Choosing the right software

MALLIKA MANI

An awesome array of educational software is flooding the Indian market. Most heads of institutions I meet wonder how to choose the right software from the many sent to them for trial by vendors. Parents too are lost among the stacks of titles in book shops. In the article on critical literacy (Quest, May 14), we looked at the basic criteria that should guide us in choosing and evaluating websites. We also need guidelines to

choose educationally appropriate multimedia software for our students. It is no mean task as the medium is comparatively new and authentic reviews are a rarity.

As teachers we tend to be limited by the idea that skill development can only be nurtured by the learning sequence laid out in textbooks and workbooks. It is unrealistic to expect every student in the classroom to learn the same way. Technology, especially multimedia helps us reach out to students by tapping their visual, auditory and kinesthetic modalities - at their own pace.

Technology like any other innovation is a mixed blessing. But it is here to stay. We need to understand and master the medium to exploit its true potential. Some of the well-known educational games demand high levels of thinking, quick decision making and collaborative effort. None can deny that such software can be an invaluable tool in the classroom to nurture creativity and higher order thinking skills.

There are essentially three types of software:

1. Drill and practice 2. Tutorial 3. Learning games

Drill and practice software provide for the practice of content already learnt whereas tutorial teach new information and provide practice too. Ideally drill and practice programmes and educational games software should follow classroom instructions. Tutorials may precede a new topic introduction.

All three types of programmes have a place in the learning process and contribute to skill development if used creatively and wisely.

Selecting Software

Before selecting software for classroom use, we must know:

1. What skills the students need to develop.

2. The strategies they need to apply the skill.

3. Which software they need in order to apply the skill.

4. How to identify what the selected software can do that other instructional strategy cannot accomplish?

For example, students who need to increase their reading skill require graded authentic texts with tasks that demand reading skills and comprehension. It should give them an opportunity to infer and understand. Such students benefit from software that has built in strategies to practice and apply this skill. Many good software titles have a webbed design so that students do not practice skills they have already mastered.

Evaluating Software

A good software for skill development should sequence skills from easy to difficult and use graphics that are easy to identify and have a purpose. The feedback must be precise and not over done. A popular software has chiming bells, bursting balloons, exploding fireworks or characters yelling " Well done!" - a classic case of graphic designers going awry with the medium. Instead of positive reinforcement, such feedback distracts learners and the novelty wears off fast.

A good skill development software should also provide the students with opportunities for using them in authentic contexts. A classic example of a reading skill programme is M-SS-NG

L-NKS by Sunburst Communications. It helps students increase their comprehension, make better use of context when reading, appreciate style, build vocabulary and improve spelling. Seven different puzzle formats are included besides 13 passages from award winning children's books. Though there is not a single extract from an Indian author's work, it includes passages on topics as varied as planets, and ice cream. Thinking is simply part of successful game play. Though comprehension questions are not part of the design, comprehension skills are the key to success with the activities. It helps the teacher set tasks that combine skill, knowledge and application - that too in a child- friendly format.

Interactive, not interpersonal

Educational software if selected carefully and used judiciously can be a wonderful tool for enhancing learning. But we must remember that though they may be "interactive", they are not "interpersonal". It is person-to-person communication that develops language and social skills. Hence a lesson plan must have an ideal mix of online and offline tasks.

(The author heads SRIKRITI - The Teacher Education Centre and can be reached at mallikamani@satyam.net.in)

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