INTRODUCTION Technology explosion has yielded several new machines , materials and media which have great potential

for use in the educational enterprise . a judicious use of these together with new functions and roles of educational personnel has helped in bringing about a more efficient teaching and learning strategies. one such technology is the use of computer in giving instruction and is known as computer assisted instruction and use of computer in learning is computer assisted learning. An adequate knowledge about computers and their proper use would enable the teacher to understand and effectively discharge his new roles in the present day educational system. COMPUTER IN EDUCATION Computers and computer-mediated devices are finding more and more classroom applications .the classroom use of computers include individualization of instruction ,display of information , evaluation of students ,and illustration of abstract ideas by computer graphics and diagrams. CONSTRUCTION AND WORKING OF COMPUTER: Parts of a computer: a) Hardware: The actual parts of a computer circuits and its structure are called hardware b) Software: The program and commands are called software and the information that is meant to be processed is called data

A computer primarily consists of three sections, viz, i. ii. iii. input, Central processing unit Output

i.

Input and output

Specific data is generally stored min the form of punched cards, magnetic tapes, magnetic tapes and magnetic drums; while some essential data is stored permanently in the main storage or the memory of the computer. Also the data storing sections of the computers act as the input and output units. These units transfer data to and from the Central Processing Unit.

ii.

Central Processing Unit (CPU):

The Central Processing Unit, consist of -Control Unit -Main storage unit -Logic unit The main storage unit of the CPU contains all the instructions and commands of the program The control unit of the CPU issues commands to other parts of the computer for carrying out the instructions fed to the input devices In order to communicate with a computer and operate it one has to master computer languages. For classroom instruction the computer language is called BASIC (Beginners All-purpose Symbolic code). The computer language is sometimes called middle ware and set of commands given to the computer for processing the data is called program.

EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY: The word technology is derived from the Greek word technic meaning art or skill and logia meaning science or study. Technology results in new designs and devices as also new ideas and process. According to some educationist, educational technology is a system in education in which ,machines, materials ,media, men and methods are interrelated and work together for the fulfillment of specific educational objectives. Electronic technologies that are used for learning and teaching. If teacher do not understand how to support learning technology use will be ineffective and inefficient. DEVELOPMENT OF EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY: History of the educational technology starts from the stage when the subject matter become available in the form of printing materials and textbooks. It was soon supplemented by the use of teaching aids like blackboard, specimen, pictures ,charts, models ,maps ,etc. in this way the earlier concept of educational technology was limited to the use of simple audio-visual aids meant for direct teaching and learning. Later with the instructional revolution and technical advancement , sophisticated scientific instruments ,mass media and educational materials were being used. It brought about the use of sophisticated hardware and software like radio ,television ,computer , etc. in the field of education. The concept of programmed instruction and theories of learning , later on added another dimension to the meaning and concept of educational technology. This was again broadened

when the new approaches like micro-teaching , computer assisted instruction etc came into existence. Broadly speaking, educational technology has passed through five stages: 1. The first stage of educational technology is linked with the use of audio-visual aids like charts , maps, models ,specimen, etc. the term educational technology was synonym to audiovisual aids. 2. The second stage of educational technology is linked with the electronic revolution ,which brought an era of sophisticated hardware and software. 3. The third stage of educational technology is linked with the mass media, which led to communication revolution for instructional purposes. 4. The fourth stage of educational technology is marked by the individualized process of instruction. The invention of programmed learning and programmed instruction gave a new dimension to educational technology. computer assisted instruction also became popular. 5. The latest concept of educational technology is influenced by the concept of systems engineering or systems approach. According to this , educational technology is a systemic way of designing ,carrying out and evaluating the total process of teaching and learning in terms of specific objectives based on research. COMPUTER ASSISTED LEARNING Computer assisted learning, or CAL, is not a new phenomenon. This field of education has been growing since the introduction of computers into the learning environment. As computer has become standard instructional tools in the primary and secondary school systems, they are used extensively in all aspects of nursing education. Due to the great changes in the practice and teaching of nursing, there has been an increase in the possibilities offered by Computer Assisted Learning (CAL), which may help meet the new challenges to nursing education. Although CAL has been with us for many years it has had great difficulty competing with more conventional methods of education. HISTORY In the 1980s, the first computer assisted learning became available to university students looking for an alternative to the traditional textbook. These programs used only digital files transferred onto a CDROM to give students highly portable and accessible learning materials. The popularization of this form of learning and the increased ownership of personal computers led to the development of widely distributed educational CDROMS. As technology continued to grow and with the introduction of the Internet, information on CAL programs became more interactive, reflecting a social need for flexible learning outcomes. GOALS:

Presents information to be memorized Support for student exploration A creative and production tool A communication tool.

