Lesson 10: The Computer as a Tutor

 

The computer is one of the wonders of human ingenuity, even in its original design in the 1950’s to carry out complicated mathematical and logical operations. With the invention of the microcomputer 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 instructions.

Computer-assisted Instruction

          The computer can be a tutor in effect relieving the teacher of many activities in his personal role as classroom tutor. It should be made clear, however, that the computer cannot totally replace the teacher shall continue to play the major roles of information deliverer and learning environment controller. Even with the available computer and CAI software, the teacher must:

• Insure the students have the needed knowledge and skills for any computer activity.
• Decide the appropriate learning objective.
• Plan the sequence and structured activities to achieve objectives.
• Evaluate the student’s achievement by ways of test the specific expected outcomes.

          CAI computer learning should not stop with the drill and practice activities of students. In effect, CIA works best in reinforcement learning through repetitive exercise such that students can practice basic skills or knowledge in various subject area.

I was not able to experience CAI personally but I saw lot of samples of it. As far as I see, I can see that it is useful to the part of the students but it’s quite an extra task for the part of the teacher because s/he has to prepare it personally to avoid plagiarism. Aside from the teacher’s effort s/he can’t force the students to view or watch the file especially those students who does not pay so much attention with their studies so there are times that the teacher’s effort becomes useless.

In the years to come you can no longer expect a teacher to be standing in front of the class every classes. I just can’t see if it is something good or bad but the thing is, the lesser the interaction between the teacher and the learner the harder it is to teach them especially those students who had a hard time comprehending things, if they get confused there is no one to ask.

Due to a teachers’ busy schedule with so many things to be done, CAI can be of great help especially when s/he is not able to conduct the class. The teacher can just give his/her students a CAI for them to study with themselves but given the possible disadvantages: the student might took it for granted and they will not even open the file, they might become “dawlimps” in attending the class because they know you can give them a CAI in case they missed a class they might missed it intentionally.