Relative Advantage of Instructional Software in the Classroom

In the world of Instructional Software, there are five categories that all of this software falls under: drill and practice, tutorials, simulations, instructional games, and problem-solving software. Each of the software types has its own advantage in the classroom, depending on the objective of the lesson and the intended outcome.

Drill and practice allows students to answer questions with feedback provided immediately. This feedback comes in both positive and negative forms. The relative advantage of having students use drill and practice software allows them to reflect on their answers and what they were thinking when they chose a particular answer. If the answer they gave was incorrect, the software will make them aware of their incorrect answer and allow the student to go back and make corrections. This is a valuable tool in student learning. Without telling the student why they got an answer wrong, the software forces the student to think about why they answered a question the way they did and look for mistakes made. An example of this type of software is a program called Lexia. Lexia allows the student to determine their own learning topics and paths, but each is structured in a drill and practice format. The students are asked to interact with phonics, poetry, sequence, and other English Language Arts (ELA) skills. If a student answers incorrectly, the program adjusts rigor levels to increase student thinking and mastery. As the student gets more questions right, the software becomes more challenging to meet the needs of the student. 

Tutorials allow students to get instruction in a step by step manner. Tutorials give the use control of the information being learned. A great example of a Writing tutorial software is Paragraph Punch. Paragraph Punch allows the reader to build their own paragraph piece by piece by following each step of the tutorial and inserting the information where necessary. The relative advantage of this software type is that it allows the students to go at their own pace, adding the information that they think is pertinent. With this software, students don't need the teacher to directly and explicitly teach each phase of the Writing piece. Guided tutorials allow the students to learn and produce without the guidance of the teacher. 

Simulations put the learner directly into the learning process. Simulations can vary greatly depending on the subject matter. In Science, it can be used to show an example of a natural process that occurs too quickly for eyes to see. In an ELA class that is focusing on History, a simulation software such as Past/Present allows the students to enter the 1900's as a character. As an avatar of their choosing, students are faced with the same economic, health, and social issues that were faced by people who lived in the 1900's. In this type of simulation, students must apply lessons learned about the time in order to make choices that ensure success for their avatar. In real life, teachers cannot possibly show their students the difficulties of living in that time period. Simulations allow teachers to show their students worlds that aren't accessible to the average person.

Instructional games allow students to enter the competitive game world while still learning. These are not just gaming software for entertainment, but rather they are an engaging way to still instruct students while adding some fun competition. Sites such as ABCya! have games that are directly related to skills learned in school, but do not take the shape of typical instruction. Games on ABCya! are engaging and can be used as a reinforcement or practice of a skill, but in a fun and competitive gaming format. The relative advantage of this type of software is getting students excited about learning and engaged in their academics. These games can be used as a review 

Problem-solving software allows the students to think through situations and tasks. On the Learners website, students think through the task of putting Cinderella's story in order. If the students do not solve the mix up, the story will not be completed correctly. This kind of activity forces the students to think about the outcomes of their choices and decide on what is needed to become successful. The relative advantage to this type of software is that it has the students push themselves to think deeper and more critically. This is a skill that is going to be needed when it comes to higher level academics and in the job field.

Overall, the five types of Instructional Software can be used to enhance the instruction that is already taking place in the classroom. Each of these types can stand alone as an activity, but without the support and guidance from a teacher, students will not be able to get that true differentiation and individualization that is key for learning.

Roblyer, M. (2016). Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching (7th ed.). Massachusetts: Pearson.

Vision and Mission Statement

As teachers, who are judged by the performance of our students, knowing the ins and outs of the grading system used to deem whether we are effective or not is a tool that can be used to our benefit. Having an idea of how to read the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and how to effectively teach the CCSS are two very different tasks. It is essential for students to learn, understand, and apply principles about technology in order to master some of the CCSS. An example is, "CCSS.ELA-Literacy. CCRA. W.8: Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility and accuracy of each source, and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism," (Roblyer, 2016). Non-educators may look at this and see a quick lesson about looking up information. An educator is going to see a whole weeks worth of lessons that break down each component of this standard in order for students to master it. Without any guidance on what this standard should look like, teachers are having to create lessons, projects, and assessments that will reflect solely on their ability to teach. 

In school, technology can be used to give students some "real-world relevance" into what they are learning. Students are "more willing to learn skills that have clear value to their future life and work." (Roblyer, 2016). Technology not only allows students to learn information that they may not otherwise be likely to learn, but can show them how the information is going to be useful, therefore having students become more invested in their own academics. Unfortunately, a lack of technology at home can hinder a student in their technological education. When students can only access technology at school, it automatically puts them at a disadvantage when being compared to other students at other schools. By teaching students about Educational Technology in school, it increases their chances of being able to continue to compete on an educational level. This is the reason teachers need to be sure that their technology is being utilized to the most effective degree possible.  

When thinking about students and their entrance into the competitive world of employment, they need to know technological information on an even higher level than the CCSS that they are being held to in school.  More than having to use the information learned in school through the technology, they will have to use the approaches and theories about the technology itself in their careers. One of those theories is the Constructivist Theory (Roblyer, 2016). Technology is a tool that allows students to create their own knowledge and find the answers to the questions they want to know. The inquiry-based approach allows students to create their own questions and find their own answers. (Roblyer, 2016) Over the course of this process, students change and mold their questions to their line of thinking. They are constantly re-evaluating what they are learning to figure out new questions that they have to find the answers to. Out in the world of employment, these students are going to have to figure out systems and information for themselves. They are going to have to find that information, verify that it is valid, and use it in a way that brings success. None of this can be done without Educational Technology.


Roblyer, M. (2016). Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching (7th ed.). Massachusetts: Pearson.