information technology and education docx

__ Management of Computer Assisted Instruction CAI and Information Processing 5.___ Development of Computer Aided 5 's Effective 5 6.___ Effectiveness of Computer Software in 7.___ C

INFORMATION

TECHNOLOGY

AND

Audiovisual education has developed rapidly since the 1920s by drawing on new technologies of communication, most recently the computer History has shown that pictures, specimens,

demonstrations, and other audiovisual means are effective teaching tools John

‘Amos Comenius (1592-1670), a

Bohemian educator, was one of the first

to propose a systematic method of

audiovisual education His Orbis

Sensuatium Pictus (“Picture of the

Sensual World”), published in 1658, was profusely illustrated with drawings, each playing an important role in

teaching the lesson at hand Comenius was followed by other great educators, including Jean-Jacques Rousseau, John Locke, and J.H Pestalozzi, who

advocated the use of sensory materials

to supplement teaching

This book has given emphasize on

Information Technology and Education There are 28 topics covered for

exploration of Computer in Educational setup of Global world vision

ron

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND EDUCATION

with Special Preference to Importance of Computer in

Teaching Leaming Process

This one

ÏÏllIfiIIIIIIi

ZEN:

M.A(English), M.A (Sociology)

M.Ed., Ph.D.(Computer Education)

Lecturer in Education , M.P Bhoj(Open) University,

Bhopal, MP

©

SARUP & SONS

NEW DELHI - 110002

Published by SARUP & SONS 4740/23, Ansari Road Darya Ganj, New Delhi-110002 Tel : 23281029, 23244664, 51010989

Fax : 23277098 E-mail : sarupandsonsin@hotmail.com

Information Technology and Education

© Reserved First Edition - 2005 ISBN 81-7625-557-2

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thave special thanks to Prof, U.S Choudhari, former Vice-Chancellor

of DAVY, Indore for his encouragement to do this work in the field of education in general and Models of Teaching in specific I extend my heartfelt thanks to Prof (Mrs.) S Vaidya, Professor in Education, DAVY, Indore for her moral support to complete this task Again I extended my special thanks to Prof R.K Singh, Hon’ able Vice- Chancellor of Madhya Pradesh Bhoj (Open) University, Bhopal, and

to my Registrar, MPBOU Prof C.K Jain for supporting me official requirements for completing this work I extend my heartiest thanks

to my Director, Prof J.$ Grewal, Department of Multimedia Education and Dr S Ali, Reader in Education, MPBOU, for providing moral support for completing this work during my service time at MPBOU, Bhopal

It is a matter of great pleasure to acknowledge the co-operation and affection from the staff members of Madhya Pradesh Bhoj(Open)

University, Department of Multimedia Education

Tam thankful to all my senior and fellow researchers of Institute

of Education, DAVV, Indore for their love and encouragement throughout the completion of the work I am also thankful to Prof G Guru, Senior Consultant, MPBOU and Dr Kaushal Sharma, Lecturer

in Special Education, MPBOU and Mrs Sadhana Sharma for their moral support and encouragement for shaping the work

1 owe a great debt to my parents, and my wife Mitali Mahapatra and to my daughter Priyadarshini Mahapatra who provided all sorts

of facilities and time for my work Last but not the least I am grateful

to them who either directly or indirectly helped me in my work

B.C, Mahapatra

PREFACE

Education is the natural outgrowth of the civilization For thousands

of years, people are suppressed in Indian society Now the time has been changed and the revolution is starts Due to exploration of

knowledge, most of the countries in the world face the race of

globalization For proving their potentiality knowledge points of view educational infrastructures and quality of education are emphasized

Intervention of Educational Technology and Psychological Principles

of Leaming are adapted from elementary level to the Higher Education

in the developed countries and also in some extent in developing countries Use of adoptive technology and situational leaming are the main strategies for exploration of the knowledge in the present context

Adaptive Technology is defined as “Equipment that enhances

classroom performance of students.” Students who use adaptive technology are not getting an unfair advantage over the other students Teaching is an activity, which is designed for multiple objectives, in terms of changes in pupil’s behaviour Pupils have multi- dimensional personality having different learning styles The common implication of both these facts is that, the teacher should make use of different strategy of teaching for pupils learning styles with their personality dimensions There are varying instructional goals for different class and different subjects Technological advancements have

enabled the educators to produce taxonomy of educational objectives

It has divided the objectives in to three well-known domains: (i) cognitive (ii) affective and (iii) psychomotor To achieve the

educational objectives included under different domains one has to

practice different teaching strategy Educationist and Psychologist have

proposed a model-based approach to teaching to take care of variety

of objectives of education

viii

‘The central objective of the teaching leaning process is to achieve learning objective in the part of learner by the use of supplementary

teaching aids, such as recordings, transcripts, and tapes; motion

pictures and videotapes; radio and television; and computers, to improve learning

Audiovisual education has developed rapidly since the 1920s by drawing on new technologies of communication, most recently the

computer History has shown that pictures, specimens, demonstrations,

and other audiovisual means are effective teaching tools John Amos Comenius (1592-1670), a Bohemian educator, was one of the first to propose a systematic method of audiovisual education His Orbis Sensualium Pictus (“Picture of the Sensual World”), published in 1658,

was profusely illustrated with drawings, each playing an important role

in teaching the lesson at hand Comenius was followed by other great educators, including Jean-Jacques Rousseau, John Locke, and J.H Pestalozzi, who advocated the use of sensory materials to supplement

teaching

Audiovisual aids were widely employed by the armed services

during and after World War II This and much research over the intervening years indicate that, when skillfully used, audiovisual aids

can lead to significant gains in recall, thinking, interest, and imagination

This book has given emphasize on “Information Technology

and Education” There are 28 topics covered for exploration of

‘Computer in Educational set up of Global World vision

Dr B.C Mahapatra

CONTENTS

1 _anguage Learning in the Cave

of Information Technology Through Distance Mode 1 2. _ Management of Information Technology

