I.S "Teachers Utilities"

Teacher Utilities

Definition

Non-instructional or administrative programs used to prepare instructional materials or organize, store, evaluate and report information on pupils’ achievement and progress.

Features

n

 Based on the principle of database management. 

n

 Manipulate classroom and examination data. 

n

 Permit the teacher to have untold amounts of information. 

n

 Reduce the amount of repetitive paper work. 

n

 Create and maintain lesson plans. 

n

 Create and print a school calendar.  

Example:

Head Master

Specifically designed for teachers. HeadMaster can handle grading, reporting, and scheduling. From administration to accounting to registrar duties, HeadMaster's flexible, customizable interface provides a complete solution for your school's office.

I.S "Multimedia"

 Multimedia

Definition

Programs that support the interactive use of text, audio, still images, video and graphics and manipulate them to support learning.

Features

n

 Enhance text only presentations by adding interesting sounds and compelling visuals. 

n

 Engage a variety of learning modalities (visual, auditory and possibly kinesthetic) which can appeal to various learner styles simultaneously. 

n

 Allow development of more engaging, persuasive presentations. 

n

 Focus practice of skills that support transfer of learning. 

Examples:

Scholar’s Desktop.

This program provides a series of modules for teaching, using a combination of media. Students can visit many museums around the world and explore many environments as they visit it. 

Example #2

MS Photo Story

This authoring tool allows students to create their own digital stories using text, audio and pictures and export their projects into a digital movie.

I.S " Problem Solving"

Problem-Solving

Definition

Problem-solving software is a type of content-free or content-based programs that places emphasis on critical thinking, analysis, logic and reasoning via the presentation of set of data or problematic event.

Features

n

 Stress thinking processes rather than correct answers. 

n

 Expose students to a series of activities that would help teach the desired skills. 

n

 Help students work together in small teams.  

n

 Give students opportunities to see how information applies to actual problems.  

n

 Vary the amount of direction and assistance depending on the each student’s needs.  

Example:

StressAlyzer

This program provides students with many problems in Mechanics of Materials to solve. Students get immediate feedback on whether they solve each problem correctly, and they are offered randomly generated versions of similar problems until they can be solved correctly.

I.S "Instructional Games"

Instructional Games

Definition

Instructional games are courseware designed to motivate learning by adding game rules to learning activities.

Features

n

 Make learning fun and motivating (Edutainment). 

n

 Motivate learners via the challenge of competition. 

n

 Engage the learner in a situation where the learner is competing for a high score.  

n

 Include elements of adventure and uncertainty. 

n

 Provide different levels of complexity that match player’s ability. 

Examples:

Save the Math Apples

Help the monkey save the apples! Click on the basket with the number to give the answer. Keep clicking the basket to add numbers to your answer.

Example #2

Jungle Jim and the Donga Dinga Drums

This interactive game encourages kids to play with numbers and multiplication concept and win points as long as he/she hits the right number. 

I.S "Simulation"

 Simulations

Definition

A simulation is a computerized model of real or imagined system designed to teach how a system works and allows learners to create their own sequence for using simulation.

Features 

n

 Involve students into learning process. 

n

 Compress time or slow down processes. 

n

 Save money and resources.  

n

 Make experimentation safe.  

n

 Make impossible situations possible and controllable. 

n

 Let student repeat events as many times as they want. 

Example :

Infinite Physics Simulator

Infinite physics simulator has a large collection of objects useful for optics simulation including mirrors, prisms, lenses and other transparent objects.

Example #2

Curvilinear

Friendly design,  users do not need to get trained to operate these tools. Using buttons, textboxes and slide bars learners can run or stop the experiment and change the parameters of the phenomena.

 

I.S "Tutorials"

Tutorials

Definition

A tutorial exposes the learner to material that is believed not to have been previously taught or learned. A tutorial often includes pre-test, post test and drill and practice activities.

Features

n

 Follow linear programmed instruction or branching design. 

n

 Encourage students to interact, control and response to the program.  

n

 Guide the learner throughout learning from the beginning (objectives) to the end (evaluation). 

n

 Have computer-management capabilities (e.g. data collection). 

