The Computer’s Capabilities
Given its present-day speed, flexibility and sophistication, the computer can provide access to information, foster creative social knowledge-building, and enhance the communication of the achieved project package. Without the computer, today’s learners may still be assuming the tedious tasks of low-level information gathering, building and new knowledge packaging. But this is not so, since the modern computer can help teacher-and-students to focus on more high level cognitive tasks.
Based on the two learning theories, the teacher can employ the computer as an.
- An information tool
- A communication tool
- A constructive tool
- As co-constructive tool
- A situating tool
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.
The Internet itself provides an enormous database from which user can access global information resources that includes the latest news, weather forecasts, airline schedule, sports development, entertainment news and features, as well as educational information directly useful to learners. The Internet on Education can be sourced for kinds of educational resources on the Internet.
Along the constructivist’s point of view, it is not enough for learners to download relevant information using the computer as an information tool. Students can use gathered information for composition or presentation projects as may be assigned by the teacher. Given the fact that the Internet can serve as a channel for global communication, the computer can very well be the key tool for video teleconferencing sessions.
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 tools.
Students can use co-constructive tools to work cooperatively and construct a shared understanding of new knowledge. One way of co-construction is the use of the electronic white board where students may post notices to a shared documents/white board. Students may also co-edit the same document from their homes.
The Computer-Supported International Learning Environment (CSILE) is an example of an integraded environment developed by the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. Within CSILE, students can either ideas in notes and respond to each other’s ideas. Manifest in the student-generated database are higher level thinking processes-explaining, problem solving/finding, expertise and development, literacy improvement.
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 paces the user in a simulated flying environment.
Multi-User Domains or Dungeons (MUDs), MUD Object Oriented (MOOs), and Shared hallucination (MUHSs) are example of situating systems. MUDs and MOOs are mainly text- based virtual reality environments on the internet. When users log on to a MOO environment, they may interact with the virtual reality (such as by writing on a notice board) through simple text-based commands. A school-to school or classroom-to-classroom environment is possible whereby the user can choose to walk around the campus, talk with other users who are logged to the same site.
To caution users, the computer as a situating tool is a news and still undergoing further research and development.
