INTERNET & INTRANETS

Internet
The internet is a frequently changing collection of millions of computer networks serving tents of millions of people around the world. Any individual on the internet can communicate with anyone else on the internet.

• Internet services

It provides users with several basic types of  connection services:
1. Electronic mail (e-mail) for person-to-person communication.
2. A type of electronic, public bulletin board enabling a person to connect with a group interested in the same topic.
3. Information search capabilities for accessing libraries and databases of information throughout the world.
4. Access to highly specialized computer programs not readily available to individuals
5. "Live" communication.
6. Audio communication.
7. Video-based communication.

• Internet addresses

An internet address contains three parts: the person's name or username (pseudonym), the computer network where they can be reached, and the type of organization they are a part of.

• Internet usage

Internet users can communicate with one another by participating in discussion groups, of which there are two types: newsgroups (sometimes called' chat groups or conferences) and mailing list (also called listservs). Both newsgroups and mailing lists are typically dedicated to a single subjects, and allow you to read comments, questions, and answers of others on the same subjects and to post comments, questions,and answers of your own.

• Internet language

The internet has acquired its own vocabulary of hundreds of terms.

World Wide Web: Access To The Internet
The World Wide Web (the Web) is not separate from the internet.The web protocol, called hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), ensures compatibility before transferring information. The web is comprised of documents called web pages. Each access a website by entering its called a website. User access a website by entering its address or uniform resource locator (URL).

• Advantages

1. Variety of media.
2. Up-to-date information access.
3. Navigation.
4. Idea exchange.
5. Convenient.
6. Low cost.

• Limitations

1. Age-inappropriate material.
2. Copyright.
3. Unprecedented.
4. Support.
5. Access.
6. Access sped.
7. Lack of quality control.

• Integration

Computer networks, especially the internet, can serve a number of functions. Students and teachers can access services and information such as documents, government information, databases, online bibliographies, articles, publications, and computer software.

Intranet
Intranets are internal networks for companies or schools. Intranets are a way of increasing communication, collaboration, and information dissemination within companies or schools where divisions, departments, and work groups each use a different computer platform (hardware and / or operating system), or where users work in geographically distant locations. User access the intranet either directly or by dialing into the network.

• Advantages

1. Centralization.
2. Consistency.
3. Currency.
4. Pull versus push approach.

• Limitations

1. Unreliable remote connections.
2. Speed of responses.

• Integration

Intranets are very useful for training when the audience is large and geographically dispersed and when the instruction is update frequently (see"Close-up:Deere & Company Delivers Training Over Its Internet").

Wide Area Network (WAN)
Computer networks that extend beyond the walls of a room or building are called wide area networks (WANs). A WAN connects a number of computers within a single institution and beyond with one another.
Wide area networking via a computer and modern is done from locations throughout the world. People accessing networks use an array of tools, including e-mail, bulletin boards systems, and information resources, such as databases and libraries.

Local Area Network (LAN)
A local area network (LAN) connects computers within a limited area, normally a building, office, or laboratory.
 A LAN  relies on a centralized computer called a file server that "serves". A computer lab is often a LAN because all the computers in the lab are connected to a single file server, which is usually tucked away in a closer or other out of-the-way space.

• Advantages

The advantages of local area networks include ease of communication. A LAN allows people to communicate with each other by leaving messages o the network system. Also, more people have access to software and information.

• Limitations

1. It is expensive to establish a building wide network.
2. A computer lab may limit access.
3. Another limitation is the requirement that schools or offices purchase special network-compatible software.

• Integration

One primary educational application of a LAN is in a computer lab, with 15 to 20 computers connected together. When a teacher wants each students to be working on a computer during a lesson, the lab makes it possible for the whole class to have access to computers simultaneously.

Source : Heinich, R., Molenda, M., Russell, J, D.,& Smaldino, S, E,..2002. Instructional Media and Technologies For Learning volume 7. California : The University of California.

MULTIMEDIA

Multimedia Kits

A multimedia kits is a collection of teaching/learning materials involving more than one type of medium and organized around a single topic. Kits may include CD-ROMs, filmstrips, slides, audiotapes, videotapes, still pictures, study prints, overhead transparencies, maps, worksheets, charts, graphs, booklets, real objects, and models. 

Teachers or media specialists can also prepare multimedia kits. The main purpose of a kit is to give learners a chance at firsthand learning-to touch, to observe, to experiment, to wonder, to decide.