TYPES OF CAL SOFTWARE Drill and practice Tutorial Simulation Games Multimedia Word processing Programmed instructions

DRILL AND PRACTICE Typically, drill and practice activities are supplementary to the normal teaching process. It is good for fundamental mastery. The program requires leaners to perform specified tasks and give a feedback on their performance. DEFINITION: Drill and practice software provides exercises in which students work example items one at a time and receive feedback on their correctness FEATURES: Reinforce instruction by providing the repetition necessary to move acquired skills and concepts into long-term memory. Capture and retain the attention of students Save teachers time and efforts. Personalize instruction by meeting individual differences among learners.

TUTORIAL The tutorial program extends drill and Practice by providing information or demonstration to learners and then requiring them to perform some input. It also provides feedback on the input. Historically, the user will be presented with some information followed by an activity such as questions, with appropriate feedback for wrong response. A modern multimedia tutorial attempts to mimic a live lecture that take the user through a series of objective but allows the user to undertake the operation at their own pace and still provide the option of interactivity with the

teacher. The main difference is the emphasis on thinking and motivation rather than a simple stimulus response. DEFINITION: A tutorial exposes the learner to material that is believed not to have been previously taught or learned. A tutorial often includes pre-test, post test and drill and practice activities. FEATURES: Guide the learner throughout learning from the beginning (objectives) to the end (evaluation) Encourage students to interact, control and response to the program.

SIMULATION Simulation provides a means for leaning about an environment that may not, for reasons of time, expense or general practically be available to learner to explore. Simulation focuses on exploration and discovery learning. Simulation encourages learning by decision making. Roleplaying simulation may encourage learners interest in underlying problems through this indirect exposure to the model. The simulation attempts to provide the user with same type of experience with patients that they would encounter. DEFINITION: A simulation is a computerized model of real or imagined system designed to teach how a system works and allows learners to create their own sequence for using simulation FEATURES: Involve students into learning process. Save money and resources. Make experimentation safe. Make impossible situations possible and controllable. Let student repeat events as many times as they want.

GAMES DEFINITION: Instructional games are designed to motivate learning by adding game rules to learning activities. FEATURES: Make learning fun and motivating Motivate learners via the challenge of competition Engage the learner in a situation where the learner is competing for a high score

MULTIMEDIA

DEFINITION: Programs that support the interactive use of text, audio, still images, video and graphics and manipulate them to support learning FEATURES: Engage a variety of learning modalities Focus practice of skills that support transfer of learning.

WORD PRICESSING DEFINITION: The creation, input, editing, and production of words in documents and texts by means of a computer system ADVANTAGES: Time saving Better appearance Shared methods

FEATURES: Storing documents for later use. Searching and replacing words. Checking and correcting spelling. Creating tables.

PROGRAMMED INSTRUCTIONS Programmed instruction can be described as a different way of presenting materials to be learned. Programmed instructional materials are constructed in learning sequences. The students actively follow step by step at his/her own pace of learning. There are two types of programming (1)Linear Programming: In linear programming the students have to participate actively by making a response. They must fill in the blanks, answer a question, solve a problem; the program checks the response by giving the correct answer. (2) Intrinsic programming: Intrinsic programming , presents new ideas through a short discussion of the material to be learned followed by multiple choice questions designed to test the points just discussed, but very few programmed materials are suitable for nursing courses at the time. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE IMPORTANCE OF COMPUTER ASSISSTED LEARNING Tremendous growth in human knowledge and increase in the amount of information to be learned. Increased understanding of teaching learning process. Increased diversity in the setting where nursing is practiced.

Need for nurses to have skill that allow them to continue learning throughout their professional careers.

