Lesson 10: The Computer as a Tutor

Lesson 10: The Computer as a Tutor

          Educators saw much use of the personal computer. It has become affordable to small business, industries and homes. They saw its potential for individualization in learning, especially as individualized learning is a problem since teachers usually with a class of forty or more learners. They therefore devised strategies to use the computer to break the barriers to individualized instruction. The computer is one of the wonders of human ingenuity, even in its original design in the 1950s to carry out complicated mathematical and logical operations. With the invention of the microcomputer (now also commonly referred to PCs or personal computers), the PC has become the tool for programmed instruction. 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; and evaluate the students’ achievement by ways of tests of the specific expected outcomes.

In this generation, 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 and motivate learning through a challenging virtual learning environment, and assist students through information needed during the learning process.

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.

          Computer assisted 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. In this particular lesson, I have learned that not all tutors can be a human, but a tutor can be a thing and that is computer. We are now in the modern times whereby the use of computer is rapidly arises. In just one click, there will be lots of information provided. And as a future teacher, I must equip myself to know the good properties of the internet which can merely contribute to my improvements – academically and when it comes to my field also. Using computer can add your cognitive aspect because through the use of some instructional software like “Bookworm”, “Text Twist”, “Hangaroo”, etc. In this lesson, I learned that the computer can also improve our decision making through the use of softwares.