3. _ Women Empowerment and

4 Management of Computer Assisted

Instruction (CAI) and Information Processing

5. _ Development of Computer Aided 5 's Effective 5

6. _ Effectiveness of Computer Software in

7. _ Computers and its Burning Sight Towards Education 54

9 Computer Education and the Disadvantaged 65

10 Educating Brighter Students Through Computer 74

11 Fulfilling the Need to Succeed Through it 82

12 Computer Using in Educational Research 89

15 Eliminating Substitute Teachers Through Computer 109

x

18 New Teachers Leadership and Computer 123

9 Future S Possibilii

20 Comparison of Reactions of Extravert

and Introvert Students Towards CA ———— 146

21 Fostering of Mobil Technology and ICT

22, Present Status and New Directions of

23 Technology and Social Development Through Education 173

Interest in the remote delivery of language instruction has increased significantly in recent years As the Internet has displaced synchronous video as the preferred platform for distance education, the dramatically lower cost and more modest technical requirements

of Web delivery make it a feasible option for a much broader range

of educational institutions More broadband connections alongwith the widespread availability of DVD players allow for incorporation of high-quality video into distance education courses, while new Internet audio tools make two-way voice communications possible The power

and flexibility of the XML programming environment, now widely

deployed on the Internet, make new convergences of educational and

entertainment environments possible.

2 Information Technology and Education

Web environments for distance learning can be custom-created from scratch or built using an interface supplied by a Learning

Management System (LMS) A custom-built project offers the greatest

amount of flexibility while avoiding the temptation to follow a pre- conceived plan for the structure of the course, On the other hand, this route makes higher demands on design and programming and thus increases cost and development time A good number of course sites use Macromedia Director or Author ware to create content and Flash for delivery of animations and multimedia Dream weaver (Macromedia) and FrontPage (Microsoft) facilitate not only the creation of Web pages, but also enable addition of Java Script interactivity through pull-down menus To be used effectively, these tools need not just programming skill (to varying degrees) but — just

as importantly — an understanding of Web design and user interface issues

A key advantage of using an LMS is the built-in course

framework, a template-based system into which content is added For

distance learning, an LMS can supply crucial communication and management tools, as well as assessment builders and grade book functionality Although the most widely used LMS are Blackboard and

Web CT, new less- expensive but still highly effective options exist

ETUDES, from Foothill College offer an easy-to-use interface for distance learning and have features comparable to Blackboard (and” scores higher in Web accessibility) The Manila environment, part of User land Frontier, is innovative and powerful group ware, which excels at creating a multi-user writing environment It allows new information to be easily posted to a web log For some purposes Manila may “work better than Web CT One of the most welcome Web products for language learning is Wimba, which allows for creation

of a variety of voice-enabled Web pages, including voice boards which

use the familiar format of threaded discussion forums for the exchange

of recorded messages Wimba is being widely used in the US in language learning, for example, at the University of Arizona to

supplement use of a MOO in teaching Mohave Its use as an “online

language lab” is especially useful for less commonly taught languages,

with scarce local availability of native speakers The variety of

functions available in Wimba’s Web Lab could be used together as the core functions of a Web-delivered language class

Language Learning in the Cave of IT Through Distance Mode 3

LMS excel at course and user management but they are not

strong in content creation Course developers often create structured

content outside the LMS using a mainstream multimedia-authoring

program or programming environment, then link to that content from

inside the LMS shell The disadvantage of this approach is the lack

of functional and interface integration with the LMS Recently, both

Blackboard and Web CT have opened up their proprietary systems to plug-ins and add-ons, which extend the system functionality while

retaining the familiar user interface and authoring conventions One

of the more powerful content creation tools, available for both of the

leading LMS, is Lectora from Trivantis, Lectora enables creation of

sophisticated learning modules, which incorporate multimedia, branching, and assessments Performance on quizzes is automatically linked into the LMS grade book Advanced interface options such as show and hide functionality, mouseovers, or object visibility, can all

be added without any need for programming knowledge One of the key features of Lectora is its support for Internet standards

Specifically, the content created is compliant with the SCORM

guidelines (Sharable Content Object Reference Model) as well as LRN

(Learning Resource Interchange), Microsoft's implementation of the

IMS standards (Instructional Management System) Standards compliance enhances the likelihood of content portability from one learning system to another as well as the ability to share among

colleagues Lectora content, for example, can be imported and exported

to XML and then transferred to a different learning environment (i¢., from Blackboard to Web CT) Content can also be delivered in Palm and Pocket PC formats

A critically important component of distance education is

multimedia, in particular streaming media and Web-enabled DVDs

For language learning audio and video clips often form the meat and potatoes of remotely delivered instruction In fact, traditionally,

distance education meant two-way video, usually in the form of

dedicated site-to-site connections using compressed video Today, successors to the pioneering CU See Me (Net Meeting, Paltalk, Visit) provide much less expensive two-way video on PCs through high- quality USB or Firewire cameras Some chat programs have video as

well as audio capability Apple recently announced multimedia

enhancements of its Chat application, alongwith introducing the new

4 Information Technology and Education

Sight camera A recent review in LLT discussed a number of different

audio conferencing tools

‘The problem with video conferencing remains the high throughput required for satisfactory size and fidelity (especially in going beyond one to one connections) In a distance-learning environment there are likely to be participants without broadband Internet access This issue arises as well in video distributed through

a streaming server Although streaming technologies, including Real

Media, Windows Media, and QuickTime, have provisions for adjusting streams to bandwidth availability, a dial-up connection nonetheless will not usually provide a reliable and smooth video playback in a reasonably sized window, This becomes an especially serious problem iffa distance learning module is built around display of video embedded