• Advantages

1. Interest ➨ Multimedia kits arouse interest because they are multisensory.

2. Cooperation➨ Kits can be an ideal mechanism for stimulating small-group project work.

3. Logistics➨ Kits have an obvious logistical advantage.

• Limitations

1. Expense➨ Learning with multimedia kits can be more expensive than with other, more conventional, methods.

2. Time consuming➨ It can be time consuming to produce and maintain the materials.

3. Replacement➨ Lost components can make the kit frustrating to use.

• Integration

Multimedia kits are particularly well suited to content for which discovery learning is preferred.

Contoh Multimedia Kits

Hypermedia

Hypermedia refers to computer software that uses elements of text, graphics, video, and audio connected in such a way that users can easily move within the information. Users choose the pathway that is unique to their own style of thinking and processing information. According to its very nature, it provides a learning environment that is interactive and exploratory. Computer hypermedia systems can be used for several different purposes : Browsing, Linking, and Authoring.

• Advantages 

1. Engrossing

2. Multisensory

3. Connections

4. Individualized

5. Teacher and student creation

• Limitations

1. Getting lost

2. Lack of structure

3. Non-interactive

4. Complex

5. Time consuming

• Integration

Hypermedia can be developed and used on the computers that are commonly found in schools. They are applied in all areas of the curriculum, for any learning goals that are suited to individual  or small-group exploration of a body of information. Hypermedia programs are available as off-the-shelf courseware; teachers can create them to fit unique local needs, or students can create them as a way of organizing and synthesizing their research on a topic of interest. 

Contoh Hypermedia

Interactive Media
Computer-based interactive media creates a multimedia learning environment that capitalizes on the features of both video and computer-assisted instruction. It is an instructional delivery system in which recorded visuals, sound, and video materials are presented under computer control to viewers who not only see and hear the pictures and sounds but also make active responses, with those responses affecting the pace and sequence of the presentation.

• Advantages

1. Multiple
2. Learner participation
3. Individualization
4. Flexibility
5. Simulations

• Limitations

1. Cost
2. Production expense
3. Rigidity

• Integrations

Interactive media is a valuable learning system for tasks that must be shown rather than simply told. some instruction cannot be adequately presented by printed materials. If learners need to interact with the instruction, interactive media is an appropriate choice.

Contoh Interactive Media

Virtual Reality 
Virtual reality is one of the newest multimedia applications of computer-generated three-dimensional environment where the user can operate as an active participant. the user wears a special headpiece that contains a three-dimensional liquid crystal video display and headphones. The user participates within the three-dimensional world by manipulating a joystick or a special glove worn on one hand. The data glove may be used to point, handle, and move objects and to direct the user's movements within the virtual world.

• Advantages

1. Safety
2. Expansive
3. Opportunities to explore

• Limitations

1. Cost
2. Complexity
3. Limited titles

• Integration

Computer-controlled environments allow users to experience multisensory immersion and to interact with certain phenomena as they would in the physical world. Several applications of virtual reality have been demonstrated to be highly effective.

Contoh Virtual Reality

Source : Heinich, R., Molenda, M., Russell, J, D.,& Smaldino, S, E,..2002. Instructional Media and Technologies For Learning volume 7. California : The University of California.

Computers

Roles of Computers in Learning

The potential uses of computers in educational settings go far beyond direct instruction. One function is administrative-keeping school records, scheduling classes, doing payroll, and managing student assessment data. Another is service oriented, as when guidance programs use computers to deliver career planning assistance. In the domain of instruction there are four broad classes of computer applications:

• As an object of instruction

The computer may itself be the object of instruction. In this role, the computer is treated like any other machine one is learning to use.

• As a tool

In its role as a tool, the computer assists both teachers and students. 

• As an instructional device

Computer-assisted instruction (CAI) helps students learn specific skills.

• As a means of teaching logical thinking

Using LOGO, a procedural language that was designed for learners, students can learn about the complexity of mathematics within their daily lives.

Integrating Computers into the Curriculum

The ultimate value of technology in education and training depends on how fully they are integrated into the curriculum. Instructions need a framework for using computer technology that covers a variety of learning styles and accommodates varied teaching methods. Most important, results need to be measureable againts a clear set of goals and objectives-the second step in the ASSURE model. In classrooms where computer technology is integrated successfully, students use it with the same ease with which they use books, maps, pencils, and pens. In technology-rich classrooms students and teachers engage in problem solving, cultivate creativity, collaborate globally, and discover the value of lifelong learning.

Integrated Learning System

In many schools a viable form of computer use is the integrated learning system (ILS), referring to a networked set of computer workstations equipped with software that provides a particular set of sequential lessons. Students work through these lessons as prescribed by the built in management system, which tracks individual student progress.

• Advantages :

1. Self-pacing

2. Total package

3. Validated

• Limitations :

1. Courseware quality

2. Evidence of effectiveness

3. Loss of flexibility

4. Reports

5. Curricular integration

• Integration :

The integrated learning system (ILS) lessons are one component of an overall school program that combines team teaching, thematic units, student and parent involvement in goal setting, and customization to the prescriptions of the local teaching staff.

