Academic Software for Mathematics Learning (Week 6)

Hi everyone. It’s me again. It has been a week since I updated my blog. Thousands of apologize for that. Well, let’s start with the topic of the week that I have learnt in my Technology and Math Education class. The topic that I have learnt in week 6 is about the Academic Software for Mathematics Learning. The main purpose or objective of learning this topic is to educate the students and teachers about the application of academic software in teaching and learning process. Before I go further in detail about this topic, let me explain what academic software is. Academic software is a software that enriches teaching and learning process that meets the need of students. Academic software also known as educational software. Educational software is computer software, the primary purpose of which is teaching or self-learning.

I also learnt that educational software includes:

a) Authoring systems

b) Desktop publishing

c) Graphics

d) Reference

e) Tutorial

f) Drill-and-practice

g) Educational games

h) Simulations

i) Special needs

j) Integrated learning systems

Our lecturer also taught us that there are 2 examples of educational software:

a) Courseware - courseware is a term that combines the words 'course' with 'software'. It means to describe additional educational material intended as tools for teachers or as tutorials for students, usually packaged for use with a computer.

b) Edutainment - the term edutainment describes an intentional merger of computer games and educational software into a single product.

I also have learnt that there are lot of importance on using educational software such as:

a) Enable your students to become more effective independent learners

b) Enable students to gather information that otherwise would have been impossible, time-consuming or costly

c) Students can also experiment with the changing aspects of a model like increasing or lowering interest rates in order to see how this affects the economy.

Other than that, I have also learnt the main advantages of educational software in teaching and learning process:

a) Children control their own learning experience, the pace at which they learn and how challenged they are.

b) Computers help children to use all of their senses to extract information.

c) Children learn through creating and utilizing hands-on knowledge.

d) Computers help children develop a positive attitude towards technology.

e) Computers are beneficial in developing children’s fundamental skills (i.e. letters, numbers, colors, shapes, rhythm, cause and effect, problem solving, procedural thinking, creativity).

f) Computers are really beneficial to children who have speech, audio or motor limitations because they act as a patient tutor allowing the child to learn at his own pace

g) Computers can teach self-confidence and self-esteem.

h) Computers can teach social skills.

In between of the topic, our lecturer also added some new information about the periodic table of educational technology tools.

And before the class ends, I have learnt that even educational software have its own disadvantages in teaching and learning process. Some of the disadvantages are:

a) Software needs to be carefully chosen

b) Some software doesn’t make it obvious that it has no educational value

c) Scheduling can become problematic as not much facilities can be served for the students at the same time

d) Difficult to get a student’s attention whenever they are on the computer

e) Muscular-skeletal injuries and vision problems can arise

As for my assignment, the process is going well so far. I have created the first post as required where I have talked about myself, my goals and philosophy. Followed by the weekly reflection for week 6. I hope that this reflections will help me as well as my friends to understand this subject much better and in detail.

That’s all from me for this week. Have a good day until I update my weekly reflection next week.