IMPORTANCE OF COMPUTER ASSISTED INSTRUCTION IN TEACHING SOCIAL SCIENCE
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CONTENT
SL NO TOPIC PAGE NO 1 INTRODUCTION 4 2 ANALYSIS 5-8 3 CONCLUSION 9 4 REFERENCE 9
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INTRODUCTION Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI) refers to an educational system of instruction performed almost entirely by computer. The term, Computer Based Learning (CBL) refers to the use of computers as a key component of the educational environment. While CAI and CBL can refer to the use of computers in a classroom, they more broadly refer to a structured environment in which computers are used for teaching purposes. Computer programs allow students to work at their own pace along with direct and individualized feedback. Misconceptions can be corrected as they appear and the students' records and scores are made available to the instructor. The use of computers in the teaching and learning process is an important advance in making the highest quality of education universally available, and thus allowing each person to most fuldevelop their potential. Computer assisted instruction (CAI) includes a variety of computer-based packages that provide interactive instruction. Some are sophisticated and expensive commercial packages while other applications are simple solutions developed by individuals for a local situation. Since work done in one subject area is difficult to transfer to other subject areas, much time and money needs to be invested toward its development. However, once an application has been set up, the cost per additional student is relatively small. Since fewer face to face lectures and seminars are required, this also places fewer geographical and temporal constraints on staff and students. Computer assisted instruction can be Internet-based or run on a personal computer from a CD or DVD. Presentations on computers are particularly suited to subjects that are visually intensive, detail oriented, and difficult to conceptualize. Upper level science courses can benefit the most using the "virtual" cases to illustrate the complex biochemical processes or microscopic images as well as reducing the need to use animal or human tissue. Since the 1970s, CAI packages have become more advanced, interactive, and attractive multimedia learning experiences.
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ANALYSIS Computer assisted instruction (CAI) includes a variety of computer-based packages that provide interactive instruction. Some are sophisticated and expensive commercial packages while other applications are simple solutions developed by individuals for a local situation. Since work done in one subject area is difficult to transfer to other subject areas, much time and money needs to be invested toward its development. However, once an application has been set up, the cost per additional student is relatively small. Since fewer face to face lectures and seminars are required, this also places fewer geographical and temporal constraints on staff and students. Computer assisted instruction can be Internet-based or run on a personal computer from a CD or DVD. Presentations on computers are particularly suited to subjects that are visually intensive, detail oriented, and difficult to conceptualize. Upper level science courses can benefit the most using the "virtual" cases to illustrate the complex biochemical processes or microscopic images as well as reducing the need to use animal or human tissue. Since the 1970s, CAI packages have become more advanced, interactive, and attractive multimedia learning experiences. Computer educational systems typically incorporate functions such as: Assessing student capabilities with a pre-test Presenting educational materials in a navigable form Providing repetitive drills to improve the student's command of knowledge Providing game-based drills to increase learning enjoyment Assessing student progress with a post-test Routing students through a series of courseware instructional programs. Recording student scores and progress for later inspection by a courseware instructor. With some systems, feedback can be geared towards a student's specific mistakes, or the computer can navigate the student through a series of questions adapting to what the student appears to have learned or not learned. This kind of feedback is especially useful when learning a language, and numerous computer-assisted language learning (CALL) programs have been developed. A typical CALL program presents a stimulus to which the learner must respond. The stimulus may be presented in any combination of text, still images, sound, and motion video. The learner responds by typing at the keyboard, pointing and clicking with the mouse, or speaking into a microphone. The computer offers feedback, indicating whether the learners response is right or wrong and, in the 6
