The document discusses instructional software and multimedia for content-area learning. It outlines the four stages of instruction: exposure to information, initial guidance, extended practice, and assessment. It also categorizes instructional software into tutorials, drills and practice, and educational games. Educational games make learning fun by emphasizing competition and entertainment, while addressing concerns about duplicating materials, increasing expenses, and developing new student skills.

1. Chapter 4: Using Instructional Software and Multimedia for Content-Area Learning

2. The Four Stages of Instruction 1) Exposure to information or learning experiences 2) Initial guidance as the student struggles to understand the information or execute the skill to be learned Extended practice to provide fluency or to ensure retention 4) Assessment of student learning

3. Categories of Instructional Software

4. Tutorials

5. Drills and Practice Drills  activities that deal with factual memorization Practices  activities that deal with the development of skill fluency Used after students have advanced past the guidance phase of instruction

6. Educational Games Games  when activities emphasize competition and entertainment (makes learning fun and interesting) Edutainment  mixing learning with entertainment Examples of educational games: The Oregon Trail, SimCity, The Carmen Sandiego series, Math Blaster Reasons for the use of Educational Games: positive reward for hard work, positive incentive

7. Concerns about Multimediain Classrooms Duplication of Existing Instructional Materials The difficulty to obtain the resource materials due to the increase in expense for the material and the budget cuts. Inadequate Student Skills Requires the development of new learning skills, which may be challenging for students