Each group utilizes education software to improve their educational experience, reduce inefficiencies, and facilitate communication. The majority of education software is designed for administrators and teachers to create content, share lessons, manage classrooms, and house school- and student-related data. Even though free of cost, these programs are excellent in solving your math problems. From algebra and geometry to graphs and matrices, these softwares let you learn mathematics in a much easier way. See also: Best free Architecture software for Architects.
- Free Downloadable Learning Programs
- Free Educational Software For Mac
- Free Educational Software For Schools
Educational software is a term used for any computer software which is made for an educational purpose. It encompasses different ranges from language learning software to classroom management software to reference software, etc. The purpose of all this software is to make some part of education more effective and efficient.
- 1History
- 2Categories of Educational Software
- 3Effects and Use of Educational Software
- 4Trends In Educational Software
History[edit]
1946s–1970s[edit]
The use of computer hardware and software in education and training dates to the early 1940s, when American researchers developed flight simulators which used analog computers to generate simulated onboard instrument data. One such system was the type19 synthetic radar trainer, built in 1943. From these early attempts in the WWII era through the mid-1970s, educational software was directly tied to the hardware, on which it ran. Pioneering educational computer systems in this era included the PLATO system (1960), developed at the University of Illinois, and TICCIT (1969). In 1963, IBM had established a partnership with Stanford University's Institute for Mathematical Studies in the Social Sciences (IMSSS), directed by Patrick Suppes, to develop the first comprehensive CAI elementary school curriculum which was implemented on a large scale in schools in both California and Mississippi.[1] In 1967 Computer Curriculum Corporation (CCC, now Pearson Education Technologies[2]) was formed to market to schools the materials developed through the IBM partnership. Early terminals that ran educational systems cost over $10,000, putting them out of reach of most institutions. Some programming languages from this period, p3), and LOGO (1967) can also be considered educational, as they were specifically targeted to students and novice computer users. The PLATO IV system, released in 1972, supported many features which later became standard in educational software running on home computers. Its features included bitmap graphics, primitive sound generation, and support for non-keyboard input devices, including the touchscreen.
1970s–1980s[edit]
The arrival of the personal computer, with the Altair 8800 in 1975, changed the field of software in general, with specific implications for educational software. Whereas users prior to 1975 were dependent upon university or government owned mainframe computers with timesharing, users after this shift could create and use software for computers in homes and schools, computers available for less than $2000. By the early 1980s, the availability of personal computers including the Apple II (1977), Commodore PET (1977), Commodore VIC-20 (1980), and Commodore 64 (1982) allowed for the creation of companies and nonprofits which specialized in educational software. Brøderbund and The Learning Company are key companies from this period, and MECC, the Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium, a key non-profit software developer. These and other companies designed a range of titles for personal computers, with the bulk of the software initially developed for the Apple II.
Categories of Educational Software[edit]
Courseware[edit]
Courseware is a term that combines the words 'course' with 'software'. It was originally used to describe additional educational material intended as kits for teachers or trainers or as tutorials for students, usually packaged for use with a computer. The term's meaning and usage has expanded and can refer to the entire course and any additional material when used in reference an online or 'computer formatted' classroom. Many companies are using the term to describe the entire 'package' consisting of one 'class' or 'course' bundled together with the various lessons, tests, and other material needed. The courseware itself can be in different formats: some are only available online, such as Web pages, while others can be downloaded as PDF files or other types of document. Many forms of educational technology are now covered by the term courseware. Most leading educational companies solicit or include courseware with their training packages.
Classroom aids[edit]
Some educational software is designed for use in school classrooms. Typically such software may be projected onto a large whiteboard at the front of the class and/or run simultaneously on a network of desktop computers in a classroom. The most notable are SMART Boards that use SMART Notebook to interact with the board which allows the use of pens to digitally draw on the board. This type of software is often called classroom management software. While teachers often choose to use educational software from other categories in their IT suites (e.g. reference works, children's software), a whole category of educational software has grown up specifically intended to assist classroom teaching. Branding has been less strong in this category than in those oriented towards home users. Software titles are often very specialized and produced by various manufacturers, including many established educational book publishers.