in a Web page or other delivery environment One of the options for incorporating streaming media is to use a synchronizing tool to link streaming audio or video of lectures/presentations with slides, Web pages or other content Such products vary considerably in cost and functionality and include Lecture Browser, Presenter One, JTTL (Just-

in-Time Lectures) and Microsoft Producer

One solution to bandwidth issues is to supply the media,

especially video, on CD or DVD This option provides a reliable video

source, one, which can be accessed independently of Internet connectivity CD bumers have become standard equipment on new computers and DVD burners are now frequently an option as well Mass duplicators have dropped significantly in price in recent years

and, with the current low price of blank CDs, can quickly create a

batch of CDs from a master Both Blackboard and Web CT allow for

integration of content distributed on local CDs An instructor links

content from a CD to a Web page, usually signaled on the page by a

CD icon The first time students access the content they provide the

location or name of their CD or DVD drive, which then becomes part

of their LMS system configuration This type of hybrid approach works well also for audio files or any other static files an instructor may have ready for distribution at the start of a course This might include copies

of utilities, players, or plug-ins needed to access some course content

(Microsoft players, QuickTime, Acrobat, etc.) For delivery of video,

a VCD (video compact disk - 78 minutes) or high-quality SVCD

Language Learning in the Cave of IT Through Distance Mode 5

(super video compact disc - 35 minutes) can be created with most CD authoring software The subsequent discs can be played on PCs as well

as on most DVD players

REFERENCES

1 Colin, T (Edt ) “Using Micro Computers in Schools”, Nichols Publishing Company, New York, 1985

2 Coromoto, A.O “A feasibility study of the applications of micro-computers

to educational management training”, Dissertation Abstracts Intemational, Vol 47, No 11, 1985

3 Corrol, B.G “Effective aspects of microcomputer”, Dissertation Abstracts International, Vol 47, No 10, 1987

4 David, W & Me Anne “Computers Promise and Challenge in Education”, Black Well Scientific Publications, Australia, 1986

5 Forman, G., & Pufall, P (Eds.) “Constructivism in the computer age” Hillsdale, Lawrence Erlbaum, NJ, 1988

6 Hammafin, M.J., & Peck, K.L “The design, development, and evaluation

of instructional software”, Mcmillan, New York, 1988

7 Mahapatra, B.C “Need of Thinking Skills among School Going Children”, Free Press, Daily Newspaper, 3rd July, India, 2002

8 [bid., “Computer Aided Instruction: Psychological based learning, Dibrugarh University, Yearly Journal, Assam, 1999

9 Woodward, J„ Camine, D and Gersten, R “Teaching Problem Solving

‘Through Computer Simulations”, American Educational Research Journal, Vol 25, No.1, 1988.

5

DEVELOPMENT OF COMPUTER AIDED INSTRUCTION AND IT’S EFFECTIVENESS IN TERMS OF

ACHIEVEMENT

INTRODUCTION

Individualized instruction, self learning psychological based learning and development of cognitive domain are the demands of our present society with advancement of modem technology in the world, it is more urgent to develop and use a new pedagogy in our day to day class room teaching and also to develop efficiency in the way our students leam To keep pace with advancement so many technique and methods has been invented and used in classroom to make the teaching learning effective Computer Assisted Instruction is also assisting the education Several researches abroad reported its effectiveness in teaching learning process (Joseph (1984), Paul (1984), Joseph (1985), Ann (1986), Barbara (1986), Ellen (1986), Jay (1986), John (1986), Johnson Johnson and Stanned (1986), Sue (1986), Jaomes (1987), Keig (1987), Matsunoto and Baba (1987), Miller (1987), Nienice and Walberg (1987), Wever (1988), Carol (1988), Hugh (1988) Though the computers in classroom are in experimental stage in India but some work has been done in this area and reported its effectiveness Sahabji Pravakar (1988), developed a software for computer-aided instruction and compare with traditional method for teaching semi conductor at +2 level Himani Bharadwaj (1989) developed computer aided instructional material on microbes for class VIII They found CAI is effective than traditional method, Yet it may not be considered as a

Development of Computer Aides Instruction and IT's 4

generalized statement Hence the present study will add new prospects and advancement to the previous study Secondly in India the area is quite new and there is need to develop CAI in different subjects and

study its effect in terms of achievements

OBJECTIVE

To develop Computer Assisted Instruction and study its effectiveness

in terms of achievement of student on criterion test

DEVELOPMENT OF CAI

For present study CAI material was developed on “Structure of Atom and Chemical Bonding” A topic of chemistry from classes IX of M.P board CAI was developed in BASIC language because of its flexibility and easy to use Besides this all the facilities are available in it With

he help of graphic many abstract thing could be shown correctly and concretely to the students, for example combinations of atoms, exchange of electrons at the time of bonding etc., so that students could understand the concept very well For developing CAI for present study, the style of programming was developed in brainier style Brainier style is hybrid of branching and linear style of programming Different frames and parts of the programme were linked by using BASIC command ‘CHAIN’ There was in build mechanism in the programming and instructions on the screen, which showed the routs

to the leamer, on the basis of their responses

As described earlier CAI is a natural out growth of the application of principles involved in Programmed Learning (PL) Hence the steps involved in developing CAI adopted were similar to

PLM These steps were as follows:

(i) Selection of topic

(ii) Specification of entering and terminal behavior

(iii) Development of criterion test

(iv) Content analysis

(v) Writing frames and programmes on the frame

(vi) Try out

(vii) Editing and modification

4 Information Technology and Education

SAMPLE

Sample comprised of 20 students of class IX from New Look H.S

School Indore, both Boy’s and Girls were included in the sample The

medium of instruction of students was English Socio Economic statuses of the students were same Looking at the computer facilities purposive sampling was done