BENEFITS OF COMPUTER ASSISSTED LEARNING Theoretically CAL might be considered attractive in that it is learner centred, and may be designed according to good educational strategies. the true effectiveness of CAL has been questioned, scalability, interactivity, information interconnectivity, automatic student logging and multimedia content are important features of CAL. SCALIBILITY Many aspects of CAL are scalable, particularly when Internet derived technologies are utilized to produce a CAL package. Unlike other educational media a CAL package is digitally stored thus it may be reproduced without error as many times as required. By providing access to a CAL package over a network many students may use a single resource. Further if the CAL package is made accessible via an Internet browser then it becomes potentially available to a very wide audience using a diverse range of computers. INTERACTIVITY "What I hear I forget. What I see I remember. What I do I remember always". The nature of CAL lends itself to involving the student with the learning processes with tasks requiring actions and dependent on the actions the student may receive appropriate feedback leading to further tasks. This goal-action-feedback cycle may be followed in a simple series of interactive questions, a complex case study or even a computer simulation of a clinical situation. AUTOMATION OF ASSESSMENT As a student interacts with a CAL exercise it is possible to keep a record of each interaction on an identifiable log file. This provides a convenient option to check on student performance by checking on the correctness of response to the CAL exercise. Further by building up a profile of how a number of users interact with the system it is possible to identify weaknesses in the CAL exercise itself. The automatic logs can thus help decrease both the burdens on assessing students and validating CAL exercises. MULTIMEDIA The incorporation of multimedia elements such as images, sounds and video clips in CAL packages provide more than simply added interest. Cognitive psychologists suggest that learning is facilitated if the student has to undertake active processing of presented information, "mental roughage". Different individuals learn better in response to different media, and it has been suggested that learning may be improved by providing information in more than one form simultaneously such as animation with sound. DISTANCE LEARNING ON THE INTERNET

Distance learning has many benefits and CAL delivered over computer networks is an excellent tool for education. The largest computer network, the Internet, provides millions of users access to thousands of sources of information. Internet Chat Rooms allow a number of users connected to a website to communicate directly with each other by text and in some chat rooms also with sound. Internet telephony and full videoconferencing is becoming more established. Teaching sociology students over the Internet has even been suggested to be superior to teaching by more conventional means. VIDEOCONFERENCING Perhaps one of the most exciting uses of synchronous communication provided by the use of computers is the option of videoconferencing. Videoconferencing systems can broadly be divided into desktop systems and room systems. A desktop system is useful for a small number of participants at each site sat at specially configured personal computers each with a simple camera and microphone. Room based systems are for larger groups using much more sophisticated and expensive equipment. Video conferencing provides obvious improved communication through people being able to see each other at remote sites but requires careful planning and training to gain maximum effectiveness. Teleconferencing is a term that may be used when videoconferencing is combined with data conferencing. Videoconferencing allows people at two or more sites to see live pictures with sound, whereas data conferencing allows people at different sites to view and work on a common document of file. WEB BASED LEARNING GOALS OF WEB-BASED LEARNING Enhancing communication Web based education tools provide many ways to increase communication between class members and faculty. Researchers have found that adding these elements to a course increases student motivation and participation in class discussions and projects. Students share perspectives Online forums, like course talks areas, provide public areas to post information. Each student can view another students answer and learn through the exposure to different perspectives. Students experience a sense of equality Another benefit to using web-based communication tools is to give all students a reinforced sense of equality. Each individual have the same opportunity to speak up by posting messages without typical distraction such as seating arrangements, volume of student voices, and gender biases. Activity learning

When instructors post discussion questions or short essays assignments in the online portion of a course, students must attend to and reflect on the subject matter before responding. This results in reflection and articulation of content, as the very process of reporting and writing about what they have learned engages student in an activity learning experience. Students can complete assignments during their most productive times. Physical location is not an issue Students can communicate and update each other without the constraints of date, time and place. ADVANTAGES OF WEB-BASED LEARNING Access to multiple perspectives about a particular situation or concept. Access to applications or instructional materials about a particular situation or concept. Opportunity to engage in an interactive environment. Access to and organization of a lot of information quickly. Opportunity to practice computer skills. Opportunity to interact with experts. Easy to transfer information to other software tools. Updated and timely information and data, any time of the day. Promotes self-regulated learning, view information at your speed- no deadlines. Creates a record of information and when it was produced. Opportunity to enhance your creativity and perception of ideas. Promote non-linear, non-directive, open ended thinking. Time to formulate ideas and thinking to improve presentation.

DISADVANTAGES OF WEB-BASED LEARNING Simulation experience is not as exciting or beneficial for students. Information is not necessarily valid or correct. Can be distracting because the computer is more inviting than the teacher. Content is not always most appropriate for learning. Could be misused and not applied in a meaningful way. Computer and internet access are sometimes slow. Changes the experience of research if you are not physically going through books. Internet does not always have information you are looking for. Hard copies are easier to read. Decreases personal communication skills. Promote non-linear, non-directive, open ended thinking.(students and teacher can lose sense of direction.)

