Cooperative or collaborative learning is learning by small groups of students who work together in a common learning task. It is often also called group learning but to be truly cooperative learning, 5 elements are needed:
1. common goal
2. interdependence
3. interaction
4. individual accountability
5. social skills
Cooperative Learning and the Computer
Researchers have made studies on the learning interaction between the student and the computer. The studies have great value since it has been a long standing fear that the computer may foster student learning in isolation that hinders the development of the student's social skills.
Now this mythical fear has been contradicted by the studies which show that when students work with computers in groups
Linggo, Hulyo 31, 2011
Lesson 12: Information Technology in Support of Student-Centered Learning
The idea of student-centered learning is not a recent idea. In fact, as early as the 20th century, educational educators such as John Dewey argued for highly active and individualized pedagogical methods which place the student at the center of the teaching-learning process.
The Traditional Classroom
It may be observed that classrooms are usually arranged with neat columns and rows of student chairs or desks, while the teacher stands in front of the classroom or sits behind his table. This situation is necessitated by the need to maintain classroom discipline, also allows the teacher to control classroom activities through lecture presentation and teacher-led discussions.
Noticeably, however, after spending so many minutes in lesson presentation and class management, students can get restless and fidgety. Often enough, the teacher has to also manage misbehaviour in class as students start to talk among themselves or simply stare away in lack of attention.
The SCL Classroom
John Dewey has described traditional learning as a process in which the teacher pours information to student learners, much like pouring water from a jug into cups. This is based on the long accepted belief that the teacher must perform his role of teaching so that learning can occur. This learning approach is generally known as direct instruction, and it has worked well for obtaining many kinds of learning outcomes. The problem with it is that the approach in learning, however, is the fact that the world’s societies have began to change. It may not be felt strongly to countries in which on countries who depends mostly their economy to factory workers. Traditional and direct instruction is very useful in these countries.
In contrast, industrialized societies we find knowledge-based economies in which workers depend on information that can be accessed through information and communication technologies (ICTs). Desiring to gain effectiveness, efficiency and economy in administration, schools in these developed economies have also adopted the support of ICTs. Their students have now become active not passive learners, demonstrating independence and self-awareness in the learning process.
REFLECTION
SCL environment is very useful especially if a nation wants to progress and develop. There are some schools here in the Philippines who already adopted the SCL environment in instruction. Others object from it since they think that and SCL can be noisy and unwieldy.
As we all know, in the traditional classroom, a teacher can discipline and manage his/her students. The teacher in that has always the first and final say in the lesson. But the difference is that in the traditional classroom, a student can sometimes feel intimidated and bored since it is always the voice of the teacher who echoes most of the time and leads the discussion. While in a SCL environment, it gives students the venue to interact with each other, be motivated as everyone can participate and enjoy. It can be as noisy as it is, but it gives the students independence and self-awareness. It does not mean that in a SCL, the teacher can no longer do classroom management. The teacher still is the one more knowledgeable than his/her students, but he do not anymore act as the teacher who do talking most of the times, but he/she is now a facilitator, open to ideas, problems and resolutions from his/her students. I believe that SCL is fun, memorable and healthy just like training or a workshop.
Lesson 11: The Computer as the Teacher’s Tool
Constructivism was introduced by Jean Piaget (1981) and Bruner (1990). They gave stress to knowledge discovery of new meaning/concepts/principles in the learning process. Various strategies have been suggested to foster knowledge discovery, among these, is making students engaged in gathering unorganized information from which they can induce ideas and principles. Students are also asked to apply discovered knowledge to new situations, a process for making their knowledge applicable to real life situations.
While knowledge is constructed by the individual learner in constructivism, knowledge can also be socially constructed. Social Constructivism is the effort to show that the construction of knowledge is governed by social, historical and cultural contexts. In effect, this is to say that the learner who interprets knowledge has a predetermined point of view according to the social perspectives of the community or society he lives in.
The psychologist Vygotsky stressed that learning is affected by social influences. He suggested the interactive process in learning. A more capable adult (teacher or parent) can aid or complement what the learner sees in a given tasks or project. In addition, John Dewey sees language as medium for social coordination and adaptation. For Dewey, human learning is really human languaging that occurs when students socially share, build and agree upon meanings and knowledge.
The Computer’s Capabilities
Informative Tool
The computer can provide vast amounts of information in various forms, such as text, graphics, sound, and video. Even multimedia encyclopedias are today available on the internet.
