Schank&Cleary Ch. 10    Lauren Austrian & Richard Jew  4/19/01

First part examines aspects of good software:
1. Learn by Doing 
2. Problems, then Instruction (p.158)
3. Tell Good Stories
4. Power to the Students
5. Provide a Safe place to Fail
6. Navigation to Answers
7. The Software is the test
8. Find the fun

There are several different questions we have been discussing throughout the year:
  Subject-based/Core knowledge vs. open-curriculum
  Intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation
  Intuitive vs. adaptable interfaces
  Construction vs. Instruction
  Student control vs. teacher control. 

How do Schank & Cleary address these different issues?  Do you agree with their views?

How does your project incorporate S&C's aspects of good software ?

In the Sickle Cell and Broadcast program, is there too much of an emphasis placed on incidental learning?

What is the difference between these computer programs and real-world versions of the project?

  
Second part is a critique of the present state of educational software.
Feels that it is limited due to its commercial nature
1) The companies who created textbooks went into software to safeguard their business and have no interest in changing their methods
2) Other software companies need to create "blockbuster" titles that will sell a lot, but provide limited use to the individual; not enough variety.
3) Schools don't have enough money to get software developers to develop large-scale, high quality software for them instead of other businesses.
Therefore the government needs to step in and jump start the industry by investing money in it.

Do you agree with S&C's summary of the current state of educational software? Does the professional software we've seen support or refute these statements? 


Third part talks about ILS
1.  Simulation tools
1.  Knowledge organization tools
2.  Teaching tools (case-based, simulation-based)
3.  Tools to enhance thinking
4.  Interaction tools
5.  Course creation meta-tools (allow teachers to design own applications)


Schank & Cleary's emphasis on Knowledge Organizational tools seem agree with "In Search of the Virtual Classroom."

One of ILS assertions is that their methods are more efficient than normal, lecture based courses.  They bring up the example that they halved the time and improved the quality of one business's training program (p.179)  Is a comparison between the learning styles of paid businessman and students fair?  

Will a new wave of educational technology be enough to reform education in the direction S&C want?  What obstacles may remain?


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