Instructional software is basically a tool used to help students learn about a specific subject area. There are five different purposes instructional software can assist with include drill and practice, tutorial, simulation, games, and problem solving.
An example of the drill and practice software could be a flash card activity, fill in the chart activity, branching drill, or extensive feedback activity. An example of a drill and practice website is http://ixl.com/. This is an excellent website for students to just practice their math skills and become more confident. Learning the basic math concepts are key for students as they progress further in math.
Tutorial software is comparable to an instructor teaching a lesson. There are two types of tutorial software: linear or branching. Linear tutorial is simple and straightforward. It provides practice, explanations, and feedback to all students regardless of their performance on the topic. Branching tutorial is cater to the individual's performance. It will become more challenging based on the student's response to topics. A great tutorial software that utilizes that branching style is http://www.aleks.com. I used ALEKS in my college level math courses. Students all learn the material, but the complexity of the questions are based on the students' performance level. The more a students knows about a specific topic the more challenging the questions.
Simulation software allows the student to pick the topics or tasks to complete and the order they would like to complete them in. There are two types of simulations: simulations that teach about a specific topic or content area and simulations that teach how to complete a task. An excellent simulation software that I use in my classroom is http://www.brainpop.com/math. My students really enjoy the Brainpop program.
Instructional game software is fun because students play games while learning. Students are already familiar with this concept because they play games so frequently in their social lives. An excellent math instructional software is http://www.mangahigh.com/en_us/games. The games are really fun and exciting for the students.
Problem-solving software are used to help students gain approaches to general problem solving skills. There are two main types of problem solving software: content area and content free problem solving skills. In my Geometry class, I used Geometer's Sketchpad where students will create angles, figures, etc. http://www.dynamicgeometry.com/.
Roblyer, M.D. and Doering, A.H. (2010). Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching. Boston: MA. Pearson.
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