Technology for the Gifted and Talented. 1985 Digest

ERIC Educational Reports by Elizabeth McClellan

In general, computers are used in the education of gifted children in three ways: in computer assisted instruction (including tutorials, games, and simulations), in developing thinking skills, and as tools for facilitating independent learning (including word processing and authoring systems).

COMPUTER ASSISTED INSTRUCTION (CAI)

The role of computer assisted instruction in the education of gifted children is to develop decision-making skills and to foster independent learning. In CAI, the computer presents information, asks questions, and verifies responses in much the same way a teacher does.

Unlike traditional means of instruction, however, CAI allows students to work at their own level and pace. This mode of instruction can be very beneficial to gifted students who often have interests and abilities that go beyond the scope of the regular curriculum.

Drill and Practice

Drill and practice programs provide students with practice using material already encountered. Because these programs cover various levels of many subject areas, they can be used for both remediation and acceleration. Gifted children do not necessarily excel in all areas; they may need help mastering some subjects. Drill and practice programs help to reinforce recently acquired knowledge and skills. For gifted students, the primary role of drill and practice programs is to help students who want to go beyond the lockstep curriculum acquire new skills.

Tutorials

Tutorials are used to teach new information. Typically, a program presents a body of information and then questions the student on that information. Like drill and practice programs, tutorials can be a form of enrichment for gifted students who want to explore areas of content that may not be in the regular curriculum.

Tutorials are also a means of accelerating content. If, for example, a gifted student can and wants to learn Algebra 1 in a shorter period of time than his or her classmates, tutorials provide a means for doing so.

Games

There are two categories of games that may be appropriate for gifted children: adventure games and mind-teasers. Adventure games put the player in situations in which he or she has to use problem-solving skills and creative strategies to overcome obstacles. The player must provide explicit directions to the computer.

Adventure games also can help students develop prediction skills. Students learn very quickly to evaluate all possible outcomes before making a move. Mind-teasers are often the computerized version of conventional games such as chess, backgammon, or Master Mind.

Computer games are an excellent source of motivation, but they seldom have high content value. Since most students willingly spend hours on an educational game, their use must be monitored by a teacher.

Simulations

Among the most powerful learning tools for gifted children, simulations are based on the discovery approach to learning, that is, learning by doing. Simulations provide situations that are analogous to real situations but control such real limiting factors as danger, expense, time, and space. Since simulations can be repeated, students see the effects of using different strategies in solving the problems presented by the program.

HOW ARE COMPUTERS USED TO DEVELOP THINKING SKILLS?

One of the major goals of programs for the gifted is to help students develop higher level cognitive skills, problem-solving skills, and creativity. By using programs designed for these purposes and by learning to write programs, students can develop modes and strategies of thinking that affect the way they think in situations that are not computer-related.

Gifted children are believed to be particularly adept at learning to use the cognitive skills of analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. Analysis refers to the ability to break a skill or conceptual structure into its components. Synthesis is the building of complex skills or conceptual structures from simple parts. Evaluation calls for the comparison of skills and structures and the making of judgments about them (Bell 1981). Some games and simulations are aimed at helping students develop these skills.

Creativity involves divergent thinking. As is the case with the development of cognitive skills and problem-solving skills, students can explore their creative potential by using software that is designed specifically for that purpose or by creating their own unique and interesting programs.

Some programs encourage students to write poetry, compose music, or draw pictures. Other programs show students how to develop strategies for creative writing.

Teaching children to write computer programs also helps to develop thinking skills. Students are taught that a computer is very similar to the human mind. The steps that a computer goes through in running a program are similar to the step a person goes through in solving a problem of logic. When students learn to see the analogies between the computer and the brain, they begin to see how they can apply computer logic to other kinds of problem solving.