Lesson 25 New Technologies for Community Education

Lesson 25 New Technologies for Community Education

Computers

ComputerA computer is a programmable

machine.

The two principal characteristics of a computer are: ◦it responds to a specific set of

instructions in a well-defined manner;

◦it can execute a prerecorded list of instructions (a program).

Modern Computers Defined Modern computers are electronic and digital. The actual machinery -- wires,

transistors, and circuits -- is called hardware; the instructions and data are called software.

All general-purpose computers require the following hardware components: Memory enables a computer to store, at least temporarily, data and programs. Mass Storage Device allows a computer to permanently retain large amounts

of data. Common mass storage devices include disk drives and tape drives. Input Device usually a keyboard and mouse, the input device is the conduit

through which data and instructions enter a computer. Output Device a display screen, Printer or other device that lets you see what the computer has accomplished. Central Processing Unit (CPU) The "brain" of all computers and console

systems.  The CPU is like a manager or boss.  They tell what the other components of the system should be doing at a given moment.

COMPUTERS used as teaching aids to help individuals to learn. They

serve to access information for learning, as well as to promote the formation of new ideas.

students can be assisted in writing, graphing, idea generating, word processing, and applying managerial principles to problem solving and research.

can now be programmed to be interactive. Learners can proceed at their own pace, skip ahead, or review. For the uneducated, non-traditional and reentry students,

computers allow individual learning in an environment where they can avoid embarrassment, track their own progress, and engage in drill and practice until they are competent.

student get a variety of responses by way of animation, graphics, and audio.

beneficial to instruction are computer learning in mathematics, computational skills, basic reading skills, and general education.

lend itself to positive attitudes toward learning such as by way on increased motivation and improved self esteem among learners.

Used as enhancements to traditional instruction.

HIGH TECH PERIPHERALS Specialized peripherals are electronic devices which can be attached to computers in order to expand the computer's use.

There are devices that give options to learners for registering decisions on the screen and participating actively in the learning process.

Light Pen

Light pens provide a very precise pointing capability directly on the screen.

Joystick

Input device consisting of a stick that pivots on a base and reports its angle or direction to the device it is controlling.

Game paddle

an input device commonly used with games that may contain various buttons used to steer and utilize different options in a game.

A computer mouse

is an input device that is most often used with a personal computer.

A local area network (LAN) is a group of computers that are connected together in a localized area to communicate with one another and share resources such as printers.

The videodisc when linked with the computer can allow access to

scenes or segments useful to a topic being

studied. The videodisc

produces full-color pictures and a sound track. Text,

graphics, photos, slides and films

can also be combined in a

single medium.

Videodisc

Telecommunications

It is the transmission and reception of

messages over long distance. It allows the transfer of the spoken and written

word to anyone, anywhere, at

anytime. With the advent of fiber-optic technology, current

transmission capabilities consist in

a billion bits of information per

second.

It is designed as a substitute for face-to-face

meetings and travel. It can

transmit voices, at times images, and

allows for instruction at off-campus locations.

Teleconferencing

It is the use of the classroom computer to

search through data base

information sources and to

get topic information.

Telecomputing

Implications of the New Technologies

o Methods and content of instruction, both supplementing and changing the relationship between the teacher and the learner.

o Have the potential of broadening the gap between haves and have-nots in society and throughout the world.

o Have freed many individuals to enjoy their leisure and to work at home in a distraction-free environment.

o Most educational services are foreseen to be delivered electronically by teleconferencing, cable and satellite television, computer networks and other means yet to be discovered.