The Software as an Educational Resource

Whenever people think about computers, they are most likely thinking

about the computer machine.

COMPUTER

MACHINE

Television(Monitor Screen)

Keyboard(To Type On)

Printer(Produces copies of text and graphics material)

Computer Housing also called THE BOX(Contains the electronic parts and circuits that receives or stores data and directs computer

operation) -CPU

Computer Machine or Hardware is

naturally an attention – getter.

The computer hardware can hardly be useful without the program or system that tells what the computer machine should do. This is also called the software.

Two Kinds Of Software: 1. System Software.

This is the operating system that is found or bundled inside all computer machines.2. Application Software.

This contains the system that commands the particular task or solves a particular problem.

Applications Software May

Be:

* A custom software that is made for specific tasks often by large corporations, or

*A commercial software packaged for personal computers that helps with variety of tasks such as writing papers, calculating numbers, drawing graphs, playing games, and so much more.

Microsoft Windows

also referred to as a program.

Is an operating environment between the user and the computer operating system.

Also called a shell, it is a layer that creates the way the computer should work.

It uses a colorful graphics interface (called GUI – pronounced “gooee”) that can be seen on the computer screen or monitor whenever the computer is turned on.

Actually, Windows is in itself a self-contained operating system which provides the following:

User convenience> Just click the file

name to retrieve data or click from program to program as easy as changing channels in your TV screen

A new look> Fancy borders,

smooth and streamlined text fonts

Pug and Play> Configures the

computer with added components, such as for sound and video.

Instructional SoftwareIt can be visited on the Internet or can be bought from software shops or dealers.

The teacher should decide on the best computer-based instructional (CBI) materials for the school resource collection. Since CBIs need much improvement, while web-based educational resources are either extremely good or what is complete garbage.

Guidelines:

oBe extremely cautious in using CBIs and ‘free’ Internet materials

Don’t be caught up by attractive graphics, sounds, animation, pictures, video clips and music forgetting their instructional worth.

Teachers must evaluate these resources using sound pedagogical principles

oAmong design and content elements to evaluate are:

the text legibilityeffective use of color

schemesattractive layout and

designeasy navigation from

section-to-section

oClarity in the explanations and illustrations of concepts and principles

oAccuracy, coherence; logic of information

oTheir being current since data/statistics continually change

oRelevance/effectiveness in attaining learning objectives

oAbsence of biased materials.