Communication Tool
The computer has been used in communication as evident by social networking sites as to facebook, twitter and friendster. We can even chat/talk friends and families anywhere in the globe through yahoo messenger or the one in facebook or view them through the webcam. We can send messages and information through the internet in just seconds or minutes.
Constructive Tool
The computer itself can be used for manipulating information, visualizing one’s understanding, and building new knowledge. The Microsoft Word computer program itself is a desktop publishing software that allows users to organize and present their ideas in attractive formats.
Co-constructive Tool
Students can use constructive tools to work cooperatively and construct a shared understanding of new knowledge. One way of co-construction is the use of the electronic whiteboard where students may post notices to a shared document/whiteboard. Students may also co-edit the same document from their homes.
Situating Tool
By means of virtual reality (RS) extension systems, the computer can create 3-D images on display to give the user the feeling that are situated in a virtual environment. A flight simulation program is an example of a situating tool which places the user in simulated flying environment.
REFLECTION
The computer has provided as different uses, gives us advantages and convenience. The trend nowadays is information technology which makes use the computer in all its applications. Computers have been already used in schools to provide and facilitate students’ learning. It is obvious that even the youngest generation knew about it and how it is being used. Student’s make their assignments, create projects, and do researches with the use of computer. It really seemed that our present civilization is dependent on computers. It is in anyway advantageous if used wisely and purposely.
Japan, China, Korea and other countries already made used of the use of computer as a teacher; programmed to teach and be objective. Others also can study anywhere in the world without going to schools and be seated inside a classroom. One can already facilitate his own learning through the computer. It can provide vast information, provides easier communication and facilitates constructivism among minds of learners.
LESSON 10: The Computer as a Tutor
The computer is one of the wonders of human ingenuity, even in its original design in the 1950s to carry out complicated mathematical and logical operations. With the invention of the microcomputer (now also commonly referred to PCs or personal computers), the PC has become the tool for programmed instruction.
Educators saw much use of the PC. It has become affordable to small business, industries and homes. They saw its potential for individualization in learning, especially as individualized learning is a problem since teachers usually with a class of forty or more learners. They therefore devised strategies to use the computer to break the barriers to individualized instruction.
Computer-Assisted Instruction (CAI)
The computer can be a tutor in effect relieving the teacher of many activities in his personal role as a classroom tutor. It should be made clear, however, that the computer cannot totally replace the teacher since the teacher shall continue to play major roles of information deliverer and learning environment controller. Even with the available computer and CAI software, the teacher must:
· Insure that the students have the needed knowledge and skills for any computer activity.
· Decide the appropriate learning objectives
· Plan the sequential and structured activities to achieve objectives.
· Evaluate the students’ achievement by ways of tests of the specific expected outcomes.
Today, educators accept the fact that the computer has indeed succeeded in providing an individualized learning environment so difficult for a teacher handling whole class. This is so, since the computer is able to allow individual students to learn at their own pace, motivate learning through a challenging virtual learning environment, and assist students through information needed during the learning process.
REFLECTION
There has been a fear that someday in the future teachers will be replaced with CAI because as an assessment it is much better if we will used the computer to assist as in our learning for it is consistent and objective. Yes, it is partly true and also partly wrong because we all know that there are roles that teachers have to do that CAI cannot. A computer cannot assess and insure if the students have the needed knowledge and skills for it does not have any will and intellect, a teacher can decide the appropriate learning objectives while computers do not, a teachers can plan any structured activities to achieve objectives suited to the needs of its students and a teacher can evaluate the student’s achievements by ways of tests of the expected outcomes. With CAI, we can only expect lower level learning skills and what is only programmed in the computer will be the only thing a student will learn unlike with a teacher, we can learn more from him/her as we can freely asks questions or can interact with different experiences in life.
Maybe CAI can be used on some areas of a student’s learning but it can’t represent in behalf of the teacher in all aspects. Drill and practice software materials can be useful if we want excellence in the use of the computer. But to make it a teacher, it can’t never be. Teachers are still the best and suited way for a student to learn more, computers can only assist.
Linggo, Hulyo 24, 2011
LESSON 9: Computer as Information and Communication Technology
Through computer technology, educators saw the amplification of learning along with computer literacy. Much Like reading, the modern student can now interact with computer messages; even respond to questions or to computer commands. Again like writing, the learner can form messages using computer language or program.