DESIGN

The study was experimental in nature The group was taught through CAI called as experimental group Treatment was given for the experimental group 24 hours Teacher was present at the time of treatment and remained busy with computer handling or for guides the students of that group Treatment was independent variable where achievement was the depending variable

TOOL USED

In the present study data were collected with respect to the student achievement on criterion test

Criterion Test

In order to test the achievement of the students on terminal

behavior of the topic, criterion test was prepared The test was consisted of ten items and each item has five short types of questions They are objective types, multiple choices and fill in the blank types The length of the answer was so systematized in order to make it objective as possible

PROCEDURE OF DATA COLLECTION The IBM PC’s were available in New Look High School To conduct

experiment 20 students of thé group were taken to the computer unit

and proper instructions were given to them each student was provided

a floppy in which the developed CAI was copied With the help of the teacher they started their computer machine and loaded the

developed CAL They were allowed to studying at their own pace The role of the teacher was to help the students in handling the machine

After completing the topic, criterion test was given to the students.

Development of Computer Aides Instruction and ITS 45

The test was scored and data were analyzed through statistical techniques

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS Effectiveness of CAI in terms of achievement was calculated by Percentile

RESULT AND DISCUSSION

The data was analyzed by computing percentiles

The result was given in Table 5.1

TABLE 5.1: Percentiles on Criterion Test

(Figures are in Percentiles)

Percentile Scores are in percentage

at the performance of the students it can be said that the CAI was

effective in terms of achievement of the students

‘The computer aided instruction material was found to be effective

in terms of achievement of students, This following is supported by

46 Information Technology and Education (Poul, 1984; Francis, 1985; Barbar, 1986; Johnson, Johnson and Stanne,1986; Keig, 1987; Niemice and Walbrg,1987; Richard, 1987; Hugh,1988; Woodward, Carnine and Gersten, 1988; Pravakar,1988; Himani,1989)

This may be due to various reasons The students were working

at their own pace Therefore, they could understand the concept When

the students gave wrong answer they were told way their answer was wrong and they were provided supplementary information This type

of learning generally not possible in class room situation There was in-build reinforcement mechanism Beside this, there was a special facility for graphics with the help of these students can observe the abstract things in concrete way All these things might have help the students in understanding the various information relations to the

‘structure of atom and chemical bonding These were the reason, which

helped the students in understanding the content thoroughly

REFERENCES

1 Bhardwaj, H Development of Computer Aided Instruction material on microbes and find out its effectiveness in terms of achievement (Diss.),

1989,

2 Coronoto, A.D A feasibility study of the applications of microcomputers

to educational management training; Dissertation Abstracts International Vol 47, No.1, 1988

3 K, Frederick Instructional Technology; Hult, Rinehart and Winston, London, 1968

4, Mahapatra, B.C Computer and it’ s role in Learning, Bharatiya Shikhan, Bombay, July-1991

‘Oberoi, S Basic made easy, New Delhi, B.P.B Publications, 1986

Pravakar, S Development of Computer Aided Instruction and compare traditional method for teaching semi-conductor at plus It level (Diss.), 1988

7 Sanders, H, Donald Computers Today; Mc-Graw-Hall International Edts, New York, 1988.

6

EFFECTIVENESS OF COMPUTER

SOFTWARE IN TERMS OF

HIGHER MENTAL ABILITY

[An experimental study has been conducted to study the impact of

teaching through software package on the higher mental abilities of

school children The software package consisted was.of Computer Assisted Instructional material (CAI), Special Designed Assignment, Discussion and Library References Sample for the study was consisted

of 67 class IX students, divided into two groups, experimental and control The experiment was carried out for a period of two months Post-test results of both the groups were compared by adjusting their mean achievement scores with respect to Intelligence Developed software package was found to be significantly superior to the traditional approach in terms of higher mental ability of the students}

INTRODUCTION

To day we are passing through the age of information technology Where in knowledge is expanding exponentially and new media are being extensively used for transmitting it The main aim of implementing new media, method, technique etc to enhance the learning out put of the learners Individualized instruction, self-

learning, development of cognitive domain all is the demands of

modem education In spite of these, the more urgent is develop the

new pedagogy and also to develop efficiency in the way our students

leam

4 Information Technology and Education

RATIONALE

Many researchers have conducted the experiments to take care above cited inadequacies Though the pre-researcher findings shows that in the area of Higher Mental Ability in Science Joshi(1986) report that PLM plays a significant role in developing higher mental ability in

Ithas been assign that Computer can also play an important role

in developing Higher Mental Ability in science Because Computer Assisted Instruction is the extension of PLM, and is the outcome of controlled learning In India use of Computer in education in experimental stage No study has been conducted in the area whether

In western countries only three studies have been perform in this direction by Timothy, 1986); Breune, 1987; and Diane, 1987 They fount that there is no positive impact of computer to develop Cognitive

impact of the learner To establish the reliability and validity of their findings in Indian context the present study has been undertaken,

ABOUT THE PACKAGE

For conducting the experiment the developed software package is the

integration of Computer Assisted Instructional material(CAD, Special

Designed Assignment, Discussion and Library References In this package the major component is Computer Assisted Instructional(CAD)

Material, For developing the CAI material Brainer style of programming were followed Before developing the CAI material and its other components contents of five units of class IX chemistry followed the CBS course analysed All the steps for developing PLM were also followed for developing the CAI After content analysis with the help of BASIC and QUICK BASIC language were considered for developing the package For more friendly and maximizing learning outcomes psychological factor like Quick processing in output, convenience holding, well organization of material, reinforcement and

feedback facilities, graphics and animation, highlight on main points,

menu choice use of dictionary were incorporate

OBJECTIVE

To compare the mean Higher Mental Ability scores in science of the

Effectiveness of Computer Software in Terms of Higher 49

students taught through developed software package with the student taught through Traditional Method by taking Intelligence as co-variate

