Reflections for Week Three

In Chapter 2 of the text, the computer is seen to be either as a tutor or as a tool depending on whether one subscribes to the theories of behaviourism and cognitivism vis-a-vis constructivism and social constructivism.

Behaviourism & Cognitivism

Behaviourism, as derived from Skinner, is based on the belief that students are conditioned by extrinsic factors and behaviour results from external stimuli. In accordance with this, teachers are to provide the stimuli through practice and reinforcement in order to produce the desired effect.

Cognitivism is a branch of psychology is likened to information processing. From the text, it is understood that learning will occur when the information communicated to the student is processed and transferred from short-term memory to long-term one through practice. The student is assumed to be a passive learner and the teacher's role is to facilitate the transfer of knowledge to the student.

The implication of these two theories is teacher-centred learning in schools. The teacher determines the learning objectives and plans activities for her students to achieve them. She would then provide tests/assessments to ensure that the students have met these objectives. The computer assists the teacher by acting as a tutor to instruct and assess the student in the following ways:

• Drill and practice, where the computer provides a series of questions/problems to which the student responds. Immediate feedback is provided to the student on her performance. There are a few guidelines on the use drill and practice in the classroom. Of note, the teacher should ensure that the content has been taught before proceeding with drill and practice. In addition, such drill and practice exercises should be interspersed with curriculum to prevent boredom.


• Tutorial, where content/concepts are taught in systematic and organised manner. Like drill and practice, the tutorial software would also ask questions, analyse the student's response and provide feedback. The advantages are that such software provides one-to-one attention and the student is able to learn at her own pace. Of the suggestions on the manner in which such software may be integrated with lessons, the teacher should ensure regular monitoring of the student's progress and provide aid when necessary. The teacher must also take into consideration the different pace of learning among her students, ensuring that other tasks are planned for students who complete the specified task ahead of her classmates.


• Multimedia encyclopedias and electronic books, which are software or databases where students can refer for information. This is a passive tool and the teacher must ensure proper planning and scaffolding in the use of such tools.

Constructivism & Social Constructivism

Constructivism is based on the belief that an individual will construct what it receives and makes sense of it through knowledge discovery. The emphasis of this theory is on the manner in which a student constructs such knowledge. Learning will occur if the student "can construct his/her own knowledge and apply or generalise its meanings for new situations." The student will learn through making hypotheses and testing them out. This theory indicates that there are many ways to learn so long as the desired outcome is achieved. The basis is that "once personal knowledge is constructed" it would hold meaning for the student and such knowledge would be retained. The constructivist approach is relevant when the new knowledge to be acquired is a little beyond the student's current capability.

Social Constructivism holds that an individual constructs knowledge within the context of his/her social cultural influence or bearings. This refers to one's interaction with people as posited by Vygotsky and language. Language influences learning as it determines how one makes meaning of the world. It is said that learning will occur when students "socially build, share and agree upon knowledge." This approach is advisable when there are "no absolute right or wrong to a certain topic and different perspectives are valued".

The implication of these two theories on ICT is that the computer is seen as a tool instead of a tutor. The computer or ICT can be seen to be:

• Informational tools. The computer provides access to a wide array of information in text, sound, graphic or video format. The teacher should provide assistance to the student in its use through guiding questions. The teacher should ensure that the students are able to synthesise the information instead of merely collating downloaded information.


• Constructive tools, which are all purpose tools for "manipulating information, or constructing and visualising one's own knowledge." Such tools include concept map programmes, word processors and multimedia authoring (e.g. PowerPoint). The teacher must take care to ensure that such tools are used to co-construct knowledge rather than as a means to present information.


• Communicative tools, which facilitate communication between teachers and students. The communication can be synchronous or asynchronous and include the simple e-mail, electronic bulletin board and chat programmes. Like the above, the teacher is advised to ensure that such tools are used for two-way interaction instead of merely communicating information/instructions to students. It would be wise to educate students on cyberwellness to guard against the misuse of such tools.


• Situating tools, which provide an environment where users can interact. These include virtual realities and 3-D simulations. In such environments, the user is able to manipulate variables for learning. These tools are particularly useful for "experiences that are impossible or difficult to attain." Teachers are advised against the use of these tools for situations which are easily attainable or replicated.

Teachers can utilise these tools depending on the assumptions of the learning process. It is my view that these tools form the personal arsenal of the teacher depending on the subject, topic and level of learning. There is no one tool that fits all situations and teachers must know how to mix and match these tools with the curriculum.

We learnt about the five different ways of learning at last week's tutorial:

1. case-based


2. project-based


3. resource-based


4. inquiry-based


5. game-based

My take-homes for the lesson are:

• encourage active learning by students through the careful use of the above


• careful planning by teachers to scaffold learning


• monitoring of students' learning vis-a-vis learning objectives


• the five types of learning can be used individually or meshed


• these five types of learning can be used to complement the traditional chalk-and-board

That's all folks! The next installment starts tomorrow.