Making the Student the Star In the past 6 years I have read 400 young adult literature books of various kinds. My substantia

Making the Student the Star
    In the past 6 years, I have probably read 400 young adult literature books. I have read science fiction, adventure, and historical fiction. I have read stories of true friendship, stories of tragic loss, sagas of annoying younger brothers, and tales of great athletic trial and triumph. My substantial reading list came from my work in creating a computer program for elementary school children. The goal of the program is simple: to help children use literature as a way to grow intellectually and emotionally, [me and my background]
    I wish to share with you my observations about learning and education as someone who has not taught in a formal classroom, but who has been a tutor, a designer of educational software, and a journalist writing about education. While I cannot pretend to understand the realities of working daily in classrooms full of 20, 30, or more students, my varied roles in education have offered me opportunities to gain some valuable insight. In particular, my roles as a tutor and a software designer have made me a firm believer in making sure that the student is the "star" of the educational experience. Educational opportunities can happen in many places—within the walls of the classroom, at home, in a tutoring session, or through a computer. My belief is that no matter what the medium, we must create educational experiences that strive to make the individual learner the central focus —the star of the lesson. If we do this, then the lessons have an outstanding chance of helping children grow intellectually and emotionally. In my work as a designer of educational software, I have tried to keep this in mind, [what I’ve learned; the key idea]
    The role of computers in schools is a hot topic for debate. 1 consider computers just one more way to deliver lessons. I don’t believe even the best designed computer program can ever rival the effectiveness of a talented teacher. But I also know that for many students, computers offer a nonthreatening, engaging, and effective tool for learning. I think computers need to be used intelligently, of course, and programs need to be designed with the student’s needs in mind. As with all lessons, the student needs to be the star of any software program, [computers; the rule also applies]
    Our approach has been to create computer experiences that place the focus squarely on the individual user. Our educational CD-ROM series
    "That’s a Fact, Jack! Read" immerses students in a television game show environment in which they answer thematic questions about a literature title they have just read. In creating the program, which includes questions about some 450 works of young adult literature, we used interactive design techniques that we believe better ensure that the student can recognize, make sense of, and care about the material. Because the game pays particularly close attention to the student, the star of our program is the one sitting in front of the screen—unlike television or movies, where the star is on the screen. To achieve this, we used design techniques such as the following:
    First, dynamic leveling. Questions in the game are ranked according to difficulty. Based on how students respond, the program dynamically adjusts the questions students see. This technique, used in many games, helps ensure that students struggling with the material do not become alienated and frustrated while those who are performing well are continually challenged. In this way, the program pays close attention to the student—as a good teacher would do.
    Second, personalized responses. Our interactive design is modeled after a human conversation. We use computer programming language to sequence thousands of individual sound files to create the illusion that the user is having a conversation with the game’s host. This allows the game to respond to the student’s every action. Right answers receive customized praise and additional explanation. Incorrect answers receive thorough explanation, delivered in a positive tone. Inaction from the user also gets a response from the program. For example, if, based on the passing of time, it appears that a student is confused, the program will deliver additional instruction.
    We also pay attention to synchronized text and speech. The text displayed on screen in our game is also spoken. By providing two modes, we increase the ability for students of different learning needs to recognize our material. The host appears both in video and in audio throughout the game.
    Last but not least, strong engagement and motivation. In order to give the students a positive affective experience, we have written a great deal of praise and enthusiasm into the script of the program. The show’s charismatic host is always glad to see students, and he makes them feel good about their efforts in reading the book. He shares "inside" jokes with them about the book and is their coach and partner. For a student struggling to read and dealing with low self-esteem as a result, this is a needed boost. The host always ends with an encouraging message to read another book and come back.
    While these techniques individually are small things, together they create an inclusive, supportive, and challenging environment for learning. The computer program is best used along with a lively classroom discussion and debate over the themes of the book. Figuring out effective ways to integrate technology well in the learning process is a huge challenge. But the success or failure of any learning experience —on the computer, in a tutoring session, or in a classroom —depends to a large extent on how well the lesson considers each student’s unique needs.
    Thank you very much.