Authoring systems are a category of academic software that allows teachers to create their instructional software. Some programs create multimedia lessons or lessons for online presentation. These types of programs use a hypermedia format; the way these programs are set up allow students to move through the learning experience in their own way. Some authoring systems are very easy to use, while others create “commercial looking programs”.
One of the earliest forms of authoring systems created a stack of digital flashcards. PowerPoint is one of the more popular software programs for creating hypermedia lessons. Most shows are meant to be shown in a linear sequence but it is possible to create slideshows meant to be shown in a nonlinear sequence. Web authoring tools are another means of creating hypermedia productions. Some web authoring tools are very sophisticated while others are very simple and easy to use.
Authoring systems allow both teachers and students to create “customized, targeted lessons.” These lessons allow teachers to meet specific lesson objectives, and they can be used in large or small group presentations. These lessons can also be targeted to specific student needs.
In a classroom where the technology is available, authoring systems can be a tremendous asset for teachers. They would allow students to work and learn at their own pace . . . when one student needs review, the other students would be able to move on to new material. This can prevent boredom by allowing the students who don’t need the review to enrich their skills and re-teach the material for students who need it. The biggest drawback would be the lack of access for many schools.
The school where I work does not necessarily have authoring systems software; however, there is a program called “Orchard” that is used within the school system to target specific learning objectives with each student working at his or her own pace. The program adjusts itself to use student strengths and build up student weaknesses. I can only imagine how much more effective it would be if I, as the teacher, could use the program to work with whatever I am teaching in class rather than using it with whatever material the Orchard instructors are working with that week. As it is, the program has been shown to be very effective with students who actually apply themselves.
One of the other large weaknesses that any computer program would have is lack of student motivation. Even the best-designed programs are useless if there is a complete lack of initiative on the part of the student. Good programs must be combined with good teaching and many other things for that.
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2 comments:
I love authoring systems. It allows you the freedom to design and develop course curriculum and be as creative as you dare. I have used microsoft powerpoint and mac hyperstack to prepare classroom lectures and presentation to fellow peers. Yesterday, on our inservice day, the presenter had 10 powerpoints. None of them were animated and they were full of text. I sat in class and mentally re-designed them.
In this day and age, you need more than good text to hold the attention of students. You need classroom partiscipation and something to visually keep their attention, Powerpoint does just that. I have used most of the features in powerpoint. I have created audio within in the powerpoint presentation, added video, and also executed outside programs. I love this software.
I also use authoring systems in my classroom. PowerPoint offers me time management while still having the ability to implement classroom management. I have learned that while I attempt to write "notes" on the whiteboard, my students take advantage of my back being turned to talk among themselves, and it isn't necessarily about the task at hand. Using PowerPoint, having it set up in advance, has given me the freedom to present the material while being able to properly manage my classroom simultaneously. While the students write their notes, I am able to answer any questions they may have without having stop writing on the whiteboard and waste precious instruction time.
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