HYPOTHESIS There will be no significant difference between the mean Higher

Mental Ability scores in science of the students taught through developed software package with those student taught through Traditional Method by taking Intelligence as co-variate

SAMPLE

The sample was comprised of 67 students studying in class IX from Indore Public School(IPS) and Rising Star Higher Secondary School(RSHSS), Indore 32 students from IPS constituted the experimental group where as 35 students from RSHSS constituted the control group Medium of instructions in both the schools was English The students were from average Socio-Economic status Their age varies from 13 to 16 and they belonged to co-education school

DESIGN

Design of the study was post-test only control group design There

was one experimental group and one control group Both the groups

were matched to a great extent Intelligence was also controlled statistically with the help of analysis of covariance Experimental group was taught through developed soft ware package, while the control group was taught through traditional method The software package was comprised mainly of computer assisted instructional material plus specially designed assignments, library references and discussion The treatment continued for 63 working days at the rate of 1 and 1/2 hours per day for five units of chemistry namely, state of matter, chemical

bonding, physical and chemical changes, electro-chemical cell and

electrolysis The schools under experimentation were separated at a distance of 10 kms So that there is no chance of mutual interaction among the students Higher mental abilities in science was dependent

variable.

50 Information Technology and Education

TOOLS

Intelligence was taken as co-variate and Higher Mental Ability In Science (HMIS) was the dependent variable The details of the tools used given below: Intelligence:

Intelligence was measured by using the group intelligence test developed by Mehta (1970) The test consists of 60 items These are categorized into ten areas like, logical selection, analysis, best answer information, disarranged sentences, number series, classification, absurd inferevces and arithmetical reasoning Split-half reliability coefficient of the test was 0.879 which was boosted up to 0.930 by Spearman-Brown formulae The test was validated against the annual school marks of the students’ The correlation with the total school marks was 0.44

Higher Mental Ability in Science(HMAS)

Higher mental ability in science was measured by using a test

of higher mental ability in science developed by Joshi & Sansanwal (1986), The test was consisted of 20 items out of these 6, 6, 5 and 3

items measured the power of application, analysis, synthesis,

evaluation respectively

Test-retest reliability cofficient of the test was found to be 0.50 Validity was established against the performance of the students in science and total academic achievement There was no time limit to

complete the test

PROCEDURE OF DATA COLLECTION

In the beginning, orientation and full details about the experimentation were given to all the students of the experimental group A floppy of

loaded Computer Assisted Instructional Material(CAI) was provided

to each student of experimental group, so that each of them was enable

to work independently at his own pace, After going through each unit

of the computer assisted instructional material(CAI) whenever required, discussions were held After completing each unit with the help of teacher guidance and references students completed their

assignment The regular period was utilized for clarifying doubts and

solving the difficulties regarding the contents and assignments The

Effectiveness of Computer Software in Terms of Higher sI

assignments of the students were checked by the teacher At the same time, the same unit was taught to control group by their regular teacher through the traditional method The same procedure was followed for

all the five units During the experimentation the intelligence scores

of both groups were collected by administering the intelligence test The test of Higher Mental Ability in Science was also administered

to both the groups separately at the end of experimentation

STATISTICAL TECHNIQUE

The data were analysed by using the technique of “analysis of co-

variance”

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

‘As described earlier to compare the mean Higher Mental Ability scores

in science of the students Experimental and Control group, analysis

of co-variance technique was employed, where intelligence was taken

as co-variate, Results are shown in Table 6.1

TABLE 6.1 Summary of ANCOVA for Higher Mental Ability in Science

by taking Intelligence as covariate

From the table 6.1 it can be observed that, F value is significant

at 0.01 level with df 1/64 It shows that, the adjusted mean higher

‘mental ability in science score of the students taught through developed

software package is significantly different from those taught through

traditional method when intelligence was taken as covariate Thus the null hypothesis namely “there will be no significant difference between

the mean of higher mental ability scores in science of the students

studying through developed software package with those studying

52 Information Technology and Education through traditional method taking Intelligence as a covariate “ is

rejected The adjusted mean Higher mental ability in science score of

the students taught through developed package was significantly higher than those taught through traditional method (vide table 6.2) It may therefore, be said that the developed Software Package was superior

than the traditional method in terms of higher mental abilities in

science

TABLE 6.2 Adjusted Mean Higher Mental Ability in Science

Achievement Scores of Experimental and Control Groups

so that students could analyse the parts and describe the structure There was facility to explain the answers of the questions where students were wrong So that the students themselves were able to evaluate the learming outcomes There was a facility for continuous evaluation of the learners Discussions also helped in developing evaluating power of the learners In this way all the four aspects directly involve in the package This was the main reason of development of higher mental abilities among the students This finding was supported by Woodword (1988) While Miller (1987) and Gallinski (1988) said that computer experience were not associated with higher mental abilities of the students Strein and Kachman(1984) reported that computer games did not show the significant effect on cognitive domain but reported a positive trained towards it

Effectiveness of Computer Software in Terms of Higher 53

REFERENCES

1 Alex, Koobang “A study of attitudes towards computers anxiety, confidence, liking and perceptions of usefulness”, Dissertation Abstracts International, Vol 49, No 3, 1988

Ausuble, D “Educational Psychology: A cognitive view", Holt, Rinehart

& Winston, New York, 1968

3 Baker, Sue Hetton “The effect of learning logo on the problem solving skills of the school children” Dissertation Abstracts International, Vol 4, No.7, 1989

