Week 9 Current Event: Academic Software

Group 5: Pandas
Sarah, Yolanda, Kortnee, Randolph, Mary Rose

Academic software comes in many forms. The different forms that academic software comes in would be Desktop Publishing, Graphics, Reference, Tutorials and Drill-and-Practice, Educational Games, SImulations, Authoring Systems, Special Needs, and Integrated Learning Systems. The purpose of academic software is to improve student learning through various mediums. Thgrough the mediums, the students are more engaged and interactive in the content and lesson, rather than sitting and reading through a book.

This week in Pandnation we have decided to focus in on Simulations. Simulations not only create a safe enviornment for student learning, but also serve as a medium for students to interact with their content,rather than learn skills from a textbook. Each member in our group has never really had experience in a classroom using Simulations, but we all see the benifits that simulations can have on student learning. One of the benifits include students being able to interact with enviornments that may be out of reach for some students. One example of this, would be flight simulations. Most companies will not allow new piolts to fly a $500, 000 plane, but with flight simulations, the new piolts life is not in danger and flight schools can save on money if the piolt crashes the plane during simulation, there is no actual damage done to the practice planes. Real life simulations can also be used in the classroom.One way to show the students the effects of natural disasters is through Simulations. The students can learn how weather can destroy lands, with out actually going out and destroying property. This can help the students visualize what it would be like to go through and live through a natural disaster.

Overall, us Pandas believe that simulations are a new type of academic software, but it is most benificial to student learning because the students are able to learn through simulated experiences.