ADVANTAGES OF COMPUTER ASSISTED LEARNING Computer assisted learning is ideal for distant learning such as the open university as you dont need a lot of teacher contact. The student can learn in their own pace which is different than the traditional approach were everyone learns together at the same pace which could leave people behind which can be bad if the person have learning difficulty. Computer based learning generate a positive attitude in students. Computer based environments are sometimes used to simulate real situations such as operations etc, this is ideal as the students can experience the situation in a safe environment. Programs can be put to CD-ROM or DVD or internet so people can get hold to content easily.

DISADVANTAGES OF COMPUTER ASISSTED LEARNING Need a computer for computer assisted learning. Cost factors: computer are very costly pieces of equipments. Computer based learning lowers the teachers role: teacher who has felt secure in their role as dispensers of information may feel uncomfortable as they find their role changing to that of facilitator moderator and coordinators. The nurse educator must have knowledge about the use of computer. Computer assisted learning lack the human and emotional factors which are available in the normal classroom lessons in which the teacher is present to interect with student. With excessive use of CAL, competence of students takes a backseat. CAL provides more mental and physical fatigue as compared to other method of instruction. As the student cannot interact with the computer in the human language, the mechanical responses by punching the keys can become dull and frustrating.

CONCLUSION In many areas computer techonoogy has been adopted to the established approaches of academic education and training. Computer can teach at any level of learning, from knowledge and comprehension up through application, analysis and synthesis. They can be programmed to teach problem solving and decision making. COMPUTER ASSISTED INSTRUCTIONs When the computer is used as an aid to teaching, the method of instructions called computer assisted instruction. For CAI, the intended subject matter is broken down into small segments and fed into the memory of the computer. The students interacts with computer for learning, testing , immediate feedback and reinforcement . In order to interact with a computer, the student introduces himself to by a code keys of the number by punching the keys of the keyboard

. after this the computer displays information which is followed by a question. The student types out the answer or responds by punching key to get the feedback from the computer. ORIGIN OF CAI: The origin of CAI may be stated in two different stages . First stage of CAI is the development of a small commercial computer in the Census Bureau in 1951, in U.S.A. and the very first attempt in CAI has taken place after a decade around 1961, after the development of PLATO (Programmed logic for automatic teaching operations)by the University of ILLINOIS. The second stage of development in CAI has taken place after the development of computerized tutorials in arithmetic and reading for elementary school children by Patrick Suppes of Stanford university in 1966 and in fact he was considered as the father of CAI

DEFINITION: Computer assisted instruction is defined as a method of instruction in which the computer is used as an aid to teaching. PRINCIPLES OF CAI: 1. Principle of small step:

the subject matter is broken down into a sequence of small steps . a student can take a step at a time. He has to read a small step by being active. 2. Principle of active responding:

The student learns best if he responds actively as he learns. The learner has to construct the response. It is an integral part of learning. 3. Principle of immediate confirmation:

The student learns best if he confirms his response immediately. The confirmation provides the reinforcement to the learner. 4. Principle of self pacing:

In programming each student can work each step as slowly or as quickly as he can. This is known as the principle of self pacing. 5. Principle of student testing:

A student leaves the record of his study because he has to write a response for each step . this reminds the principle of student testing. Characteristics of computer assisted instruction: 1. It is not an audio-visual aid. It is a part of educational technology i.e. instructional technology 2. It is not a test , it is a new strategy for teaching and learning.

3. It is not the solution of educational problems. It is a new instructional strategy for the modification of behaviors of the learners. 4. It cannot replace the teacher from the field of teaching but can make the teaching more effective. 5. It requires more creativity and imaginative efforts.

