When every student has a computer: A new perspective on courseware and its development

Abstract

In this paper, I describe some of the institutional and curricular implications of 100% student access to personal computing. I then explore the new perspective which these conditions create on the availability of courseware, on the process of courseware development, and on future directions in courseware development.A new challenge and a new opportunity are created by the machine-rich environment that exists when every student has a computer. The challenge is in reexamining the contents of the curriculum and looking for things worth doing with the computer. The opportunity lies in introducing a computer-based component into the entire psychology curriculum, tying together the entire curriculum in new ways which introduce a new kind and level of experience for faculty and students.The personal computer allows one to create a structured learning environment, not only in the lecture hall and the tutorial laboratory, but also wherever the student keeps the machine. Freedom of access helps to free instructional computing from the capture effect of the computer itself. In a machine-rich environment, it is no longer possible to capitalize on whatever intrinsic motivation effect is created by providing students with access to a scarce resource. In addition, ease of access creates new opportunities for the use of microcomputer application programs (e.g., Hewett, 1985) and for courseware development.Several ideas presented here were first developed while the author was the recipient of faculty development and courseware development minigrants funded from a grant to Drexel University by the Pew Memorial Trust. In working out some of these ideas, it has been particularly useful to have the opportunity to view and discuss with colleagues at Drexel the wide variety of courseware materials which they have developed, or are currently developing. The final draft of this paper has benefited considerably from the reactions and feedback provided by anonymous reviewers and by colleagues at Drexel who read and commented on earlier drafts.Reprint requests should be mailed to the author at: Department of Psychology and Sociology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104. A NEW PERSPECTIVE ON COURSEWAREOne cumulative effect of the factors which become salient in the switch from a machine-sparse to a machinerich environment is to force a new perspective on currently available courseware and upon which new computer-based activities ought to be developed and how they ought to be developed. For example, looking at the availability of courseware, Hewett and Perkey (1984) recently argued that when an educational institution sets a goal of 100% student access to personal computing, there is actually very little in the way of good-quality universitylevel courseware readily available for instructional use. This claim seems to be true, regardless of the source of the courseware or the personal computer involved.One of the more obvious factors involved in justifying this claim is cost-both in money and in time-to the student. Does one really wan...

Comments on applications of microcomputers in teaching

“…Although early typologies of instructional computing stressed the importance of tools (e.g., Castellan, 1983Castellan, , 1987Hewett, 1986), the generality of the needfor tools was not fullyrecognized. Butler (1988) clearly outlined the needto consider the use of courseware as a tool for learning.…”

Effects of teaching an introductory psychology laboratory using a computerized research tool

“…The decisionto developcoursewareas a portable, multifunctional tool (Hewett, 1986) has also produced other indirect effects. For example, the undergraduate experimental psychology course uses some of the courseware modules, so the demand for the singlepiecesof traditional research apparatusis reduced.…”

“…Opportunities, in the form of financial and programming assistance, have also resulted from our computerization efforts. Castellan (1983), Collyer (1984), and Hewett (1986) offered guidelines for the construction of courseware to be used in the teaching of psychology. These guidelines address the types of programs that should be created to enhance student thinking, learning, and understanding.…”

Some observations on applications of microcomputers in teaching

“…In addition, since many programs are similar to icebergs, with most of the work hidden from the casual observer, it can be particularly frustrating to spend hours laboring over a program that the average user may complete in 10 to 15 min. Thus, the "courseware architect" (Hewett, 1986) who also does his/her own programming can easily feel that his/her work is undervalued and misunderstood. Sometimes it is; often it is not.…”

“…In addition to providing some useful criteria for the selection of instructional software, Butler stressed the importance of identifying and selecting software that can bea useful tool for accomplishing a piece of work. It is in its role as tool that the personal computer seems to offer the greatest potential for instructional computing (see Hewett, 1986Hewett, , 1987.…”