more sophisticated programs, attempting to analyze the learners response and to pinpoint errors. The term, "Learning Design", refers to the type of activity enabled by software such as the open-source system LAMS (Learning Activity Management System) which supports sequences of activities that can be both adaptive and collaborative. Computer-aided assessment (also but less commonly referred to as e-Assessment), ranges from automated multiple-choice tests to more sophisticated systems. Communication technologies are generally categorized according to whether the activity is done at the same time as others online or not. Asynchronous activities use technologies such as blogs, wikis, and discussion boards. Synchronous activities occur with all participants joining in at once, as with a chat session or a virtual classroom or meeting. In CAI, ideally, as learners embark upon a course of instruction, the computer assesses their initial competence and diagnoses their difficulties, if any. The assessment and diagnosis are continued at every step in the teaching/learning process. With a versatile computerized Programmed Instruction, the learners are enabled to individually proceed performance. Similarly, instruction proceeds on the basis of: 1. each learners achievement at every stage; 2. available instructional alternatives and 3. set criteria of competence. In this type of learning environment, learners would start their learning from different points, take different learning routes, and finish at different times. Nonetheless the computer is able to keep a record and analyse the outputs of all the learners, provide them with immediate knowledge of results, and enable teachers to maintain quality control. In other words, the computer makes it possible for us to coordinate, control, schedule the rapidly changing activities of the various learners, and promote effective and efficient learning. The mainframe computers and minicomputers are particularly good for this function, because of their large memory and storage capacities when compare with those of the microcomputers. In a CAI situation where every learner is at an individual work-station within a network, those needing help with an assignment can sent a one-line message to the instructor, or to another learner, without disturbing others in the group. Specifically, the teacher can monitor learner progress by electronically scanning the display screens of particular class members, or of entire class in turn. Where help, encouragement, or even discipline is needed, the teacher can respond immediately, quietly without disruption the class. The feedback may be given by sending a message to the learner, of by intervening directly in the learners 7
programme to make suggestions, use illustrative examples, and provide on-line counseling. Also, when a learner is working on a problem that may be of interest to the rest of the class, the teacher can broadcast that learners display screen to every other workstation in the network. This development and that of interaction between learners meet the objection of those who complained of computer obstructed education. Their objection was the individualized nature of CAI did not enable learners to work together in social situations, interacting, learning from, teaching and examining one another. The tendency nowadays is for each pupil to work on her/his own at a workstation without being networked. Even with this arrangements it is still possible for the children to interact with one another. On the whole, the sequence of learning and the amount of time spent on learning tasks are determined by the performance of the learners themselves in a CAI situation. Basically, the sequence adapts to the ability and the current competence of each learner in the subject matter being learned. This procedure is clearly very different from what happens in a conventional classroom where the very able and not so able are taken through the same sequence at the same time. Also, in CAI the achievement of each learner is assessed against a given performance standard rather than against the performance of other learners. In all this, CAI is in line with our concept of continuous assessment as a guidance- oriented teaching-learning process. The ultimate goal is to enable all learners maximize their learning achievement. Here are some categories of programmes available in CAI.
Characteristics of Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI) Learner controlled instruction Prompt feedback to the learner Self-pacing Adaptability of instruction (presentation mode, instructional content mode) Lessons with more than one purpose Multiple-user approach Random access facilities Facilities for revision and updating
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Teaching will affect students achievement in social science.Therefore the study examines the effect of CAI .There is a significant main effect of academic ability of students achievement in social science.The CAI guide for social science programmed instructional package for the purpose of instruction in the classroom. The instructor guide which contain three major topics in social science. 1. Leadership and followership 2. Science and technology 3. Transport and communication
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CONCLUSION This study shown that the students exposed to CAI did not perform significantly better in their achievement in social science than those students expose to conventional method of instruction in the same vein . High academic ability as served by the study bosts students achievement in social science as against low academic ability. In conclusion therefore the use of Computer Assisted instruction present dispensation and student and teachers should so equipped in the usage and conductive. Students which this study found underscore the need for students to strive to improve their ability.
REFERENCE
Fitchman& Silva (2003). The Reflective Educators Guide to Classroom Research. California:Corwin Press, Inc. Ehman& Patrick (1974). Towards Effective Instruction in Social Studies. USA: Houghton Miffn. Edigar, M. &Rao, B. (2003).Teaching Social Studies Successfully. New Delhi: Discovery Pub.House. Kumar, S.P.K &Noushad,P.P.(2009). Social Studies in the Classroom: Trends andMethods. Pathak R.P.(2012).Teaching of social studies. Pearson, Delhi