Educational software: types, characteristics and uses

Over the years, society has experienced a transformation in which the use of new technologies extends far and wide. from all fields, and as is evident, the field of teaching and pedagogy has also wanted to take advantage of the possible benefits of are.

This change in teaching/learning dynamics materializes in the creation of a series of educational software that supports both educators and students. Throughout this article we will describe its main characteristics and types, as well as its potential uses or functions and its disadvantages.

• Related article: Educational psychology: definition, concepts and theories"

What is educational software?

Also known as instructional software, educational software refers to teaching programs that use the digital platforms to use as support for both teachers and students in teaching/learning processes. And although they may seem very new, its beginnings date back to the 60-70s.

These programs are specifically designed to facilitate and enhance the acquisition of exclusively academic knowledge. That is, this must be its main purpose and must be explicitly stated. This means that, although it can also be found in some workplaces, these are not considered educational software as such.

However, although these resources are mainly used in school contexts, there are also programs in in which learning can be done from home, thus enhancing and supporting the knowledge acquired in the classrooms.

Thanks to these computer programs or applications, the student can reinforce their knowledge in different curricular subjects of all kinds, including from the most practical such as mathematics or languages, to those of a more theoretical nature such as history, biology or geography.

Thanks to the immense number of possibilities that educational software can offer, information or knowledge can be presented in a wide variety of ways; from schemes or sketches of information, to questionnaires or games. This great variability in the format facilitates the motivation and interest of the students.

• You may be interested in: "Gamification: taking games beyond leisure"

What features does it have?

For an educational software program to be considered as such, it must meet a series of characteristics. Among the main requirements are that it must be used specifically by educators and students. However, there are many other features, including:

• Possibility of being used in any subject or field of education.
• It is an interactive tool.
• They have the ability to adapt to the needs of students and their characteristics. Including age, school year or individual abilities of these.
• They are easy to use. Both educators and students they must be able to install, understand and run the program without any problem.
• Depending on the purpose of the educational software, it can be more directive in nature or, on the contrary, more constructivist, in which the student creates their own conclusions or knowledge.

How many different types are there?

Taking into account the specific objective of the educational software or the way in which the interaction between the educator and the student is carried out, we can distinguish between several different types or categories of software. These categories are:

1. Problem resolution

The first category refers to programs specially created to foster problem solving skills. To do this, the student must follow a series of sequences or perform certain kinds of exercises that provide the necessary tools to solve an enigma.

Throughout this process, the student must elaborate hypotheses, conjectures or assumptions that he will have to verify in order to solve the enigma or conflict raised.

2. exercise and practice

In educational exercise and practice software, the student is presented with a series of exercises or tasks in which, after completion, a feedback is provided about how the execution has been carried out by the person.

Through these exercises, which can take the form of tests or questionnaires, the student can put into practice the knowledge acquired previously.

3. Simulation

These programs offer the possibility of recreating environments or situations in which the student can interact and that cannot be recreated in the academic context or doing so would be too costly high.

4. Tutorial

In tutorial-type software, the goal is to the transmission of knowledge between the program, which acts as educator, and the student. Through a series of guidelines similar to those of a teacher in a class, the program offers a series of explanations, practical exercises and feedback on the execution of the student.

5. Game

In instructional games, the objective is to increase student motivation through the implementation of tests with rewards. With them attention can be maintained and interest in the subject increased.

What functions or uses can it have?

Due to the great variability and the large number of possibilities offered by educational software, a large number of uses or potential functions are attributed to them:

1. Innovation

These programs have the capacity to be in constant evolution, which represents an innovation in the teaching/learning processes.

2. Informative

computer software is the teaching practice that can contain and transmit the greatest amount of information to the student

3. motivator

Thanks to the variety of possibilities offered by these programs, students feel more motivated and attracted when it comes to discovering them.

4. Instruction

The platform has the ability to explain any type of content, either explicitly or through the development of games or activities.

5. Expression

Educational software is an ideal platform to enhance the expressiveness of students, who can contribute their own point of view of knowledge and share it with the rest.

6. Investigation

Thanks to the less directive programs, the student can develop his own research procedures. Especially in those that offer simulation activities.

7. playful

Thanks to educational software, learning is understood or interpreted as a playful and fun activity It reinforces the students' desire to learn.