5 Types of Instructional Software

In chapter 3 of our textbook, five types of instructional software are discussed. The first one mentioned is drill and practice.  This type involves directed skill practice where learners can receive immediate feedback on the correctness of his or her answers.  A sample website for drill and practice could be Monkey Business.  The second type of instructional software discussed is tutorials.  Tutorials act as human tutors by the fact that they give the learner all of the necessary info to master a topic.  An example of a tutorial about government can be found at congress.  The third instructional software listed is simulations, which models real or imaginary systems to show how those systems work.  A system showing how electricty works could be beneficial to a learner. Instructional games is the fourth type of instructional software, and it is pretty self explanitory.  The idea is to increase student motivation by adding game rules to assignments or practices.  A lesson about numbers would be an excellent opportunity to incorporate games.  The fifth and final type of instructional software discussed in the textbook is problem-solving.  This involves directly teaching the steps involved in solving problems. It can also help learners aquire the necessary skills to solve problems.  Some different games involving problem-solving can be found here