Assessment software[edit]
Moodle is a very popular assessment websites used by teachers to send assignments and grade students' works.
With the impact of environmental damage and the need for institutions to become 'paperless',[3] more educational institutions are seeking alternative ways of assessment and testing, which has always traditionally been known to use up vasts amount of paper. Assessment software refers to software with a primary purpose of assessing and testing students in a virtual environment. Assessment software allows students to complete tests and examinations using a computer, usually networked. The software then scores each test transcript and outputs results for each student. Assessment software is available in various delivery methods, the most popular being self-hosted software, online software and hand-held voting systems. Proprietary software and open-source software systems are available. While technically falling into the Courseware category (see above), Skill evaluation lab is an example for Computer-based assessment software with PPA-2 (Plan, Prove, Assess) methodology to create and conduct computer based online examination. Moodle is an example of open-source software with an assessment component that is gaining popularity. Other popular international assessment systems include Assessment Master, Google Classroom, Blackboard Learn, EvaluNetXT and QuestBase.
Reference software[edit]
Many publishers of print dictionaries and encyclopedias have been involved in the production of educational reference software since the mid-1990s. They were joined in the reference software market by both startup companies and established software publishers, most notably Microsoft.
The first commercial reference software products were reformulations of existing content into CD-ROM editions, often supplemented with new multimedia content, including compressed video and sound. More recent products made use of internet technologies, to supplement CD-ROM products, then, more recently, to replace them entirely.
Wikipedia and its offspins (such as Wiktionary) marked a new departure in educational reference software. Previously, encyclopedias and dictionaries had compiled their contents on the basis of invited and closed teams of specialists. The Wiki concept has allowed for the development of collaborative reference works through open cooperation incorporating experts and non-experts.
Custom platforms[edit]
Some manufacturers regarded normal personal computers as an inappropriate platform for learning software for younger children and produced custom child-friendly pieces of hardware instead. The hardware and software is generally combined into a single product, such as a child laptop-lookalike. The laptop keyboard for younger children follows an alphabetic order and the qwerty order for the older ones. The most well-known example are Leapfrog products. These include imaginatively designed hand-held consoles with a variety of pluggable educational game cartridges and book-like electronic devices into which a variety of electronic books can be loaded. These products are more portable than laptop computers, but have a much more limited range of purposes, concentrating on literacy.
While mainstream operating systems are designed for general usages, and are more or less customized for education only by the application sets added to them, a variety of software manufacturers, especially Linux distributions, have sought to provide integrated platforms for specifically education.
Corporate training and tertiary education[edit]
Earlier educational software for the important corporate and tertiary education markets was designed to run on a single desktop computer (or an equivalent user device). In the years immediately following 2000, planners decided to switch to server-based applications with a high degree of standardization. This means that educational software runs primarily on servers which may be hundreds or thousands of miles from the actual user. The user only receives tiny pieces of a learning module or test, fed over the internet one by one. The server software decides on what learning material to distribute, collects results and displays progress to teaching staff. Another way of expressing this change is to say that educational software morphed into an online educational service. US Governmental endorsements and approval systems ensured the rapid switch to the new way of managing and distributing learning material.
See also:
- Virtual learning environment, LMS (learning management system)
Specific educational purposes[edit]
Educational software for learning Standard Chinese using Pinyin.
There are highly specific niche markets for educational software, including:
- teacher tools and classroom management software
(remote control and monitoring software, filetransfer software, document camera and presenter, free tools,...)
- Driving test software
- Language learning software
- Mind Mapping Software which provides a focal point for discussion, helps make classes more interactive, and assists students with studying, essays and projects.
- Designing and printing of card models for use in education - eg. Designer Castles for BBC Micro and Acorn Archimedes platforms[4]
- Notetaking (Comparison of notetaking software)
- Software for enabling simulated dissection of human and animal bodies (used in medical and veterinary college courses)[5]
- Spelling tutor software
- Typing tutors
- Reading Instruction
- Medical and healthcare educational software
Video Game and Gamification[edit]
Video games can be used to teach a user technology literacy or more about a subject. Some operating systems and mobile phones have these features. A notable example is Microsoft Solitaire, which was developed to familiarize users with the use of graphical user interfaces, especially the mouse and the drag-and-drop technique. Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing is a largely know program with built in mini-games to keep the user entertained while improving their typing skills.
