an example of
computer aid for teachers. The school district shall institutionalize
computers in schools. Instructional computing shall be integrated into
job descriptions, ongoing budgets, planning, staff development, work
assignments, and so on. The school district shall fully accept that
“computers are here to stay” as an integral part of an Information Age
school system.
Learn and Teach Integrating Computer-as-Tool
In learning/teaching integrating computer-as-tool, the computer is
considered as an application tool in the various academic disciplines.
The emphasis is upon learning to use computer application packages
and integrating them as everyday tools into a student’s overall
knowledge and skills. We shall call this computer-integrated
instruction (CII). Standard examples of CII software include word
processing, graphics, spreadsheets, and databases.
In recent years, three somewhat disjointed types of tool uses of
computers and hypermedia have developed. There are tools that cut
across many disciplines, such as a word processor or a camcorder. We
call these generic tools. There are tools that are quite specific to a
particular academic discipline, such as hardware and software to aid
in musical composition and performance. We call these subject
specific tools. Finally, there are tools that require some programming
skills, but where the focus is on learning to learn and on learning non-
programming areas. The Logo programming language is an example,
as are the hypermedia environments facilitated by Hyper
Card and Link Way; we call these learner centered tools.
A very simple example of computer-as-tool is provided by the hand-
held calculator. Progress in incorporating calculators into the
curriculum has occurred, but it has been slow. One difficulty is that
the established curriculum, backed up by teacher knowledge,
curriculum materials, and standardized testing, is quite resistant to
change. Many potential tool uses of computers face similar resistance,
and a TC must deal with this resistance.
Progress in developing more and better applications packages, as well
as better human-machine interfaces, is causing CII to grow rapidly.
Also, computer scientists working in the field of artificial intelligence
are producing application packages that can solve a variety of difficult
problems—problems that are generally considered to require a
substantial amount of human knowledge and skill. Such application
packages may eventually change the content of a variety of school
subjects. The key issue is what students should learn to do mentally,
what they should learn to do assisted by simple aids such as pencil
and paper or book, and what they should learn to do assisted by more
sophisticated aids such as calculators, computers, and computerized
equipment. These are very hard questions. The slow acceptance of the
hand-held calculator into the curriculum suggests that more
sophisticated aids to problem solving will encounter substantial
resistance.
One can also examine the computer as a tool to increase teacher
productivity. The use of a computerized grade-book, a computerized
data bank of exam questions, a computerized system to help prepare
an IEP (individualized educational plan) for a student with disabilities,
or even a word processor to write lesson plans and class handouts are
all good examples. Generally speaking, the role of a TC here is to
encourage such computer use by helping to provide appropriate
hardware, software, and teacher training. Since such computer use
may simplify the teacher’s job, it is a good way to get teachers hooked
on computers.
Computer-Assisted Learning (CAL)
Computer-assisted learning includes computer-assisted instruction
and computer-managed instruction. Chapter 5 examines the role of a
TC when the computer is considered as an instructional medium. A
computer might be used in a supplementary mode, with students
making a modest use of computers to reinforce instruction provided by
other means. Research into computerized drill and practice suggests
that this mode of supplementing instruction is quite effective in a
variety of subjects.
In this book we will discuss distance education in the same chapter
withCAL. A distance education environment may include one-way
video and two-way audio, two-way video and audio, or a variety of
other communication strategies. It may includeCAL. For some
students and/or in certain subject areas, distance education
and/orCALmight be a primary mode of instruction. This type of use is
increasing rapidly and seems highly likely to continue to increase in
the future.
The computer can be used for instructional delivery at every grade
level, in every subject area, and with all types of students. Evidence is
mounting thatCALis especially useful in special education and in basic
skills instruction. In addition,CALand distance education can provide
students access to courses that are not available in a teacher-
delivered mode in their schools. Already we are seeing signs that
theCALand distance education packages being sold to schools will
become cheap enough so that many parents will consider purchasing
them for use with their children at home. This is adding a new
dimension to our educational system.
Concluding Remarks
A computer is a tool that empowers its user. It is a mind tool, an aid to
the human brain. The computer is proving to be a powerful change
agent in our society. Moreover, the computer is an agent of relatively
rapid change. This is a challenge to our educational system, since it
was not designed to deal with rapid change. People involved in the
system were remained engaged in the educational process without
enquiring about sideline advancement of other technologies and
process articulations.
For example, at one time it was common for teachers to receive their
formal education and then receive lifetime certification. The
underlying assumption was that there was no need for additional
formal “inservice” education in order to keep up with one’s field. Now,
however, this is definitely not the case. Many academic fields are
changing quite rapidly. The computer cuts across all academic
disciplines, so every teacher faces the challenge of the rapid pace of
change in the computer field. It takes a great deal of knowledge and
skill to make effective use of computers in disciplines such as
science, social studies, music, business, or industrial arts. A few
teachers have been able to learn on the job. However, most teachers
do not have the time and energy to adequately learn the computer
field while coping with all of the demands of their teaching jobs.
The International Society for Technology in Education has an
Accreditation Committee that is developing recommendations on
needed levels of preparation for teachers who will be teaching about
and making use of computers. These recommendations also help to
define needed computer competencies of all teachers.
The need for release time for inservice education is evident. Moreover,
the need for one-on-one inservice, individualized to a teacher’s own
specific needs, is also evident. This is aided by having adequate
computer facilities in every classroom and adequate facilities for
teachers to use both at home and at school. A major role of the TC is
to design and help implement the staff development that facilitates
appropriate use of computer-related technology in schools.