How a computer will help educate a child quicker 计算机如何使孩子的学习效率提高
By Mark Blacklock
Computers in the classroom can help children to learn more than five times faster than normal, new research has revealed.
But new technology can only put pupils on the fast track in literacy and numeracy if they have highly－motivated teachers who know how to make the best use of school equipment.
The findings of a study by researchers at Newcastle University may reduce fears among some parents that computers might damage children's reading and writing skills.
Project manager Steve Higgins said:" With professional support and a focus on clearly identified subject objectives,teachers can use computers very effectively to help raise standards." He and his colleague David Mosley spent almost two years examining the effect of Information and Communications Technology in lessons.
They worked with hundreds of primary school pupils aged four to nine at 20 carefully selected schools in Tyne and Wear, Northumberland, Lancashire, Gloucestershire and the West Midlands.
The classes were picked because of their teachers' track record in achieving good results from pupils.
The children's standards were measured and recorded throughout the study and the methods of using high－tech aids analysed by the research team.
In subjects like mathematics, the children were able to pack an average of 2.8 months' work into just one month. In reading and writing the improvement was even more astonishing――5.1 months' progress in only four weeks.
At one school, pupils of below average reading ability used software to create their own book, which was then presented to the rest of the class.
In another school, a teacher who provided palmtop computers found children enthusiastically redrafting their work with the use of the spellchecker and thesaurus.
The teacher said he thought the devices increased the youngsters' motivation to write and revise their work.
The project team observed the work of classes using ICT, analysed teaching methods and then interviewed teachers about their techniques. Researchers then undertook development work with groups of the teachers to help build on the most successful methods.
By only the second term of the project the children were found to have made significant gains on standardised tests.
The group's report says:" Pupils made significant gains on standardised tests in 14 out of 16 development classes."
But the researchers warned that not every area of teaching might benefit from the use of ICT, so it is just as important for staff to decide when not to use it as when and how to use it.
The research team, which was sponsored by the Teacher Training Agency, concluded that no single approach proved most effective because a combination of different factors was at work.
The report, which is available free to schools from the university's Department of Education, concludes: " ICT offers the potential to improve standards of attainment in literacy and mathematics."
" The gains made indicate that teachers can raise levels of pupils' attainment when they use ICT to support their teaching in literacy and numeracy and have clear objectives for each subject."
But it stressed that it is crucial for teachers to be enthusiastic and to have clear targets.
It is also important that both staff and pupils have adequate skills, and that there is enough equipment and corresponding technical backup to overcome any difficulties.
[参考译文]
计算机如何使孩子的学习效率提高
吴洁 摘译
一项新的研究成果显示，在课堂上孩子用计算机学习，可使学习效率比平时提5倍以上。
如果教师热心教学，并知道如何有效利用学校的设备，学生便可借助新技术使读写能力和计算能力突飞猛进。
有些父母担心计算机会损害孩子的读写能力。英国纽卡斯尔大学研究人员的一项研究成果也许能减轻他们的疑虑。
该研究项目的负责人史蒂夫·希金斯说："只要有专业指导，集中精力于明确的课题目标，教师们可以利用计算机很有效地提高教学质量。"这位负责人和他的同事大卫·莫斯利花了近两年时间考察"信息与通讯技术"(ICT)的教学效果。
他们精心挑选了20所英国小学(分别位于泰恩·威尔、诺森伯兰、兰开夏、格罗斯特、西米德兰等地)，将其中4岁至9岁的几百名小学生作为研究对象。
所选班级有一个共同点，即任课教师的教学效果良好。
研究小组在整个项目过程中检测并记录了学生的水平，分析了高科技辅助手段的使用方法。
例如在算术课上，孩子们可以在短短1个月内学会以前平均要2.8个月学的课程。而读写课的进展更令人吃惊--学生只花4个星期就完成了过去需要5.1个月才能完成的学习任务。
在其中的一所学校，阅读能力本来低于平均水平的学生已能利用软件自己编书供班上其他同学阅读。
在另一所学校，一位教师让学生使用掌上电脑，结果发现孩子们在兴致勃勃地用"拼写检查"和"同类词汇编"修改自己的作业。
这位教师认为掌上电脑激发了孩子们写作业和改作业的兴趣。
项目小组观察了使用ICT班级的上课情况，分析了课堂教学方法，并对教师就其教学技巧进行了采访。然后研究人员和教师们一道从事开发，以期造就最成功的教学方法。
实验进行到第二学期，孩子们就在标准化测试中取得了很大进步。
研究小组的报告说："16个开发实验班中有14个班的学生在标准化测试中取得了很大进步。"
但研究人员同时警告说，并不是教学活动的每一领域都能从使用ICT中受益。因此，教师不仅要知道何时使用及如何使用ICT，而且还要知道什么时候不该使用它。
由教师培训机构赞助的研究小组得出如下结论：由于是多方面因素共同起作用，因此无法证明哪一种教学方式是最有效的。
各中小学可从纽卡斯尔大学教育系那里免费获得研究小组的这份报告。该报告的结论是："ICT可提高学生的读写和算术能力。"
"所获成果显示：教师使用ICT协助读写课及算术课教学，又对这两门课程有明确的目标，就能提高学生的学习效率。"
但报告同时强调，教师热心教学与明确目标同样极为重要。
此外，师生都要有娴熟的电脑操作技能。教室里要有足够的设备和相应的技术措施，以便解决可能出现的问题。
(《英语文摘》)