COMPUTERS CHANGE THE LEARNING STYLE OF US HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

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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 University to handle mathematical computations in nuclear physics. During world war two computers were developed in order to wage counter espionage and break codes used by the enemy. In the post war years the scope of computers was expanded to include the military industrial complex and academia. Obviously people needed to communicate around these institutions and so there was a need for early network tools. In the 1960'S an early version of the Internet, ARPPANET was used in computer science and engineering projects. However, only 10 years later computers were starting to change our life style, the way we do business and many other things (Elliot, 1994) and by the late 1980's networks were expanding to embrace sections of the general public. The Internet was born. What are the effects of this dramatic change in the use of computers in everyday life? In this paper I will restrict the focus to changes in learning style of US students due to computers. Are the effects all positive - or are there drawbacks as well?

Computerization has changed US high school education in many ways. I will discuss three different changes that I consider to be important. The first is the use of the computer as a teaching aid for teachers. The next is the massive data storage and fast data retrieval facilitated by computer. Then I will look into the changes brought about by the introduction of simulation software. Lastly, I will briefly discuss some problems which have resulted from computerization.

How prevalent is the use of computers in schools? As recently as the early 1980s only 20% of secondary science teachers in the USA were using microcomputers (Becker, 1987). However, since then high schools in the US have computerized rapidly. By 1987, schools had acquired about 1.5 million computers with 95% of public schools having at least one computer (Campoy, 1992). Computers 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 equipped overhead projector to bring texts, graphics, sound and videos into a classroom. By these multimedia computer animations, teachers can more readily attract and retain students' attention. Ann (1994) concludes that computer aided teaching can attract and motivate students who were dropping out when more traditional methods were being used.

Computer animation can also speed up the teaching process and make difficult -to-explain ideas straight forward. For instance, a curved plane in 3 dimensional space may take a teacher several minutes to explain or draw by hand. But on a computer, it requires only a few keystrokes or mouse-clicks in order to provide a visual representation. Another example is visualization by computer software. For example the relative vibration and stretch of atoms in a molecule at different temperatures can be simulated and visualized by computer software, making this abstract microscopic behavior easier to understand. This means that teachers can spend more time answering students' questions and catering for other needs. According to Ann (ibid), computer software can shorten the learning process by illustrating real-world applications of abstract theories.

The use of CD-ROM as a means of storage is becoming very popular. A book contains, at most, a thousand pages or so. A single-sided conventional 5-inch CD-ROM on the other hand can store at least 250,000 pages of text. Its portability and incredibly large capacity make it ideal for data storage. The CD-ROM publication of some reference books like dictionaries and encyclopedias has already outnumbered the printed versions (Paul 1995). With several CD-ROM's, desktop computers can be turned into a miniature library in which almost everything can be found. The massive storage and fast retrievability enable high school students to learn in faster and more efficient ways.

Let us now turn to the Internet. This is a global network connecting many local networks. Over the Internet, high school students can retrieve information and databases from every networked library around the world in seconds. The World Wide Web provides an easy way to access hard-to-find information. Students can now reach any library through the global network and find what they want. The final step is to download the scanned image. Though the slow transmission of signal through the network is a major limiting factor, it can still save us much time in finding useful information, and thus it is an invaluable tool to both high school teachers and students. Indeed, Tony (1994) suggests that the Internet should be an essential tool for educators.

The computer has facilitated not only quantitative changes. The quality of experience has also changed. Virtual reality is a space simulated by computers with three dimensional video and sound. Here we can safely practice what could be potentially dangerous if it were done in the real world, for instance medical surgery treatment. Stanford Medical School has finished developing a prototype of a virtual patient on which any kind of operation can be performed (Patel, 1994). High school students can make use of this kind of simulation software to understand abstract theories in near real-life experiences.

How should we assess the effect of the computer in the different spheres described above? Has it caused any problems? I have attempted to show that with the use of computers, high schools students can access infinite amounts of data. Though this provides students with a wide variety of materials and the most up-to-date information, it may also have some negative effects. Ann (ibid) thinks that students may get confused by the huge amount of data available, and not be able to properly select and make use of it. However 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 up-to-date information.

The easy accessibility of the Internet can however cause problems. The copyright dispute over the infringement of music and wire services for instance is one of numerous problems (Berniker, 1995). This problem has proved difficult to solve because different countries have different laws on the copyright issue.

I have tried to show that computerization in high schools in the US has had a positive influence on students' learning style. Students today learn quite differently from in the past. Firstly, computers can help teachers instruct in the classroom, allowing students to get a clearer idea about what is being taught and possibly allowing more time for students to ask teachers questions. Another point I have made is that the large storage capacity of computers, CD-ROM's and the Internet can provide students with immense data resources that can be retrieved by simple keystrokes or mouse-clicks. This increases the speed at which students learn by minimizing the time spent on searching for information. Thirdly, I have looked into the changes brought about by computer simulation software and here we have seen the potential for teaching through providing entirely new sets of experiences. To sum up, computerization has already enabled high school students to learn in faster, easier and more efficient ways. The process, however, has only just begun and it is difficult to predict how computerisation will affect education in the future. One thing however is certain; it will be an exciting and challenging time for both students and teachers.

References Anonymous (1995. April). 'Point-and-Click data retrieval on the Internet via Cornell's main library', The Internet today. Ann, G. (1994 November). 'Turning students on by simulating the arcane.' Campus innovations: Teaching, Pp. 893. Becker, H. J. (1987). 'Instructional uses of school computers: Reports from the 1985 national survey' (Issue no.4). Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University. Berniker, M. 'Copyright create Internet problems.' Broadcasting & Cable. (1995, March). p.46 Campoy, R. (1992). 'The role of technology in the school reform movement.' Educational technology, 32(8), 17-22. Elliot B. K. (1994). Pascal. Addison Wesley. p.1. Patel. H. (1994). 'Virtual reality technology in business.' Management Decisions. p. 5-12. Paul, K. 'The twain shall meet.' Forbes. (1995 February), Pp. 68. Tony S. (1994). 'Industrial technology welcomes the world.' Vocational education journal, p32.