Software Selection

There are several factors associated with selecting software. Foremost is to examine the software within the content of the learning outcomes. Other factors that should be considered include content, format, ease of operation, design, and completeness of the package.

• Accuracy

When looking at software, you need to consider the content in terms of its accuracy. Its important to consider the sequencing of the information.

• Feedback

Its important that software follow sound educational techniques and principles. In a drill and practice program its important that students have frequent informative feedback.

• Learner Control

Another important criterion is the amount of learner control given the student. Software should provide students with opportunities to select topics within areas of study. Also, students need to be able to control how quickly they progress through material.

• Prerequisites

Prerequisite skills need to be identified if they are essential for successful use of the software. Information needs to be presented at a level appropriate for students.

• Ease of Use

Ease of use is a particularly critical attribute in situations where students are working individually or in small groups on different projects, using different software. If you must continually be interrupted to help students cope with obstacles in using difficult software, then both you and your students become frustrated.

• Special Features

Sometimes software has special effects or features that may be essential for effective learning. Color, graphics, animation, and sound should be a part of quality software only if they contribute to student learning. 

Computer Hardware

• Basic Components

The physical equipment that makes up the computer is referred to as the hardware. A computer's specific combination of hardware components is referred to as its configuration.

• Input Device

Input devices transmit information into the computer. The most commonly used input device is the keyboard. Others include mouse, trackballs, joysticks, graphics tablets, and even voice.

• Central Processing Unit

The central processing unit (CPU) is the core element, or "brain" that carries out all the calculations and controls the total system. In a personal computer the CPU is one (or more) of the tiny chips (microprocessors) inside the machine.

• Memory

The memory contains the control function-that is, the programs written to tell the CPU what to do in what order. In computers, control instructions and sets of data are stored in two types of memory.
- Read-only memory (ROM)➱ This consists of the control instructions that have been "wired"permanently, into the memory and which the computer will need constantly, such as programming languages and internal monitoring functions.
- Random access memory (RAM)➱ The particular program or set of data being manipulated by the user is temporarily stored in RAM, then erased to make way for the next program.

• Storage

The most common storage mechanism is the magnetic disk. Recordable CD-ROMs are becoming common. Storage capacity (measured in Mb or Gb) has expanded to keep pace with the rapidly growing memory demands of today's software and the ever-increasing size of graphics and animation laden multimedia data files.

• Output Device

Output devices display the results of your program. A television-type monitor, referred to as a CRT (cathode ray tube), is the usual output device of a personal computer. Liquid-crystal (LCD) and other display types are becoming common. It may be built into the total package, or it may be a separate component.

Computer Facilities
There are a variety of facilities for computer use. They range from the computer classroom (one or more computers in a single classroom) to the computer laboratory.

• The One-Computer Classroom

The one-computer classroom, then, can be viewed as a place where you may use the computer in many ways :

1. Large group ➨ With a data projector you can demonstrate to a whole class how to use a particular software program or how to manage a particular set of data.
2. Small group ➨ A small group of students can work together with the computer. Students can interact with a program in groups, then return to their seats, allowing others to have some time on the computer. Each group has a turn using the software to gather or present data.
3. Learning center ➨ Individual students or small groups can go to a learning center that has at its core a computer. Integrating a specific software program into the center, you create another type of interactive learning center.
4. Personal secretary ➨ Every teacher is responsible for maintaining grades, communicating with parents, and preparing instructional materials. The computer can assist you with these types of tasks.

• The Multiple-Computer Classroom

A computer classroom is useful when the teacher wants to present to all students simultaneously. The teacher should have a projection device to display information for all students on one screen. In some networks the teacher can control and monitor what is shown on each student computer.

• The Computer Laboratory

Schools often place 15 to 20 computers together in a single room called a computer laboratory. The computer laboratory is appropriate if you want students to be working independently or in small groups on different programs and different activities.

There are advantages to using a computer lab. A group of students can be taught the same lesson simultaneously, which might be more efficient for the teacher. Also, software can be located in one place conveniently. Supervision and security are often easier when all the computers are located in a single room.

The foremost limitation with the computer lab as access. If there are no other computers available to students outside the computer lab, then students may have a problem. If a class is scheduled to use the lab, students will have to wait until the lab is not scheduled to use the facilities. Also, because of the schedulling problem, some classes may not have access to the lab at all.

Source : Heinich, Molenda, Russell, Smaldino et. All. 2002. Instructional Media and Technologies for Learning Volume 7. California : The University of California.