Gamification is the use of game design elements in nongame contexts and has been shown to be effective in motivating behavior change. By seeing game elements as 'motivational affordances,' and formalizing the relationship between these elements and motivational affordances.[6]Classcraft is a software tool used by teachers that has games elements alongside an educational goal. Tovertafel is a games console designed for remedial education and counter-acting the effects of dementia.
Effects and Use of Educational Software[edit]
Tutor Based Software[edit]
Tutor based education software is defined as software that mimics the teacher student one on one dynamic of tutoring with software in place of a teacher. Research was conducted to see if this type of software would be effective in improving students understanding of material. It concluded that there was a positive impact which decreased the amount of time students need to study for and relative gain of understanding. [7]
Helping Those With Disabilities[edit]
A study was conducted to see the effects of education software on children with mild disabilities. The results were that the software was a positive impact assisting teaching these children social skills though team based learning and discussion, videos and games.[8]
Education Software Evaluation[edit]
There is a large market of educational software in use today. A team decided that they were to develop a system in which educational software should be evaluated as there is no current standard. It is called the Construction of the Comprehensive Evaluation of Electronic Learning Tools and Educational Software (CEELTES). The software to be evaluated is graded on a point scale in four categories: the area of technical, technological and user attributes; area of criteria evaluating the information, content and operation of the software; the area of criteria evaluating the information in terms of educational use, learning and recognition; the area of criteria evaluating the psychological and pedagogical use of the software.[9]
Use In Higher Education[edit]
In university level computer science course, learning logic is an essential part of the curriculum. There is a proposal on using two logistical education tool FOLST and LogicChess to understand First OrderLogic for university students to better understand the course material and the essentials of logistical design. [10]
Trends In Educational Software[edit]
Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR/AR)[edit]
VR/AR are increasingly being used in the classroom as their technology becomes more powerful and affordable. ClassVR is a company that makes their own headsets and software specifically for using VR in the classroom. They have a vast amount of lesson plans that go along with their product. VR/AR are used as reinforcement of old concepts and as a way to introduce new ones as well. Many believe that there is great potential to make VR/AR common place to improve learning.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)[edit]
AI has become increasingly more advanced over the years. Now it is being used in the classroom as teaching assistants that students can ask questions to and it will find and explain the answer. They're being used because it reduces the amount of time a teacher needs to spend on a specific question allow the teacher to explain the more complex material. One of the most popular examples is Brainly, a website that is used for asking educational questions. Once a student asks a question, another student can answer it and Brainly will check its databases to make sure that the information is correct.
Selected reports and academic articles[edit]
- Seels, B. (1989). The instructional design movement in educational technology. Educational Technology, May, 11-15. https://web.archive.org/web/20080515073002/http://www.coe.uh.edu/courses/cuin6373/idhistory/1960.html
- Niemiec, R.P. & Walberg, H.T. (1989). From teaching machines to microcomputers: Some milestones in the history of computer-based instruction. Journal of Research on Computing in Education, 21(3), 263-276.
- Annetta, L., Minogue, J., Holmes, S., & Cheng, M. (2009). Investigation the impact of video games on high school students’ engagement and learning genetics. Computers and Education, 53, 74-85.
- Bainbridge, W. (2007). The scientific research potential of virtual worlds. Science, 317, 27, 471-476.
- Barab, S., Scott, B., Siyahhan, S., Goldstone, R., Ingram-Goble, A., Zuiker, S., & Warren, S. (2009).Transformational play as a curricular scaffold: Using videogames to support science education. Journal of Science Education Technology,18, 305-320.
- Bourgonjon, J., Valcke, M., Soetaert, R., & Schellens, T., (2010). Student's perceptions about the use of video games in the classroom. Computers and Education, 54, 1145-1156.
