COMPUTERS CHANGE THE LEARNING STYLE OF US HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

The history of the computer in the twentieth century is one of dramatic adaptation and expansion. The
computer had modest beginnings in areas where it was used as a specialist tool. The first electronic
computer was built in the 1930s and was solely for the use of undergraduate students in Iowa State
Uniersity to handle mathematical computations in nuclear physics. !uring world war two computers
were deeloped in order to wage counter espionage and brea" codes used by the enemy. In the post
war years the scope of computers was expanded to include the military industrial complex and
academia. #biously people needed to communicate around these institutions and so there was a
need for early networ" tools. In the 19$0%S an early ersion of the Internet& '())'*+T was used in
computer science and engineering pro,ects. -oweer& only 10 years later computers were starting to
change our life style& the way we do business and many other things and by the late 19.0%s networ"s
were expanding to embrace sections of the general public. The Internet was born. /hat are the effects
of this dramatic change in the use of computers in eeryday life0 In this paper I will restrict the focus to
changes in learning style of US students due to computers. 're the effects all positie 1 or are there
drawbac"s as well0
-ow prealent is the use of computers in schools0 's recently as the early 19.0s only 203 of
secondary science teachers in the US' were using microcomputers. -oweer& since then high schools
in the US hae computeri4ed rapidly. 5y 19.6& schools had ac7uired about 1.8 million computers with
983 of public schools haing at least one computer. 9omputers can be used as a teaching aids both in
schools and in homes. In schools& for example& teachers can plug a computer into an especially
e7uipped oerhead pro,ector to bring texts& graphics& sound and ideos into a classroom. 5y these
multimedia computer animations& teachers can more readily attract and retain students% attention.
9omputer aided teaching can attract and motiate students who were dropping out when more
traditional methods were being used.
9omputer animation can also speed up the teaching process and ma"e difficult1to1explain ideas
straight forar!. :or instance& a cured plane in 3 dimensional space may ta"e a teacher seeral
minutes to explain or draw by hand. 5ut on a computer& it re7uires only a few "eystro"es or mouse1
clic"s in order to proide a isual representation. 'nother example is isuali4ation by computer
software. :or example the relatie ibration and stretch of atoms in a molecule at different
temperatures can be simulated and isuali4ed by computer software& ma"ing this abstract microscopic
behaior easier to understand. This means that teachers can spend more time answering students%
7uestions and cateri"g for other needs. 9omputer software can shorten the learning process by
illustrating real1world applications of abstract theories.
The use of 9!1(#; as a means of storage is becoming ery popular. ' boo" contains& at most& a
thousand pages or so. ' single1sided conentional 81inch 9!1(#; on the other hand can store at
least 280&000 pages of text. Its portability and incredibly large capacity ma"es it ideal for data storage.
The 9!1(#; publication of some reference boo"s li"e dictionaries and encyclopedias has already
outnumbered the printed ersions. /ith seeral 9!1(#;%s& des"top computers can be turned into a
miniature library in which almost eerything can be found. The massie storage and fast retrieability
enable high school students to learn in faster and more efficient ways.
<et us now turn to the Internet. This is a global networ" connecting many local networ"s. #er the
Internet& high school students can retrie#e information and databases from eery networ"ed library
around the world in seconds. The /orld /ide /eb proides an easy way to access hard1to1find
information. Students can now reach any library through the global networ" and find what they want.
The final step is to download the scanned image. Though the slow transmission of signal through the
networ" is a ma,or limiting factor& it can still sae us much time in finding useful information& and thus it
is an inaluable tool to both high school teachers and students.
The computer has facilitated not only 7uantitatie changes. The 7uality of experience has also
changed. =irtual reality is a space simulated by computers with three dimensional ideo and sound.
-ere we can safely practice what could be potentially dangerous if it were done in the real world& for
instance medical surgery treatment. Stanford ;edical School has finished deeloping a prototype of a
irtual patient on which any "ind of operation can be performed. -igh school students can ma"e use of
this "ind of simulation software to understand abstract theories in near real1life experiences.
/ith the use of computers& high schools students can access infinite amounts of data. Though this
proides students with a wide ariety of materials and the most up1to1date information& it may also hae
some negatie effects. Students may get confused by the huge amount of data aailable& and not be
able to properly select and ma"e use of it. -oweer if students are guided by their teachers they can
not only get precisely what they need& but also retain the facility to access the most up1to1date
information.
The easy accessibility of the Internet can howeer cause problems. The copyright dispute oer the
infringement of music and wire serices for instance is one of numerous problems. This problem has
proed difficult to sole because different countries hae different laws on the copyright issue.
9omputeri4ation in high schools in the US has had a positie influence on students% learning style. To
sum up& computeri4ation has already enabled high school students to learn in faster& easier and more
efficient ways. The process& howeer& has only ,ust begun and it is difficult to predict how
computerisation will affect education in the future. #ne thing howeer is certain> it will be an exciting
and challenging time for both students and teachers.
1. The main point of paragraph 1 is to?
@aA outline the main causes of computeri4ation
@bA outline the main conse7uences of computeri4ation
@cA gie bac"ground information on computeri4ation
2. The main point of paragraph 3 is to describe?
@aA the potential of computer simulation
@bA the potential of computer storage
@cA the 7uantitatie progress in the use of computers
3. In paragraph B which of the following adantages of the 9!1(#; does the writer *#T
mention?
@aA speed of access
@bA cheapness
@cA storage potential
B. In paragraph 8 %it% refers to?
@aA the scanned image
@bA the /orld /ide /eb
@dA information
8. In paragraph 6 the writer is?
@aA reiewing possible courses of action
@bA describing what ought to happen
@cA describing pros and cons
$. -ow would you describe the writer%s attitude towards computeri4ation in education?
@aA critical
@bA balanced 1 assessing the adantages and disadantages
@cA not interested 1 he doesn%t thin" it has widespread application
6. /hat does the word scope, in paragraph 1& mean0
@aA (ange.
@bA ;anufacturing
@cA 'rea coered by a gien actiity or sub,ect.
.. /hat does the expression straight forward, in paragraph 3& mean0
@aA -aing only one meaning or interpretation and leading to only one conclusion.
@bA -onest and fran".
@cA :ast and efficient.
9. /hat does the expression catering for , in paragraph 3& mean0
@aA proiding food or entertainment.
@bA giing remedial lessons
@cA attending to.
10. /hat does the expression retrieve, in paragraph 8& mean0
@aA To recall to mind> remember.
@bA To find and carry bac".
@cA To rescue or sae.