4 Barbara, H “Comparison of Computer assisted Instruction in teacher directed instruction in teaching microcomputer key board to sixth graders”, Dissertation Abstracts International, Vol 48, No 3, 1987

Berlyne, D.” Structure and Direction In Thinking”, Wiley, New York, 1965

Galinski, Marie Ellen “An investigation of the relation-ship of microcomputer problem solving software and critical thinking abilities of junior high students”, Dissertation Abstracts International, Vol 49, No

9, 1989

7 1o, Langhorne, Many EtL *Teaching with Computers; A new Menu for the 908”, Oryx Press, Kogan Page, London, 1989

8 Lioyd, PR “Computer Based Microworlds : A bridge between

constructivism and Direct Instructions” ETR & D, Vol 40, No 1, 1993

9 Mahajan, S “Development of software for D.C.Ed Automation” Ph.D, Dissertation, Unpublished, D.A.V.V., Indore, 199:

10, Mayer, R “Thinking, problem solving, cognition”, Freeman, New York, 1983

of life with the integration to achieve a high significance For apply the scientific and technological principle human beings takes the help

of different electronic devices The revolutionary change done in the

different areas in the society being done by the computers Due to

economic, accurate, efficient work ability it covers different areas in

the society

Nowadays Computers are being also used in all most every sphere of life including education Home computers(P.C.) are used for playing video games at home Doctors with the help of computer graphics look in to the body and diagnose diseases with cent-percent confidence Even in the big hospitals computers are being used for installing the management system Day to day records and history of old and new patients can be made available in no time Sonography, scanning and inner-body testing can be made easier with the help of computer In the production of architectural designs, models of buildings and to get the hard copy printings computers help a lot

Due to multidimensional development of educational technology,

its innovation have made the teacher capable of communicate the

Computers and it's Burning Sight Towards Education 55

knowledge and facts, in the process of imparting knowledge and facts,

to his pupil within shorter time than before The scientific and

technological principles are well presented by the computers The two main areas which are recognized by the educational system which can controlled and managed by the computers:

i Computers solved the administrative problems

ii, Computers as a formal teacher

Lorence Stolero and Denial Devis (1985) had prepared a teaching model where in the computer acts in place of teacher In this model they profounded that low level objectives pertaining to cognitive domain could be achieved smoothly by applying the computer Glaser (1962) developed a basic teaching model, as given in the flow chart 1.1, which divided the teaching process into four components The four parts of the model correspond to:

‘A Instructional objectives

shows how computer handle the problem with the help of teacher and

professor and select the appropriate instructional material focusing to the psychological principle with ability of the learner In this the tutorial phase consists of two functions The teacher function puts the program selected into the pretutorial phase to work The professor function is

to decides which change to make in the program if the program is not effective The computers can do all the tasks performed by the teacher faster, more precisely, and according to the students needs

Eder and Smith (1982) studied the instant feedback as a vital aspect of increasing motivation when using the microcomputers as a aid in teaching Rieber (1993) decleared after his study decleared that computer can built a bridge between constructism and direct instruction, Papert(1980) suggested that microworlds should fulfill four criteria as simple, general, usefull and syntonic

By locating the different researcher findings the following points

56 Information Technology and Education

are to be lighted by the computers It is the instructional media, which helps to theory building The ledrning points, which are significantly emerged by the computers, are given below:

Large Storing Capability

Computer has large storage capacity, It can store volumes of data

in its memory It is able to provide correct information situationally Auxiliary storage devices are also available to store the data

Self- pacing

By using flexible languages like Pascal, C, Basic programs can

be prepared in interactive mode with Menu choices Students can choose whatever contents they want and at any time, for the memory device

Reliable Presentation

Information, which has been fed to the computers, always

remains stored in the same way as entered While the teacher makes always some change in his repetitive presentations Sometime it may create some confusion among students With the help of computers leamers can get authentic information

Setting Learning Environment and Motivation

Different attractive colors, musical facility, animation, simulation, giving feedback, reinforcement develop learner’s motivation

Use of Conventional Time

As far as time is concerned, computer is so flexible that learners can use it according to their available time There is no rigidity of

time for using computer

Computers and it's Burning Sight Towards Education 87 and work with interacting with them All the time they remain busy

in handling the machine,

Giving Guidance and Supervision

Proper guideline and directions can be provided to the learners

so that they can work in a proper channel

Evaluation

Immediate evaluation within less time is possible by the computer Partiality factor or subjectivity in Evaluation can be removed

Minimizing Heterogeneity

According to the learners’ own need, ability and pace they can

follow the computer instruct-ions, and do their own work accordingly

Which helps to minimize individual difference

By considering the factors facilating the administrating problems

by the computers as:

(i) Keeping progressive and general records of the teaching

and non-teaching staffs

(0i) _ Holding the records and growth of the institution

(iii) Helps to process the examination results

(iv) Timetable management

(v) Library management

(vi) Official and Personal Accountancy

(vii) Corresponding the program with network

Through the critical analysis of the teaching learning process it can be seen that computer is one of the instructional media, which solve the different problems related to education It directly and indirectly involve in formal, non-formal and informal process of educational

system

REFERENCES

1 Alex, Koobang “A study of attitudes towards computers anxiety, confidence, liking and perceptions of usefulness”, Dissertation Abstracts International, vol.49,No.3,1988.

