Computer Applications in Education

We are experiencing a scientific information explosion.

Not only the volume of new information is large, but it is increasingly growing. Rapid changes in many fields are making basic knowledge and skills obsolete. Knowledge is continually being modified and basic concepts and theories are being revised.

In 1957 the "golden age" of education began. Modern communications such as radio, film, television and computers had created an information-rich society. Schools were no longer the only center of information, the new educational technologies appeared.

Early use of computers in education was primarily found in mathematics, science and engineering.

In the early seventies scientists developed a programming language, LOGO. They wanted it to be accessible to children and to be easy to express procedures for simple tasks. The scientists insisted that we should not teach mathematics, but should teach children to be mathematicians.

By the late seventies personal computers were everywhere -- at the office, the schoolroom, the home, and in laboratories and libraries. The computer was no longer a luxury, but was now a necessity for many schools and universities.

As a tool, high-speed computers revolutionized the representation and manipulation of information. Computers became the new instruments for extending our senses and intuition.

Another approach was to build the intelligence into the tool and let students focus on problem-solving and reasoning. Computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing in engineering greatly empowered students to achieve what professional engineers were able to accomplish using the older methods.

Computer graphics and visualization techniques are used to overcome complexity and the limits of the written word. Biologists use a supercomputer to visualize and animate dynamic processes in microbiology. Students observe complex biological patterns as they develop. The learner interacts with electronically generated artificial environments as if they were real and develops experiential knowledge.

Many universities offer classes via the Internet. They utilize its two-way digital video features to allow students with personal computers and teachers to interact one-on-one, or in classes that may be many miles apart.

In the 1980s supercomputers appeared on the scene. The merging of powerful computers with high-bandwidth communication networks made it possible to allow global access to knowledge and information anywhere in the world.

The economy, science, technology and education are highly interrelated. Technology increases productivity but requires more highly skilled workers who can apply their knowledge.

The information explosion has greatly increased our understanding of the world about us. Research shows that educational technology can provide an effective means for learning. Powerful technologies are now available to convert data into information and transform information into knowledge.

But what does it mean “to know?” Is it what we have in our heads or how well we are skilled to explore the infosphere (information sphere)?

Дата добавления: 2015-11-16