See also[edit]
- Computer-assisted language learning – Learning technique
- Educational technology – Use of technology in education to improve learning and teaching
- Educational entertainmentEdutainment
References[edit]
- ^Instructional Systems Development
- ^Pearson Education Technologies launches concert. | North America > United States from AllBusiness.comArchived September 25, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^'ABC News October 7: School Tries to Go Paperless'. Abcnews.go.com. 2006-01-07. Retrieved 2012-12-06.
- ^Drage, Chris (September 1991). 'Design for learning'. BBC Acorn User. No. 110. Redwood Publishing. pp. 110–111. ISSN0263-7456.
- ^'April Kung, 'The Case for Educational Software in the Life Sciences' (2004)'(PDF). Archived from the original(PDF) on 2013-07-06. Retrieved 2012-12-06.
- ^Buckley, Jim; DeWille, Tabea; Exton, Chris; Exton, Geraldine; Murray, Liam (20 June 2018). 'A Gamification–Motivation Design Framework for Educational Software Developers'. Journal of Educational Technology Systems. 47 (1): 101–127. doi:10.1177/0047239518783153. hdl:10344/6911.
- ^Bennane, Abdellah (December 2012). 'Adaptive Educational Software by Applying Reinforcement Learning'(PDF). Informatics in Education. 12 – via EBSCOhost.
- ^Hetzroni, Orit E. (July 2016). 'The Effect of Educational Software, Video Modelling and Group Discussion on Social‐Skill Acquisition Among Students with Mild Intellectual Disabilities'. JARID. 30 (4): 757–773. doi:10.1111/jar.12271. PMID27406635.
- ^Karolcík, Štefan (2015). 'The Comprehensive Evaluation of Electronic Learning Tools and Educational Software (CEELTES)'. Informatics in Education. 14 (2): 243–264. doi:10.15388/infedu.2015.14 – via ERIC.
- ^Mauco, Maria Virginia (November 2014). 'Educational Software for First Order Logic Semantics in Introductory Logic Courses'(PDF). Information Systems Education Journal. 12: 15–23 – via ERIC.
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Educational_software&oldid=916533664'
As you prepare to start a new school year, make sure your PC gets the attention it deserves (if you’re in the market for a new PC, be sure to check out PCWorld’s best cheap laptops and best laptops of 2017 picks). The hardware is important, but loading your PC with the right educational software can give you a big leg up.
Sure, you’ve probably grabbed your favorite browser and installed Office, but there are plenty of other tools you’ll need at the ready to be productive and successful.
Below is our list of the best educational software for students. See if these programs don’t have you buzzing through research papers and group projects in no time.
OneNote
Like it or not, you’re going to spend lots of time taking notes. OneNote is great for that, especially if you have a touchscreen PC that allows you to scribble, highlight, and mark things up with a pen.
OneNote also does plenty beyond note-taking, serving as a key hub for all your essential work and shared files. The OneNote clipper will snip articles so you can save them for later reference. You can share notebooks with fellow students so you have one place to brainstorm ideas for group projects. Microsoft has also done an admirable job at making excellent mobile versions of OneNote for iOS and Android.
OneNote is free, so you don’t have to worry about any paid upgrade schemes for extra storage or features.
Microsoft To-Do
When Microsoft announced that it was retiring Wunderlist, there was much sadness. However, the replacement, Microsoft To-Do, has grown considerably since its launch and serves as a solid service for keeping track of what you need to get done.
The free app works very well on Windows, and gives you the ability to organize your lists into different categories, so you can keep content organized by class or project. There are also mobile apps so you can tick things off from your phone as well as the PC. The development pace is pretty rapid, so if there are still some features missing, there’s a decent change they’ll make it over into Microsoft To-do.
Polarr
You don’t have to be a photography student to find yourself in need of a solid photo editing app. Polarr does the job very well, giving you a series of filters for a quick visual refresh and more advanced tools for more sophisticated work on a photo.
It strikes the right balance between more complex editors and those that are so simple they’re of no value. You can try it out for free, although the full version at $20 is worthwhile software to have around for photo editing needs.
