The difficulties and Challenges of Teachers’ Integrating Computer Assisted Instruction into Teaching
The
difficulties and Challenges of Teachers’ Integrating
Computer
Assisted Instruction into Teaching
ABSTRACT
This project aims to
investigate and discuss the effect of teacher’ integrating computer-assisted
instruction (CAI) and multimedia into teaching.
However, how to use
instructional technology to practice English teaching successfully and efficiently
is not an easy task. The instructors should understand the development of CALL,
the trends of instructional technology, and principles applied in technology.
In the study, during the process of teaching in the computer-assisted environment,
the teacher encountered numerous difficulties and challenges from students'
presentation, and assignments.
INTRODUCTION
With the change of
times and rapid development in technology, computer assisted language learning
has become a trend in resent years. Multiple multimedia has connected the new
technology education.
Recently, teachers'
teaching task is growing more and more different from that of the traditional
teaching. Teachers are not only instructors but also assistants to students'
learning. Now teachers should try to inspire students' potentials, and give
them chance of creative and critical thinking. The role of instructors in this
modern environment of CALL has become active, creative and innovative.
Every teacher should
have e-learningperception, computer technology training and then the teacher
will face new challenges to adopt new appropriate instructional strategies and
to facilitate student's learning. It is teachers' duty of how to put CAI into
practice that can bear the fruit of teaching and learning. Therefore, how to
apply computer assisted instruction into educational technology efficiently and
effectively is English language teachers’ main task (Wei, 2005).
LITERATURE REVIEW
The Brief History of
Computer Assisted Language Learning
In
recent years, computers have become so widespread in schools and homes that
their uses have to be re-examined. The development of CALL is divided into
three main phases, behaviorist CALL, communicative CALL, and integrative CALL.
Behaviorist
CALL was the first phase of computer assisted language learning implemented in the
1960 and 1970s. The programs of this phase were based on then main behaviorist
theories of learning. Drill and practice courseware was based on the model of
computer as tutor (Taylor, 1980). A number of CALL tutoring systems were
developed in the era of the mainframe and the best-known tutorial system PLATO.
Communicative
CALL based onthe communicative teaching approaches promoted communicative
competence and realcommunication. It appeared and became outstanding inthe
1970s and early 1980s(Underwood, 1984). Besides using computer as a tutor,
computer should play the role of a stimulus and a tool (Taylor, 1980). The
former role adopted communicative activities to encourage learners. And the
latter role enabled students to understand and use the language through word
processing, spelling and grammar checking desktop publishing programs
(Warschauer, 1998).
Integrative
CALL emerged in the late 1980s and early 1990s based on multimedia computers
and the Internet was aimed to integrate the four skills (listening, speaking,
writing and reading) as well as technology in the language learning process
(Warschauer& Healey, 1998). For language students, they could involve
themselves in their learning in a more authentic learning environment by
interesting all language skills. It is thus not surprising the EFL will have
get on the stage of CALL in the future development.
Multimedia in the
CALL Classroom
Multimedia
as a class of computer-driven interactive communication systems which create,
store, transmit, and retrieve textual, graphic, and auditory networks of
information. Today’s multimedia is integrated into the CALL classroom.
Multimedia allows a variety of media such a texts, graphics, sound, animations,
videos, and creates various integrative language environments. The students can
obtain the multimedia resources and navigate their own path simply by pointing
and clicking the mouse
The Significance and
Trends of Instructional Technology
Instructional
technology has been defined as "applying scientific knowledge about human
learning to the practical tasks of teaching and learning" (Albion, 2001).
Technology is certainly a part of the landscape of society many people conclude
that technology logically should also play a key role in education. Educational
technology is especially important because teachers are eager to help students
reach high-level, worthwhile objectives, in the context of limited time and
resources. Along with technology and systematical design, teachers can make the
instruction more individualized, valid, accessible and economical (Wang, 2000).
So
instructors are to design CALL lessons and seek appropriate media based on
students need. Furthermore, instructors are supposed to evaluate whether or not
the instructional materials are suitable for. Then computer assisted
instruction (CAI) is an efficient way to solve the instruction problems.
The Principles and
Factors are Applied in Technology
The
common rationale for using technology is based on two major points. According
to societal inevitability theory, technology is everywhere. And researches have
been shown that using the computer is efficient on education.
Applying
computer technology makes teachers have rich productivity, teaching effect, and
change students learning styles, which can make the relationship of interaction
and connection between teachers and students closely.
THE STUDY
During the speaking
and listening course in CALL environment, the teacher set up E-learning campus.