58 Information Technology and Education

Ausuble, D “Educational Psychology: A cognitive view”, Holt, Rinehart

& Winston, New York, 1968

Baker, Sue Hetton “The effect of learning logo on the problem solving skills of the school children”

Barbara, H “Comparison of Computer assisted Instruction in teacher directed instruction in teaching micro computer key board to sixth graders”, Dissertation Abstracts International, Vol 48, No 3, 1987

Berlyne, D “Structure and Direction In Thinking”, Wiley, New York, 1965 Dissertation Abstracts Intemational, Vol 4, No 7, 1989

Galinski, Marie Ellen “An investigation of the relationship of microcomputer problem solving software and critical thinking abilities of junior high students”, Dissertation Abstracts International, Vol 49, No

Mahajan, S “Development of software for D.C.Ed Automation” Ph.D, Dissertation, Unpublished, D.A.V.V., Indore, 1992

Mayer, R “Thinking, problem solving, cognition”, Freeman, New York,

1983

his son No one knows how much Alexander gained by having this

unique instructor, but his teacher provided a solid foundation for his accomplishments later in life Not everyone can have a king for a father, but each student today can have a private tutor with even more knowledge than Aristotle This tutor is a computer Of all the advantages that computers will deliver to education, the foremost will

be their capacity to act as individual tutors

‘An ideal tutor can provide exceptional advantages for learning Let’s suppose that each of us could choose a perfect mentor for our child We would select one who was knowledgeable in all subjects and who could tailor courses to the individual needs wherever the child’s abilities might lead, We would want a tutor who would be

aware of precisely what the child knew to prevent undue repetition,

while ensuring that all necessary instruction was provided We would

want a tutor with enough time to give the pupil individual attention

whenever needed without holding up other students We would want

this idealized teacher to have the flexibility to instruct a little differently

sometimes when the child forgot something or had difficulty in grasping

a point Our child, of course, would never fall behind because of

60 Information Technology and Education

sickness or absence; the private tutor would always start the next class exactly where the previous one had ended

We would want an additional virtue in our ideal tutor: an

encouraging attitude A story told by President John Kennedy illustrates how his father used this trait to help him to develop his self- confidence Kennedy spoke about his father shortly after the first of his famous TV debates with Richard Nixon He said that if he had walked out on the stage that night and had stumbled and fallen flat on his face before forty million viewers, his father’s only comment would have been, “The way you picked yourself up off the floor was

spectacular!”

‘The story may have been fabricated Nonetheless, it strikes a resonant note and grabs at our emotions; we recognize that psychologically, it aids our development when we work with someone eager to praise, hesitant to find fault Unfortunately, avoiding criticism

is often difficult: a tone of voice or body language may sometimes unconsciously betray feelings When a teacher finds that a student has forgotten something that has been repeated many times, reacting slightly and almost imperceptibly is an understandable human response Somehow the pupil often interprets this correctly to mean,

“You must remember, We've been over that again and again and

again!”

Our model private tutor would never chastise us when we were less than perfect including the inevitable occasions when we stumbled and fell on our face Our hypothetical paragon, while pointing out our mistakes, would be forever congratulating us on our accomplishments and encouraging us to proceed further

All these powerful characteristics we would choose for our child’s private tutor are those that make a non-critical and eminently patient computer, endowed with almost unlimited knowledge, the ideal instructor This teaching marvel can repeat and review a lesson as often

as necessary and never betray the slightest feeling of exasperation, while simultaneously praising each forward step Above all, the

computer tutor can adapt to the needs of each student instead of

requiring individuals to fit into a mold based on the average capabilities

of many students

Computer Advantages in Learning 61

Teaching to differing levels of ability, background and interests

has posed an eternal dilemma to educators Instruction that is

appropriate and beneficial for one student may have a negative effect

on another Teachers with a classroom of children know it is impractical to try to tailor lessons to each student Personal attention, however, would be immensely helpful because of the varied needs of pupils Some students require additional explanations, while others have grasped the material and are ready to go on Since having forty million private instructors is impossible, compromises are necessary and teaching usually progresses at the average level of the class Poorer students are left hanging in their confusion, and the brightest students miss exciting challenges With computers as tutors, the learning of one individual will never be hindered by the abilities or weaknesses of others Each student will move at his or her own pace, unaffected by the rate of learning of any other student

Lack of intelligence may be the reason a student is unable to grasp material when it is first presented, but a host of other causes are also possible: previous learning, background, physical condition

or simply a personality conflict with the teacher The results, however

are the same: whenever a student fails to lean new material, he or she falls behind

Difficulties compound afterwards for the individual, but also for teachers who have the student in subsequent grades Pupils who lack

a foundation in basic mathematics are helpless trying to understand advanced math Students who don’t know basic grammar will benefit little from a class in advanced writing

Theoretically, any student can ask questions in today’s classes

In reality, students who are confused may not know enough to make

an inquiry Even when pupils know they need help, they are often embarrassed and don’t wish to reveal their ignorance Often only the most intelligent students dare to ask questions because they know that

if they don’t understand, neither does anybody else

With individualized computer instruction, students can always immediately request help if something is unclear They can continue

to show their lack of understanding until the problem is resolved

without fear of appearing dumb before their peers Afler the request

62 Information Technology and Education

for help, the computer can help pinpoint where the flaw lies Then it can explain again the precise part of the lesson that bears on the student's weakness Sometimes the computer may find a different

explanation in its memory and present the material to the student in

another way Computers can always go back as far as necessary to ensure the student has a solid foundation on which to build

When students are unaware of their poor learning or may not know the questions to ask, the computer itself will recognize their weakness through its constant evaluations and assessments Whenever

a pupil has not grasped a major point the computer will automatically review or repeat whatever is necessary No student will feel disgraced

or even embarrassed Other pupils will be unaware of who requires more attention at a particular level, or when a hurdle is slowing a fellow learner

In today’s classes, an individual student who falls behind often stays there, This inability to catch up is the crux of the dilemma of students, after years in schools, knowing little when they leave They falter early, and additional classes only add to their confusion They never have another opportunity to get the essential foundation they missed Lacking the basics, they are unable to profit from advanced subjects