Example

Auslan Sign Tutorial

This system provides an easy-to-use and interactive tutorial for learning the basics in communicating in the Australian Sign Language (Auslan).

n 3D model for signing.

n 3D model shows emotion.

n Numbers Mode.

n Over 60 sign phrases to learn.

n Random Quiz tests.

Example 2:

Food Hygiene

This tutorial is designed to teach students at a school of medicine a complete course on food hygiene which concerns food and the prevention of illness and maintenance of health. Uses well-prepared text supported by pictures, audio and video clips.

 

I.S "Drill and Practices"

DRILL & PRACTICE

Definition

Drill and practice software provides exercises in which students work example items one at a time and receive feedback on their correctness. 

Features

·         Reinforce instruction by providing the repetition necessary to move acquired skills and concepts into long-term memory.

·         Capture and retain the attention of students.

·         Save teachers’ time and efforts.

·         Personalize instruction by meeting individual differences among learners.

Example:
1. ECS Keyboard 

Enables students to:

 Play notes on the keyboard after seeing them written.

 Identify played notes by assessing intervals from played/written notes

 Playback written notes quickly.

2. Multiplication Practice (see Instructional Software Samples)

Kinds of Instructional Softwares "Application"

APPLICATION

Definition

A group of applications programs that is designed to automate general-purpose and specific tasks such as word processing, database management, spreadsheet, attendance, accounting, grade reporting, scheduling and others.

Features

·         acquire knowledge and insight about content and processes.

·         enhance problem-solving and thinking skills.

·         enhance students’ technical skills.

·         enhance student’s personal productivity.

Example: MS Excel

·

Excel one of the most popular spreadsheet programs that can used to teach management processes and enhance problem-solving and thinking skills in mathematics and science.

Instructional Softwares

Instructional Softwares

Educational software or instructional software is computer software, the primary purpose of which is teaching or self-learning.

Instructional software is a type of application software which can help human, which is developed to perform task that benefits learning process.

Educational/Instructional software was first used as a tutoring tool for students in the 60s and 70s. Educational software is valuable to all ages of students for many reasons including making learning more fun, motivating students, helping with long-term memory of the material, and providing a thorough educational experience that incorporates many proven learning concepts into the curriculum

Educational software is best used to augment classroom curriculum, but in most cases, should not be the only instructional method for learning. Educational software no longer is thought to be a replacement for teachers, but a tool that helps teachers do a better job of teaching their students.

Types of Softwares "Application Software"

Application Software

    Application software is developed to perform in any task that benefit from computation. It is a set of programs that allows the computer to perform a specific data processing job for the user. It is a broad category, and encompasses software of many kinds, including the Internet being used to display this page.

Application software is a defined subclass of computer software that employs the capabilities of a computer directly to a task that the user wishes to perform.

This should be contrasted with system software which is involved in integrating a computer's various capabilities, but typically does not directly apply them in the performance of tasks that benefit the user.

Types of Software "Programming Software"

  Programming Software

    Programming software includes tools in the form of programs or applications that software developers use to create, debug, maintain, or otherwise support other programs and applications. The term usually refers to relatively simple programs that can be combined together to accomplish a task, much as one might use multiple hand tools to fix a physical object.

Types of Softwares.

System Software

System Software is computer software designed to operate the computer hardware, to provide basic functionality, and to provide a platform for running application software. System software includes device drivers, operating system, utilities, and windows system.

…and system software is responsible for managing a variety of independent hardware components, so that they can work together harmoniously. Its purpose is to unburden the application software programmer from the often complex details 

System software is a set of programs which instructs the hardware on what to do. it is like the brain of the computer. it consists of

-operating system


-GUI(graphic user interface)
-utilities etc.

System software is not just one program, it is several. it can be broken down into the operating system, graphic user interface, file management, utility software etc. 

What is a Software??

Computer software, or just Software, is a collection of computer programs and related data that provides the instructions for telling a computer what to do and how to do it.

  It refers to one or more computer programs and data held in the storage of the computer. In other words, software is a set of programs, procedures, algorithms and its documentation concerned with the operation of a data processing system.

Computer software is so called to distinguish it from computer hardware, which encompasses the physical interconnections and devices required to store and execute (or run) the software.