On-Line Tutorials and Simulations
In the last five years, CD-ROM technologies and multimedia
computers have re-energized the traditional computer-assisted
instruction tools of tutorials and simulations. In the place
of the older text-only, page-turning instruction, the new
multimedia instruction tools introduce graphics, sound,
animation, digital video, and most importantly for education,
high levels of interaction. Now with the growing ease of
multimedia delivery via the World Wide Web, instructors are
free to reach larger audiences with on-line tutorials and
simulations.
The best of the new Web tutorials and simulations will be built
around the time-tested methods of CAI construction. On-line
tutorials should be divided into modular units, each covering
small sections of information followed by some form of activity
or interaction. "Surface" information (the narrative flow of
the tutorial) should be supplemented by "beneath the surface"
information which the student can choose for deeper investigation
of a topic. Tutorial modules should be strung together into a
meaningful whole and some form of comprehensive evaluation
offered.
On-line simulations should strive to reflect reality as much as
possible. With these tools, students should experience as "slice
of reality" as it actually occurs, in all its complexity and
unpredictability. Introductory information and in-depth resources
for further reference should set the stage for the simulation
that is then presented in a series of decision-making episodes.
The student's choices in each decision-point grow into a
decision-path that ultimately determines the successful or
failed completion of the simulated learning experience.
Feedback assessing the student's decisions and offering suggestions
for further study conclude the simulation.
Visit the sites below for examples of on-line tutorials and
simulations. Note that this is an area of Web-based education
that needs a great deal of improvement -- a task that many
current educators are particularly well prepared to embrace.
Examples:
Basic Spanish for the Virtual Student
An excellent use of multimedia for Web-based instruction.
The Faces of Science: African-Americans in Science
An on-line encyclopedia designed for open-ended navigation.
Florida Children's Safety Center
An attractive interface and a simple question-and-answer format.
Interactive Frog Dissection
Graphically intense attempt to simulate a biology lab.
Interactive Tour of the Cell
A clever interface for a guided tour of microscopic cells.
Java-Scripts.Net
An useful website with tutorials and free scripts.
The Music Emporium
Another excellent use of multimedia instruction on the Web.
PAEC Online Training
A wide-range of teacher professional development opportunities, many featuring interactive online exercises.
ThinkQuest Library
A catalog of some of the Web's best online training modules. A must see!
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