With computers as tutors, no student will be overwhelmed

because he or she is missing fundamentals The computer will repeat material until each lesson has been sufficiently mastered; only then will it move forward Since today's computers have speech synthesis capability, they can start any place, even at the educational beginning, and teach pupils to read at the pace that is appropriate for each individual

Computers will assist even before a course commences They can test and evaluate the underlying knowledge of each student before the first lesson For example, at the beginning of calculus, pupils can

be tested on knowledge and understanding of the basic math and algebra necessary to master the subject If anyone has a deficiency, the computer will provide a remedial lesson or course for that individual The review can be given for as short or as extended a period

as is necessary to bring the student up to standard Lengthy reviews

Computer Advantages in Learning 63

will be needed primarily at the onset of computerized education since later, the machines will ensure that pupils have mastered the

prerequisites before they enter a new class They might, however, need

brushing up on material forgotten since the previous course was completed The computer can easily provide help No student will ever have to enter a class with a lack of basic knowledge No one will find his or her class delayed because of a few students who need a refresher

on previous material The computer will not demand perfection, but it will require that the fundamentals necessary for the course be present before continuing No student will ever again be shoved into a hopeless struggle trying to learn without the needed foundation

As beneficial as individualized instruction will be for the poorer and average students, it will often be even more valuable for the brighter students, These have unique capabilities, and special attention and challenges often help them reach their intellectual limits All students, whether breathtakingly brilliant or woefully dull, or anywhere between these extremes, will benefit from individualized instruction

‘The immense power and versatility of computers as tutors will aid and simplify all learning for all students in all classes

While individualized teaching represents the foremost advantage

of computerized education, it is also the foundation for many other enhancements of learning that will follow when computers are allowed

to operate unhindered The next eight chapters will detail some added

benefits

REFERENCES

1 Alex, Koobang “A study of attitudes towards computers anxiety, confidence, liking and perceptions of usefulness”, Dissertation Abstracts International, Vol 49, No 3, 1988

2 Ausuble, D “Educational Psychology: A cognitive view”, Holt, Rinehart

& Winston, New York, 1968

3 Baker, Sue Hetton “The effect of learning logo on the problem solving skills of the school children”

4 Barbara, H “Comparison of Computer assisted Instruction in teacher directed instruction in teaching micro computer key board to sixth graders”, Dissertation Abstracts Intemational, Vol 48; No 3, 1987

5 Berlyne, D “Structure and Direction In Thinking”, Wiley, New York, 1965.

Information Technology and Education

Dissertation Abstracts Intemational, Vol 4, No 7, 1989

Galinski, Marie Ellen “An investigation of the relationship of microcomputer problem solving software and critical thinking abilities of

junior high students”, Dissertation Abstracts International, Vol 49, No

Mahajan, S “Development of software for D.C.Ed Automation” Ph.D, Dissertation, Unpublished, D.A.V.V., Indore, 1992

Mayer, R “Thinking, problem solving, cognition”, Freeman, New York, 1983

9

COMPUTER EDUCATION AND

THE DISADVANTAGED

A frightening aspect of the current crisis in education in India is that

it has generated only a modicum of national anxiety, and very little is being done about what is arguably the worst part: at least twenty-five million illiterates threaten the well being of the nation, and this figure

is increasing continually

Strange as it seems in a country that has made many of its greatest advances in the face of adversity, this crisis is worsening With apologies to Browning, it may be apt to paraphrase him to describe the outlook for the nation’s educational system today “Grow sick along with me The worst is yet to be.” That appalling certainty stems from population predictions The most developed county in computer literacy status the census bureau now estimates that the population of the United States will rise to 383 million by 2050 — a fifty percent increase in less than sixty years Today, a little more than twenty percent of the population is from African-American or Hispanic backgrounds In 2050 over forty percent of the population will come from these same groups These are the cultures undergoing the worst deprivation in current schools Unless some truly revolutionary action

is taken, the nation will look back longingly to the days in the late 1990’s when only twenty-five million illiterates lived in America

In the developed country everyone must go to school it appears that anyone can have an education This assumption is only partially true, Hordes of children come from disadvantaged living environments They grow up in families where adults can’t read well, where books are scarce or non-existent, and where an appreciation of education is

66 Information Technology and Education

lacking Naturally, these children grow up without any true regard for

scholarship

Youths from these families may attend the same schools as other children Nonetheless, their chance to gain an education and to develop their own desire for academic learning is lessened because of how they

were raised This deficiency debilitates students These intellectually impoverished youths are behind the day they enter school, and few

‘ever manage the excruciating feat of catching up The majority remains

always behind with ever diminishing self-esteem In turn, their pitiful

schooling ensures that the cycle will continue in the next generation

Children who come from these impoverished households are in

an inferior position when they enter school; they are classified and in effect, branded, as “slow” students from the beginning of their educational experiences Although Head Start programmes can help

to alleviate this problem and need to be expanded, the basic

impediment remains

These “slow” students begin with handicaps that they didn’t

cause When they attend school, additional obstacles, also beyond their

control, intensify their difficult position, Even barriers that are quickly denied may be involved Few educators today would dare admit publicly to a belief that certain students are genetically inferior, but

Lewis Terman, a leading psychologist and designer of 1.Q tests in the early twentieth century, was less hesitant He said of immigrants,

“Their dullness seems to be racial Children of this group should be segregated in special classes.” Terman was basing his judgment on what he had seen, Some educators today may also base their judgments

on what they perceive When they observe that more slower students

in schools come from certain races, their conclusions on inferiority may be similar, if unspoken, to those of Terman who saw poorer students coming from immigrant families If so, add another obstacle for children from disadvantaged homes

Realistically, even if administrators were completely impartial, slower students exceed the capabilities of schools today Since classes

must proceed at a pace that is faster than some students can grasp,

these poorer students fall further and further behind They are passed

on to the next grade because research indicates that holding students