Software Name (Function Type) Show one example for each of the 5 types. Benefits Limitations & Problems Use in Teaching (Examples) 1. Drill & Practice Students receive immediate feedback and it gives them motivation. Drill and Practice games also saves the teacher time by giving students pre-made assignments that can easily be completed individually. It is feared that Drill and Practice games can be used to introduce a new concept, which will often cause confusion. Drill and Practice is individual work. It gives the student accountability. It can also be used a study tool which can be implemented at home and at school. It can be used in a math class to practice multiplication tables.

2. Tutorial Tutorial software contains similar benefits as Drill and Practice. Tutorial games also give the student immediate feedback, gives them motivation, and saves teachers time. Constructivists argue that tutorial games give the information to directly. They do not allow students to generate their own knowledge by doing hands on projects and assessments. It is also a concern of product validity and successfulness. Tutorials are self paced and gives instruction when teachers do not have the proper resources. Tutorials can be used in schools that do not provide certain classes. For example, in place of a foreign language teacher and class, a school can over the online version in a tutorial.

3. Simulations Simulations give students a life like version of a lesson. When teachers are unable to teach, a simulation can be supplemented. Simulations also gets students involved with what they are learning. The accuracy of simulation models can be scrutinized. They can sometimes reject or suspend the information being taught by the actual teacher. Simulations are useful when a teacher does not have the proper resources or information to teach a lesson. For example, in many science classes dissection is often used as a lab. Dissection though can be expensive. When using a simulation, a teacher or school does not have to pay for the dissection tools and animal being dissected.

4. Instructional Games Instructional games add fun to the classroom. Instructional games can be more entertaining for students than traditional learning. It also offers friendly competition. Instructional games often can blur the lines of fun and learning. It can also cause classroom barriers. In some cases, class time can be taken up by gaming. When class time is taken up by gaming it can bore or mislead students to think that is the daily routine. Instructional games can be used in place of worksheets or basic exercises. Instructional games can also be used as a reward for a successful grade on an assessment. For example, students who receive an appropriate grade get to play the game while other students who received insufficient grades have to take intervention.

5. Problem Solving Problem Solving offers visual effects for mathematic lessons and it improves the overall interest and motivation of students. Publishers of Problem Solving software often can mislead buyers with like wording. This means the software maker can define a word differently than the teacher and therefore the product is insufficient for the teachers’ lesson. Problem Solving software encourages group collaboration and support when solving a problem in an assignment. One can use problem solving in mathematics class. It has the student or students work through problems