ED 780 Ch 5

When reviewing possible games for inclusion in your teaching, you seek answers to the following questions:• By playing the game, will students learn high-quality content and be able to apply it in other nongame situations?• Are there timely feedback and scaffolding mechanisms to support the player's learning?• Do the content and its representations match the learning level of target students?The answers to these questions help you understand which criteria for choosing effective instructional games?

Curricular value

Mr. Bashara finds that students in his honors algebra class can solve algebra equations, but they claim they will never use these math skills in the future. He finds a software package that has "virtual stores" in which students must solve various algebra equation problems in order to know the optimal purchase of everyday items. Of the following purposes for using problem-solving software, which one least matches Mr. Bashara's intent for using this specific software?

Develop content-free component problem-solving skills (strategies or subskills)

Which of the possible integration strategies does this Constitution simulation use?

Fostering exploratory learning

What is a key characteristic of instructional software?

Instructional software includes preprogrammed curricular material that often is instructionally sequenced.

Ms. Imada's science class is an academically diverse group; some students learn concepts very quickly and others need much more time to review and work on them. Some students need to review topics they find particularly difficult; others miss topics when they have been absent. The students who learn quickly want to jump ahead and learn advanced topics on their own. A tutorial would meet all these instructional needs because:

It provides a complete teaching sequence (instruction, practice items, testing) on each content topic.

The Wildcats School District needs a way to make sure that its students are meeting the state's standards. It wants to use a software system that collects data on students' progress on each standard in a given core topic and gives teachers and principals reports on how well classes, schools, and the whole district are doing. The materials are available online in the form of videos and instructional software. What are the key features of this personalized learning system (PLS) that would excite teachers?

It will alert teachers to concepts that students are having trouble with and point them to instructional materials that are available to teach the concepts and skills.

A teacher wants to target the same problem that Ms. Igwe had in her classroom: helping students understand geometry's applicability in solving real-life problems. After a comprehensive analysis of four software programs using the criteria described in this section to identify appropriate instructional software, the teacher jotted the following notes about each possible software program. Of these, which one would you recommend to your media specialist or principal for further review or purchase?

Learning tasks purposefully use geometry concepts; lots of examples; learners' involvement is "minds-on"; seems easy to use; student work goes to gradebook.

Which one of the following criteria is not a prominent consideration for Ms. Imada when selecting tutorial software?

Multiuser functionality so students can collaboratively work through the tutorial together

In the past, Mr. Sydney's students have not been interested in learning about the U.S. Constitution. He wants them to learn that it is a document that affects their lives every day in many situations that they or people they know encounter. Rather than just telling them about it, he found a simulation that lets them practice applying it. Students role-play creating articles of confederation to deal effectively with issues the software poses such as threats to borders, needs for currency, trade disputes, internal disagreements about key issues, and separate rights for states versus central power. As they work in groups on various problems of confederation, students come to understand why our laws are necessary and how they affect their lives. This Constitution simulation provides all of the following benefits except:

Safer processes

f your participation in the PLS selection committee led to choosing and implementing a product with optimal PLS features and a track record of achievement success, what is a major challenge the Wildcats School District could face after adopting the PLS?

Teachers think the PLS is the total solution to address low achievement and have students use it everyday to replace all their instruction.

What major benefit are Mr. Bashara's students developing as they engage with this problem-solving software?

The problem-based learning increases knowledge transfer to everyday situations.

This chapter reviews five software functions that exist within instructional software, including drill and practice, tutorial, simulation, game and gaming, and problem solving. Which function focuses only on directed instructional strategies to learning?

Tutorial

What instructional benefits have researchers identified related to the use of tutorial software?

Tutorial software has no negative and a small positive impact on learning.

When selecting a problem-solving software, Mr. Bashara knew he should look for software that clearly develops specific problem-solving ability(ies). What is the best way for him to know whether the software does this?

Use the software himself and confirm whether it achieves the desired problem-solving ability

Of the following features, which one is not likely to be found in instructional games?

Violent or combat entertainment features

You are assigned to a committee to choose the personalized learning system (PLS) for the school. When you start examining the products, the answer to which of the following questions would be least helpful to you in making a suggestion or decision?

What is the cost of the PLS for the district?