Name: Sharifah Atirah Binti Syed Hisham

Matrix no: A151419

Group: Tesl 1
Course: Computer in Education.
Lecturer: Dr. Fariza Binti Khalid


The Roles of Computer.


According to Oxford, tool is defined as a thing used to help perform a job, tutor is defined
as a private teacher, typically one who teaches a single pupil or a very small group, and tutee is
defined as a student or pupil of a tutor . According to Keengwe, Onchwari and Wachira (2001),
now a lot of schools and colleges are investing more in computers because they guarantee
them a new aspect in learning and educational reformation through technology. Computer have
several roles for educational purposes, the computer is used as tool, tutor and tutee.

The first role of computer in education is computer acts as tools. The computer that have
useful applications that can help the students and the teachers to use it for educational
purposes (Taylor, 1980). Taylor also stated that using the computer as tools for educational
purposes can help the students and the teachers in saving time. For instance, the students
writing an essay using word processing such as Microsoft Word. Other than that, a lot of new
applications have been developed for educational purposes (Taylor, 1980). For example, with
the existence of e-mail, the students and the teachers are able to communicate easily on days
where they do not have classes with the teacher (What are the role computer to the teaching
learning process, n.d.). Other than that, students can develop skills such as critical thinking
skills, creativity and research skill if the students learn with technology that includes the use of
computer (What are the role computer to the teaching learning process, n.d.). The article also
stated that with the use of proper technology into the classroom practice can give a positive
influence on important aspect of learning such as active learning, critical thinking, cooperative
learning, communication skills, instructional effectiveness, multisensory delivery, motivation, and
multicultural education. Technology is an important instrument for education because it is
appropriate use to assist learning is more recommendable and Grabe and Grabe suggested to
always use text, graphics, sound, and animations in teaching (What are the role computer to
the teaching learning process, n.d.). Hence, computer acts as tool for both teacher and
students for educational purposes.

Second, computer acts as tutor is also one of the role of computer in education.
According to Taylor (1980), the students will be tutored by the program that have been
programmed by their teacher. As an example, instead of writing the learning material on white
board, the teacher use PowerPoint slides to deliver their knowledge the students (Rallis, 2000).
According Mahmoud Muhamed Gaber (n.d.), when the computer being used as tutor, the
students will give some feedback after the computer show some learning materials, then the
computer will assess the students feedback and the results of the assessments will show and it
determines what to do next. Starkweather (1986) stated that the programs in the computer not
only give support for learning facts and their relationships, but they have become a practical
instruments for the learning of decision making and problem solving. Hubbarb (n.d.) stated that
with the help of World Wide Web, any learner of any language nowadays can find a rightful
authentic audios and videos to listen to for both language and culture. As an example, Hubbard
also stated that University of Victoria has made an authoring system such as Hot Potatoes to
make it easier for the language learners to make their own grammar exercises using various
kinds of methods. Thus, the computer acts as tutor in education.

The last role of computer in education is computer acts as tutee. Taylor (1980) stated
that the teacher or student must teach the computer in a language its understand in order to use
the computer as a tutee. In the article called Using Computer as tutor, tool, tutee. (n.d.), it
stated that teaching the computer has several benefits such as learning what we are trying to
teach the computer and it will helps the teacher in term of saving time and they do not have to
pay for tutor. The article also state that when the computer is used as tutee, the computer is
being taught by the learner means that the computer is being programmed by the learner. Other
than that, the article also stated that the primary premise underpinning the computer that is in
tutee mode use in teaching the computer, the student will learn more about the process of
learning. Besides that, the article also stated the learning experience and the teachers role in
school will change after using the computer as tutee, however it will not downgrade the role of
the classroom teacher. Hence, the computer acts as tutee in education.

To conclude, the teacher should believe in the usage of computer in education because
it is more effective and efficients with its facilities that its offer rather than use the teaching
methods in 50 years back (Keengwe, Onchwari, and Wachira, 2008). The article also mentioned
that the technology-based environment deepen the communication between the learners and
instructors in sharing a new meaning.

References:

1) Hubbard, P. (n.d.). General Introduction. Retrieved from:
http://web.stanford.edu/~efs/callcc/callcc-intro.pdf

2) Keengwe, J., Onchwari, G., Wachira, P. (2008). The use of Computer Tools to Support
Meaningful Learning. Retrieved from:
www.editlib.org/p/23647/article_23647.pdf

3) Mahmoud Muhamed Gaber. (2011). using computer as Tutor, Tool, Tutee. Retrieved
from:
http://aldeeb85.blogspot.com/2011/10/using-computer-as-tutor-tool-tutee.html

4) Rallis, H. (2000). Using Computers to Assist in Teaching and Learning. Retrieved from:
http://www.duluth.umn.edu/~hrallis/guides/computerideas.html

5) Starkweather, J. A. (n.d.). The Computer as a Tool for Learning. Retrieved from:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1307163/

6) Taylor, R. P. (1980). The Computer in School: Tutor, Tool, Tutee. Retrieved from:
http://www.citejournal.org/vol3/iss2/seminal/article1.cfm

7) What are the role computer to the teaching learning process? (n.d.). Retrieved from:
http://www.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_role_computer_to_the_teaching_learn
ing_process

8) Oxford Dictionary. (2014). Retrieved from:
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/tutor