Software Review Assignment
20 points, due 2.9.04
The goal of this assignment is for you to get some awareness of, and hopefully hands-on experience with, educational software appropriate to your content area. Follow the stips below, and submit your review in WebCT by class on 2.9.04.
1. Form a group with others in class who are seeking
similar, or related, licensure.
2. Determine sub-topics of that content area (i.e. science
includes physics, chemistry, biology). Each group member picks a sub-topic
area. As a group brainstorm for concepts in that sub-topic area that you
think would be hard to teach, or that you found hard to learn. Consider
a range of concepts; including those where students’ interaction
with, visualization of, drill and practice on, or searching within, content
related to that concept would aid their learning. Jot your group’s
ideas down to aid your search.
3. Search the web for software or peripherals (i.e. probes
that hook to computers, hand-held devices) related to your sub-topic.
Take a funnel approach. By this I mean first cast a wide net and get things
that match your selected sub-topic area. Then sift through those possibilities
to find some that match those hard-to-learn and hard-to-teach concepts.
Spend a little more time on those that appear most interesting and begin
to check them out. Determine what they require of the teacher or student.
For example: What cognitive demands? What level of interaction? What,
if any, feedback is given to the user from this software? How expensive
is it? How complicated does it appear to be to learn? Would sorts of uses
or assignments does it lend itself to? (e.g. projects, papers, group work,
individual practice, reference). If it is available, try out a demo version,
or sample products or lesson plans, or ideas.
4. From among all those you find in your search, the
brainstormed list from step two and the points to consider in step three,
pick 10 high quality resources for your list to write up in this assignment.
You’ll know you’ve done enough searching when you have ten
quality resources to share that illustrate a variety of ways that computers
could support your teaching and/ or your students’ learning in your
content area.
5. Compile your “Top 10” list of computer
software and web-based applications in your selected sub-topic area. Write
up each of these 10 items as described in Points of Information, below.
Points of Information:
(a) name of software or web-based application, or peripheral
(b) type of software (i.e. computer-based, web-based, CD-ROM, etc.)
(c) software version, if applicable the year that the software was released
(d) Describe the target audience for, the topical span of, and various
capabilities of the software. What sort of mindtool is it, if at all?
Be objective; save your subjective comments for the next point.
(e) Comment on the circumstances under which you would use the software.
For what would it be most helpful to teach or do in your sub-topic area?
(Note: if you don’t think you’d ever use this software, then
it shouldn’t be on your Top 10 list!)
(f) URL where others can read more about this software, or order it
6. Finally, include a paragraph that includes your overall
impression of “what is out there” for your content area. Describe
if you found an abundance or dearth of high quality software to support
your teaching and your students’ learning. Be specific in the impressions
that you offer. Include anything about any really great companies or websites
where you found good software. .