Lesson 10 " The Computer as Tutor"

          Computers make our lives completely different. Our current significant development is due to computers in many areas. Examples of these areas are business, medicine, environment, technology, education and also our daily lives. Computers are one of the most important elements to make our modern society.

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.

Even with the available computer and CAI software, the teacher must:

• Insure that students have the needed knowledge and skills for any computer activity.
• Decide he appropriate learning objectives.
• Plan the sequential and structured.
• Evaluate the students’ achievement by ways of tests specific expected outcomes.

On the other hand, the students in CAI play their roles as learners as they:

• Receive information
• Understand instructions for the computer activity
• Retain/keep in mind the information and rules for the computer activity
• Apply the knowledge and rules during the process of computer learning.

During the computer activity proper in CAI the computer, too, plays its roles as it:
• Acts as sort of tutor (the role of traditional played by the teacher)
• Provides a learning environment.
• Delivers learning instruction.
• Reinforce learning through drill-and-practice.
• Provides feedback

Over View

          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.