04+Instructional+Software+for+the+Social+Studies

=Instructional Software for the Social Studies=

This is a simple presentation for Social Studies teachers that highlights different types of instructional software that can be used in a variety of learning situations in social science classes. **Instructional software** is defined as computer programs created for the purpose of teaching students content and/or skills. Each of the six types of instructional software is defined below along with a brief discussion on the relative advantage of using the specified software. Remember that **relative advantage** whenever a teacher is going through the process of reflecting upon current methods of instructional delivery and comparing these methods with other methods that could be adopted and implemented. When the teacher is weighing the costs versus the benefits of adopting newer instructional methods, the teacher is evaluating the newer methods for their relative advantage. Also included in each section is a link to a good example of a particular piece of instructional software that illustrates the kind of courseware being discussed.

The six types of instructional software are:
 * drill and practice
 * tutorials
 * simulations
 * educational games
 * applications
 * problem solving

Read through each of the sections below and click on the links to find out more about each type of software programs.

Drill and Practice
As the name suggests, drill and practice software programs provide students with a myriad of examples to work through and with which to practice. The goal of this type of software is to enable the student to more easily move contents and/or skills into long-term memory. The relative advantages of using this software are that students can work at their own pace through examples and they can get immediate feedback in terms of answering questions correctly or incorrectly. These programs can likewise help students recall information or quickly replicate skills. []
 * Example**: Sheppard Software - this is a free educational games website that provides many drill and practice games not just for the social studies but for many disciplines. There are three sets of social studies games found here: U.S. geography, world geography, and history trivia.

Tutorials
Tutorial software programs are much broader in scope when compared to drill and practice programs. Tutorial software packages are designed to take the student through an entire lesson, unit, or even a course of study. The tutorial is a kind of virtual teacher and classroom rolled into one, and it is the only type of instructional software discussed here that is robust enough to take the place of regular classroom instruction. The relative advantages here are similar to those of drill and practice programs but have the added advantage of being able to offer students a package of engaging content that connects with visual and auditory learners and even the regular classroom would not be easily able to provide. [|Talking Walls by Riverdeep]
 * Example:** Talking Walls by Riverdeep - this software and literature bundle takes students through contemporary (20th and 21st century) history by examining famous walls throughout the world, like the Berlin Wall or Nelson Mandela's prison walls in his cell on Robben Island. The software is produced in a series and is accompanied by a series of children's literature books by the same title.

Simulations
Simulations are software programs that instruct students about how different kinds of systems work or they are designed to put students in the virtual shoes of an expert or professional that is using a particular system. Flight simulators, for example, simulate how pilots use use the control systems on aircraft to fly a plane. Another example is a surgery simulator recreates a surgeon's work as he/she operates on a virtual patient. The relative advantages here, for social studies students and teachers, are to speed up time and to be able to take students back in time (and hence engage them). [|Oregon Trail 5th Edition by Riverdeep]
 * Example:** Oregon Trail 5th Edition by Riverdeep - this updated version of the original classic allows students to assume the role of various characters as they wagon train across the territorial U.S. to reach the Oregon and the West Coast**.**

Educational Games
Similar to drill and practice software, educational games often include competition, engaging story lines and missions or quests. Students love these games for obvious reasons. Teachers use these games because of the increased level of engagement these programs can bring to the classroom. Teachers also use the games as rewards. Rewards and engagement, in fact, are two of the most compelling relative advantages to using educational games [|Imperium Romanum by SouthPeak Games]
 * Example:** Imperium Romanum by SouthPeak Games - this is part simulation of the Roman Empire and part strategy game. The game designers made tremendous use of the historical record of ancient Rome in designing this game, bringing a strong sense of realism to the gaming experience. Students take on the role of a Roman provincial governor and are charged with building their province from the ground up.

Applications
Applications are software programs that allow students to create their own content. Basic examples of applications are Word, MovieMaker, PowerPoint, etc. There are tremendous relative advantages to be had by allowing students to use the productive applications. Content created can be used again in subsequent years and can form the basis of an authentic portfolio for the student. Many applications are likewise an efficient mechanism for having students practice skills. [|Timeliner XE by Tom Snyder Productions]
 * Example:** Timeliner XE by Tom Snyder Productions - this software enables students to put almost any content from any discipline into a chronological or thematic timeline. Clearly, this software is particularly useful for social studies classes.

Problem Solving Software
These types of programs are quite similar to educational games, except that they focus exclusively on giving students the opportunity to sharpen their problem solving abilities. Problem solving programs are usually centered around a goal that must be achieved. Relative advantages to be had here are to increase the level of motivation among students and to isolate the thought processes involved in problem solving which might ordinarily either be difficult to do (outside of a math class) or very time consuming to set up. [|Breaking the Code by Learner Educational Software]
 * Example:** Breaking the Code by Learner Educational Software - this problem solver involves teaching students a little about deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphics and then setting them to decode ancient Egyptian manuscripts.