Virtual computerized models for teaching
Within the framework of the United Nations Development
Program, electronic learning materials have been created for the Electrician
and Dairy Processing Specialist trades. Today, the presentation of these
resources was attended by Ketevan Natriashvili - First Deputy Minister of Education and Science of
Georgia.
Together with the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia, the United Nations Development Program (project – “Skills for employment – Phase 2”) is actively working on the creation and establishment of modular education programs. In this respect, it is very important to create learning material suitable for the modules. The United Nations Development Program is trying to introduce innovating models in the process of modular teaching. This makes electronic teaching with the help of computerized models a matter of great interest.
So far, electronic learning materials have been created for the Electrician and Dairy Processing Specialist trades. It is planned to have created similar materials for the following trades by the end of the year:
- Fruit and vegetable processing specialist;
- Winegrower and winemaker;
- Tractor driver (This can be applied to the farmer, plantsman and fruit grower trades)
The virtual model involves an electronic virtual learning laboratory which can operate without any actual device. With the help of the virtual laboratory, a student can simulate actual processes.
Students of the vocational institution will have an opportunity to intervene in adjustments of parameters of a particular process or event, and afterwards visualize the effects. The virtual experiment will be as close to reality as possible. Moreover, it will be possible to visualize invisible events. All of this will enable the student to have a deeper insight into the essence of events and to become a participant of the experiment himself.
The program observes the sequence of the actions carried out by subject in order to solve the given task. The review of these program records makes it easier to determine the level of the pupil’s knowledge and creativity:
The use of this model has a lot of advantages:
- It makes it possible to study the event in a real situation without observation;
- It makes it possible to continually simulate/repeat the event;
- It makes it possible to adjust parameters within the kind of scope which is in fact either inadmissible or absolutely impossible;
- If in case of a real event, getting data requires special means and is quite laboursome, using virtual laboratories makes this process easy.
- Effective use of virtual laboratories creates an opportunity to support not only educational quality enhancement but also economical use of financial resources.