Edmodo
Teachers and students increasingly need to connect. Edmodo is one of the most popular tools for doing this, allowing faculty to post assignments, lecture notes, videos, or other key content into one site that everyone can find.
The service is also useful for students who need to find videos or other educational content for coursework. The information is organized into various categories to make it easy to browse for something to spice up your lessons or classwork projects.
GeoGebra
Math applications have come a long way in the last few years, and can be a tremendous help in both entry-level and more advanced courses. GeoGebra assists in graphing, geometry, algebra, spreadsheets, and other types of math work.
The Windows app gives you a dedicated workspace, while the GeoGebra site can be used for sharing your work and viewing others’ creations. There are also mobile versions dedicated to graphing, geometry, and 3D calculation, so you can get the work done on whichever device you have at hand.
Nebo
New PCs like the Surface Pro and an an army of other touchscreen-enabled laptops has led to an array of software that supports note taking. Nebo is one of these programs, giving you a blank canvas on which to scribble your thoughts. It’s a product of MyScript, which focuses on scribble-friendly apps for iOS, Windows, Mac, and Android.
The benchmark feature is Nebo’s ability to transcribe your writing in real-time. It even worked on my less-than-legible scrawl. The app has a number of other tricks, like performing math equations and adding images so you can keep a collection of content in one place. If writing by hand is a big part of your PC use, Nebo is a must-have.
Sensavis
Sensavis offers in-depth instruction for a ton of different science subjects, letting you manipulate and explore inside the solar system or human body, for example.
Free Downloadable Learning Programs
You can then mark up the screen or investigate different subjects from areas like biology, chemistry, engineering, and geometry.
Sensavis is targeted at schools and universities, requiring a $399 license, which could be well worth it for faculty who want a comprehensive application that can provide content in several different subject areas. But students and teachers alike can take advantage of the program’s free 30-day trial to sample the goods—or cram for a particular exam or paper.
FluidMath
FluidMath is another excellent application for those who want the freedom to handwrite their math work, but on a PC. The app will convert your handwriting into formulas and allow you to graph solutions on the digital paper. Conversely, it will convert equations to text.
It can also work in conjunction with assignments, so you can handwrite your solutions without needing to do them on paper. Use it to tackle a number of different forms of math.
FluidMath is free to try, then will cost $15 for the in-app upgrade.
OneCalendar
When you head off to school for another year, you’re bound to be greeted with yet another online account. If you already have a Google, Microsoft, or iCloud account, you’ll find yourself having to keep tabs on multiple calendars.
OneCalendar is a free app that adds a little more visual flair than the standard option that comes with Windows 10. There’s a $5 upgrade for additional features like customizing the color schemes and additional ways to tweak the interface. The free version should get the job done for most, as it’ll allow you to add in all your different accounts and avoid the need to check multiple calendars.
Khan Academy
YouTube is great and all, but sometimes you want to home in on a video that has educational value instead of sifting through waves of parading cats. That’s the value of Khan Academy, one of the most popular applications for classroom and learning content.
Teachers will find it a good resource for giving their students some visual assistance, while students may be able to use the resource for spicing up a presentation. The Windows 10 app is easy to navigate—and touch-friendly, if you’re using a Surface or other PC with a touchscreen.
Free Educational Software For Mac
Google Drive
While Microsoft, Dropbox, and others have built collaborative features into their products, Google Drive remains the master of keeping all your work in one place and making it easy to work with others.
There’s a decent change your school will assign you a Drive account, which will enhance your ability to collaborate on shared projects over Docs, Sheets, and Slides. Also take a look at Google Photos, which can save and organize all your images from an iPhone or Android device.
Evernote
If OneNote isn’t your thing, then Evernote may be the right choice. It offers a clean, minimalist interface for taking notes, organizing them into notebooks, and giving you the ability to share them with others.
The Evernote Clipper can save articles to your account, which is always handy for those in-depth reports. The free level is a bit limiting, only letting you sync across two devices and upload 60MB of content. The Plus level bumps that up to 1GB and gives you syncing across all devices for $35 per year. Premium gives you 10GB of uploads for $70 per year.
Free Educational Software For Schools
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