TYPES OF COMPUTER ASSISTED INSTRUCTIONS: There are three main types of CAI, 1.LOGO It is the instructional procedure for learning the program language through simple tasks. the simple task in logo system are concerned with generating designs on the screen which students do by following instruction like that of preparation of a recipe in cooking class. 2. SIMULATION: This CAI program is learning the computer language through gaming and simulation. Certain simulation are concerned with science experiments in which outcomes can be obtained by using the computer 3. CONTROLLED LEARNING : THIS CAI is concerned with drill and practice activities supplementary to the prescribed curriculum in any subject area. The classroom may introduce the basic concepts. The student, later on review and practice fundamentals skills on an a feedback to individual learners simultaneously as they work through a set of exercises . the record of individual students performance is furnished to the teacher for evaluation. ROLE OF A TEACHER IN COMPUTER ASSISTED INSTRUCTION:

In CAI the role of a teacher has changed from the traditional method of delivering lectures to a supervisor or a guide .As the computer can compute accurately and rapidly huge amount of data ,the teacher is liberated from his routine duty . However, no computer can replace a teacher ,as teachers. The role of a teacher is very important in teaching learning process. I n fact the CAI will definitely increase the scope and quality of contribution of teachers in the society. In CAI , the teacher has to play so many roles like computer engineer, lesson writer, and system operator, as CAI need the services of the foresaid experts ADVANTAGES OF COMPUTER ASSISTED INSTRUCTIONS: The CAI can be used for handling a large body of students using computer terminals and as many as 4,000students can be instructed simultaneously with this instructional procedure and by ROLE OF A TEACHER IN COMPUTER ASSISTED INSTRUCTION: 1. In CAI the role of a teacher has changed from the traditional method of delivering the time sharing technique. 2. The CAI provides a highly flexible branching in instruction for looking after the pace, entry cognition and level of knowledge suitable for a particular student. thus ,the CAI can individualize classroom instruction. 3. In, CAI the simultaneous testing of each individual can be done by the computer thus relieving the teacher from the dull chores of correction and record keeping. Also a student cannot cheat during testing by a computer. 4. CAI provides the multi-dimensional learning through words, graphic, and problem solving 5. A computer can also work as an aid in the independent study schemes based upon reference work. The information about the location of study materials relevant to a specific topic can be stored in the computer memory and retrieved by the student for ready reference. 6. The high storage capacity of a computer allows many programs or many complete courses at a time for students. LIMITATIONS OF COMPUTER ASSISTED INSTRUCTION: 1. CAI lacks the human and emotional factors which are available in the normal classroom lessons in which the teacher is present to interact with the students for their nonscholastic needs. 2. Computers are very costly pieces of equipment and beyond the reach of most schools in our country where even blackboards are not available in many schools. 3. With excessive use of CAI , artistic competence of students takes a backseat.

4. Some students have proved that CAI produces more mental and physical fatigue as compared to other methods of instructions. 5. CAI does not help on developing the language proficiency which depends more on direct experiences with the reality 6. As the student cannot interact with a computer in the human language ,the mechanical responses by punching the keys can become dull and frustrating. 7. At its simplest, the testing by computer is done by multiple-choice questions; the problems concerning value judgments cannot be tested by the computer. SUMMARY Technology results in the new designs and devices as also new ideas and process. Educational technology is the application of the scientific knowledge in the systemic way to improve the efficiency of the process of learning and instruction. It is considered as the technology of education more than technology in education. Teacher has to plan in advance so that she can incorporate these materials effectively in the teaching-learning process. This will help to convert a usually teacher-centered class room to the student centered one. BIBLIOGRAPHY: BT BASAVANTHAPPA; NURSING EDUCATION 2nd EDITION ; JAYPEE BROTHERS MEDICAL PUBLISHERS (P) Ltd. PAGE NUMBER:631-632 KP NEERAJA; TEXT BOOK OF NURSING EDUCATION; 1st EDITION ; JAYPEE BROTHERS MEDICAL PUBLISHERS(P)Ltd; PAGES:272,324-325 B SANKARNARAYANAN,B SINDHU; LEARNING AND TEACHING NURSING 3rd EDITION; BRAINFILL PUBLICATIONS;PAGES: 195-196,217-220

JOURNAL REFERENCE: Journal Of Medical Education; published online-1st oct,2004; volume38 issue 10 Journal Of Advanced Nursing ,2008;Aug ;63(3) Journal of Medical education ;published online- 1st Oct,2004;Volume 38 Issue 10; Pages 1080-1088 Mac Arthur,C.A.,Ferretti,R.P

., Okolo(2001); Technology Application for students withliteracy problems; The Elementary School Journal;volume 101;pages:273-378

WEBSITE: http;//www.ehow.com/about 6169139 advantages-computer learning.html#ixzz1513n1tTF wiki.media-culture.org.au/.../E- Learning_-_Computer-assisted_learning. assisted