Some computer-assisted instruction (CAI) was introduced using the principle of individualized learning through a positive climate that includes realism and appeal with drill, exercises that uses color, music and animation. The novelty of CAI has not waned to this day especially in the basic education level as this is offered by computer-equipped private schools. But the evolving pace of innovation in today’s Information Age is so dynamic that within the first decade of the 21st century, computer technology in education has matured to transform into an educative information and communication technology (ICT) in education.
The Personal Computer (PC) as ICT
Until the nineties, it was still possible to distinguish between instructional media and the educational communication media.
Instructional media consist of audio-visual aids that served to enhanced and enrich the teaching-learning process. Examples are the blackboard, photo, film and video.
On the other hand, educational communication media comprise the media of communication. For example, the distance learning was implemented using correspondence, radio, television, or the computer satellite system.
Close to the turn of the 21st century, however, such a distinction merged owing to the advent of the microprocessor, also known as the personal computer (PC). This is due to the fact that the PC user at home, office and school has before him a tool for both audio-visual creations and media communication.
REFLECTION:
Personal Computers are useful in the learning process. Students at home can continue using their pc’s in their assignments and projects without spending much time in the library looking for the exact book. Even if the students are not in school, they can still continue to study, explore and search. Aside from that, PC’s are also use in communication. One can communicate from a person in the far using the computer or can watch a movie in it. It has also been use as a radio for some for music can be store. Typing a project would not be difficult at all for one can delete wrong words or sentences without erasures. In offices, PC’s are useful in storing company information, make databases for reports or programs for company use.
LESSON 8: Higher Thinking Skills through IT-Based Projects
The Four Types of IT-Based Projects
I. Resource-based Projects
In these projects, the teacher steps out of the traditional role of being a content expert and information provider, and instead lets the students find their own facts and information. Only when necessary for the active learning process does the teacher step in to supply data or information. The general flow of events in resource-based projects are:
1. The teacher determines the topic for the examination of the class (e.g. the definition of “man”)
2. The teacher presents the problem to the class.
3. The students find information on the problem/questions.
4. Students organize their information in response to the problems/questions.
II. Simple Creations
Students can also be assigned to create their software materials. Of course, there are available software materials such as Creative Writer (by Microsoft) on writing, KidWork Deluxe (by Davidson) on drawing and painting, and Media Weave (by Humanities software) on multimedia).
In developing software, creativity as an outcome should not be equated with ingenuity or high intelligence. Creating is more consonant with planning, making, assembling, designing, or building. Creativity is said to combine three kind of skills/abilities:
· Analyzing- distinguishing similarities and differences/ seeing the project as a problem to be solved.
· Synthesizing- making spontaneous connections among ideas, thus generating interesting or new ideas.
· Promoting- selling of new ideas to allow the public to test the ideas themselves.
III. Guided Hypermedia Projects
The production of self-made multimedia projects can be approached in two different ways:
1. As an instructive tool, such as in the production by students of a power-point presentation of a selected topic.
2. As a communication tool, such as when students do a multimedia presentation (with text, graphs, photos, audio narration, interviews, video clips, etc. To simulate a television news show.
IV. Web-based Projects
Students can be made to create and post webpages on a given topic. But creating webpages, even single page webpages may too sophiscated and time consuming for the average student.
It should be said, however, that posting of webpages in the internet allows the students (now the webpage creator) a wider audience. They can also be linked with other related sites in the internet. But as of now, this creativity project may be to ambitious as a tool in the teaching-learning process.
REFLECTION:
We find it uncreative for a student if he/she chooses to present a project (EX: 7 Great World Wonders) in a picture with a caption below or caricatures on a social issues. But let us put in mind that creativity includes analyzing, synthesizing and promoting. It would be unfair for a student to draw the 7 wonders of the world even though he can’t draw well. I don’t think creativity is lost when we used IT in the presentation of our projects. In a project, expense and time is also manifested, but I don’t think these aspects be given more consideration knowing that in a project we measure the output or the finished product. In that, we can also assess as to how much a student have invested in his time, effort and money.
One way to measure if who among the group had given more of his talent and creativity in a project will be through a project defense. The group will be tested through questions. Of course the one who could explain well the process of the project making is the one who is knowledgeable enough to answer all the questions. Even if questions are asked in a to and fro manner, either way will still be answerable by that student.
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