Students had to post their assignments, watching other groups' report to give
their opinions and to correct each other's assignment, using e-mail, bulletin
board and chat room to exchange to obtain much more resource. Several items
were noticed:
1. Four or five
students formed a group in cooperative learning.
2. The teacher gave
the students a specific topic "A trip to a historic attraction and scenic
place", playing the CD Rom to motivate learning.
3. The teacher
explained to students how to search resources, connect related web-site, and
showed students to do procedure according to the task assigned
4. Each member in
the group was responsible for his own work then group discussed the assignment
together and brain stormed with each other to integrate their opinions to solve
their difficulties.
5. After discussing,
each group took a picture and video, modified the scripts and added music
effect prepare for their performance.
6. The students
visited traveler interviewed the employers of the stores, collected information
and recorded the viewpoint.
7. Each week the
group students posted their report and the group revised the report each other
e-learning campus.
8. The group
students’ presented their product by video and power point.
9. The teacher and
students examined together.
DIFFICULTIES OF APPLYING COMPUTER
ASSISTED INSTRUCTION TO TEACHING
Applying
the computer technology in English class is so complicated and important that
we don't ignore it, but nowadays using CAI strategies is still not pervasive.
Several difficulties and challenges need be solved; several conditions have
room to be desired. The researcher analyzes as follows:
Facilities of the
School and Classroom
the
computer classroom difficult to use, and the administrator and the programmer
had not enough time to aid teachers in time. And mechanics were necessaries to
maintain and remedy computers
Related
Administrators Emphasis
The
biggest problem was lack of the principle’s and the administrator's sufficient
support. So teaching practice in CALL was not easy to set into action.
Teachers' Teaching
Beliefs and Styles
Teachers'
aptitude and beliefs play an important part. Whether teachers decide to apply
computer technology depends on their beliefs. So the teachers' attitude and
beliefs influence teaching and learning effect of the students (Fang, 1996)
Teachers' Computer
Competence
In
the course of the process of teaching, teachers act as facilitators, designers,
guides and assistants (Warschauer, 1998). So teachers' technology competence
should be enhanced. If the teachers are lack of competence, such as computer
multimedia contents presented, systematic teaching models applied and
multimedia sources utilized, it is impossible for the teachers to integrate
technology into teaching efficiently (Wei,2005).
Teachers’ Heavy
Burden
The
teacher posted important information on the bulletin board and reminded the
students assignments and test scores. The teacher always spent much time to
deal with the computer shutdown and contacted mechanics and programmers to
repair the computer right away.
Students’ Computer
Competence
The
teacher always found that a lot of information students collected was copied,
and posted. To raise learning effect, enhancing students’ computer competence
was urgent (Chien,2004).
THE
SOLUTION THE PROBLEMS OF APPLYING COMPUTER ASSISTED INSTRUCTION TO TEACHING
Computer Facilities and
Administrators' Emphasis
Adequate computer
facilities can facilitate teachers to use computer techniques and increase the opportunities
of teachers' applying technology to teaching.
Build up Teachers' Concept and
Teaching Beliefs
As long as teachers
to are willing to attempt to do it they will gain a lot of appropriate
strategies of technology teaching. Teachers' patience and perseverance are
necessary ; through such perseverance they can be able to elicit students'
potential ability in this computer instructional method.
Improve Teachers' and Students'
Computer Competence
When technology
applied to classroom instruction, teachers have to be familiar with the
operation of the computer.
Reduce Teachers' Workload
To reduce teachers'
burden and to enhance the effects of teaching.teachers should train students as
group leaders to aid them in their courses. In addition, teachers should have
contact with computer programmer closes and then teachers with programmer and
group leaders could maintain the operation and management of computer together.
In the age of
integrating technology into teaching, the teachers' task is both difficult and
challengeable, so teachers must take participate in related seminars,
conferences activities and practical lessons to seek for professional members
to solve difficult problems. Regular evaluations, strategies revised any time
are necessary for teachers to find the most appropriate and efficient methods
to help students reach the best learning outcomes.
CONCLUSION
This process of
applying new technology in English teaching is a challenge every English
teacher will have to face. Applying computer assisted language learning to
teaching has become a new trend to the advanced countries in the current world.
Meanwhile, information technology and multimedia teaching will be a direction
that the government advocates in our educational policy. Whether there
integration between technology and English teaching efficiently and
successfully depends on the teachers' efforts and professional abilities.More
importantly, the government and education authorities concerned should emphasis
on the need of information technology in schools, fostering the coordination of
policy and resources. Although the integration of technology into English is
difficult and complicated, it is suggested that teachers can build up confidence,
and consult with the professional teachers to continue innovation. It hoped
that the difficulties the teacher has faced in the study can serve as the
future reference for improving language learning strategies in college English teachers.
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