ABSTRACT
The term Computer Assisted Learning (CAL) covers a range of computer-based packages, which aim to provide interactive instruction usually in a specific subject area, and many predate the Internet. These can range from sophisticated and expensive commercial packages to applications developed by projects in other educational institutions or national initiatives to simple solutions developed by individuals with no funding or support to tackle a very local problem. The amount of time and money invested in development is high and partly because of the very subject specific nature of the education market as well as the very personalised nature of the teaching process – particularly at FE and HE level – means that commercial success is difficult to achieve and work done in one subject area rarely transfers to others subject areas.
In general, the use of computers in education through CAL has been sporadic a great deal of effort was expended with little general impact. Many of those academics that took part in that earlier crusade are now cynical about the effectiveness of computers in teaching. There are still good reasons to use CAL rather than Internet based technologies. CAL is run either straight from a CD or floppy disk drive, or over a local network so the constraint of the internet – slow download times for multimedia materials may not apply. This, coupled with the fact that CAL technology has been around a bit longer, means that CAL packages have the potential to offer more advanced, interactive, multimedia learning experiences than it is currently reasonable to expect from the Web. This has been changing as Web technologies develop and bandwidths improve but there are currently many things that can only be achieved with CAL rather than the Web and CAL has been an integral part of the curriculum in many departments at Warwick for some time
ORGANIZATION OF WORK
This project work is primarily designed to give an insight into computer assisted learning software for linear algebra.
Chapter one talks about introduction to computer assisted learning, CAL software system, study of problem and objectives as well as definition of the scope.
Chapter two comprises the literature review. Chapter three gives the detailed information about the existing (old) system, while chapter four and five deals with the design and implantation of new system.
Chapter six documents the project work, while chapter seven summaries, conclusion and suggestions were made.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title page i
Certification ii
Dedication iii
Acknowledgement iv
Abstract v
Table of contents vii
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 Background of the study 1
1.2 State of the problem 2
1.3 Purpose of the study 3
1.4 Aims and objectives 3
1.5 Scope of study 5
1.6 Limitations of study 5
1.7 Assumptions 6
1.8 Definition of terms 7
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW 8
CHAPTER THREE
- Description and analysis of existing system                           15
- Fact finding method used                                                       17
- Organization structure                                                  19
- Objectives of Existing system                                       21
- Input, Process and Output Analysis                             22
- Information Flow Diagrams                                         26
- Problems of the Existing System                                  27
- Justification of the New System                                             28
CHAPTER FOUR
- Design of the New System                                            30
- Input Specification and design                                               30
- Output specification and design                                             32
- File Design                                                                    34
- Procedure chart                                                             36
- System flow chart                                                                  38
- System requirements                                                    40    Â
CHAPTER FIVE
- Implementation                                                             42
- Program Design                                                            45
- Program Flowchart                                                       48
- Pseudo code                                                                           54
- Source Program: Test Run                                            59
CHAPTER SIX
Documentation 60
CHAPTER SEVEN
- Recommendation                                                          62
- Conclusion                                                                    64
Bibliography 65
1.0 CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Computer-assisted learning is similar to the experiential model of learning. The adherents of experiential learning are fairly adamant about how we learn. Learning seldom takes place by rote. Learning occurs because we immerse ourselves in a situation in which we are forced to perform. You get feedback from the computer output and then adjust your thinking-process if needed. Unfortunately, most classroom courses are not learning systems. The way the instructors attempt to help their students acquire skills and knowledge has absolutely nothing to do with the way students actually learn. Many instructors rely on lectures and tests, and memorization. All too often, they rely on “telling.” No one remembers much that’s taught by telling, and what’s told doesn’t translate into usable skills. Certainly, we learn by doing, failing, and practicing until we do it right. The computer assisted learning serve this purpose.
If the learning environment is focused on background information, knowledge of terms and new concepts, the learner is likely to learn that basic information successfully. However, this basic knowledge may not be sufficient to enable the learner to carry out successfully the on-the-job tasks that require more than basic knowledge. Thus, the probability of making real errors in the business environment is high. On the other hand, if the learning environment allows the learner to experience and learn from failures within a variety of situations similar to what they would experience in the “real world” of their job, the probability of having similar failures in their business environment is low. This is the realm of simulations-a safe place to fail.
The appearance of management science software is one of the most important events in decision making process. OR/MS software systems are used to construct examples, to understand the existing concepts, and to discover useful managerial concepts. On the other hand, new developments in decision making process often motivate developments of new solution algorithms and revision of the existing software systems. OR/MS software systems rely on a cooperation of OR/MS practitioners, designers of algorithms, and software developers.
The major change in learning this course over the last few years is to have less emphasis on strategic solution algorithms and more on the modeling process, applications, and use of software. This trend will continue as more students with diverse backgrounds seek MBA degrees without too much theory and mathematics. Our approach is middle-of-the-road. It does not have an excess of mathematics nor too much of software orientation. For example, we lean how to formulate problems prior to software usage. What you need to know is how to model a decision problem, first by hand and then using the software to solve it. The software should be used for two different purposes.
Personal computers, spreadsheets, professional decision making packages and other information technologies are now ubiquitous in management. Most management decision-making now involves some form of computer output. Moreover, we need caveats to question our thinking and show why we must learn by instrument. In this course, the instrument is your computer software package. Every student taking courses in Physics and Chemistry does experimentation in the labs to have a good feeling of the topics in these fields of study. You must also perform managerial experimentation to understand the Management Science concepts and techniques.
- STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
