Computer-Aided Instruction: It Has a Place in the Fire Service
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As we strive to get the most for our fire service dollar, it seems only sensible that we should take advantage of the same technology that has been responsible for developing modern industry-the computer.
More specifically, the microcomputer. It has become small enough for a desk top, inexpensive enough for the smallest fire department, and powerful enough for any training division.
Computer-assisted instruction (CAI) has been used in industry and schools for years. Educators in these fields realized that some types of learning and repetitious classroom drills can best be directed by computers, allowing human instructors to concentrate their efforts toward hands-on skills and higher-level instruction.
What’s so special?
But what is so special about computer-assisted instruction? What makes it more useful over other instructional methods?
Research shows that adults learn best when they want to learn, when they are in a receptive mood for learning. This doesn’t always happen for each individual when a class is scheduled. The advantage of the computer is that it is available whenever the student wishes to learn. Whether at 3:00 in the afternoon, or 2:30 in the morning, all you have to do to wake up the computer is turn it on.
Another advantage is the consistency of a computer. It will give the same identical lesson to any number of people who use it. This is very valuable for technical types of material. If the lesson is well planned, the computer can’t forget a point or gloss over something that may be valuable.
A third and very important advantage is the infinite patience of a computer. If the student is struggling over an answer to a problem, the computer won’t pace the floor or look impatiently at its watch. No one else knows if the student answers wrong. This puts the student at ease and enhances the learning effort. And with a computer, every student answers every review question.
One of the more frequent comments I have heard about CAI from the people at my department is that they feel unthreatened by the computer. The ability to learn in private can draw out the otherwise withdrawn student who feels at risk of humiliation in the normal training environment.
Student sets the pace
Finally, the student learns at a pace he sets for himself. They don’t suffer the impatience caused by slower students or get lost trying to keep up with the faster learners. The students themselves control the learning speed.
But the programs you generate will only be as good as you make them. An unimaginative program can turn off the learner just as quickly as a boring lecture. An unchallenging program can lose the student’s interest just as quickly as one given by a human instructor. Worse than that, the student can turn off the computer just by flipping a switch.
Remember this: The role of the fire service instructor is not diminished by the computer. Instead, it is focused on different, more important areas.
My interest in computers began when my department began investigating the possibility of purchasing a computer system. Initially our considerations were to computerize our fire prevention records system, bookkeeping, hydrant information and incident reporting system. Since I had not had any previous exposure to computers, I contacted one of our volunteer fire fighters, Doug Ford, who owned his own microcomputer. My interest was to find out just what this computer thing is all about.
Ford is an elementary school teacher and uses his computer in his classroom. Therefore he had some background and interest in using the computer for education.
He was using a software system called Apple PILOT (Programmed Inquiry, Learning or Teaching). This, in combination with an Apple computer with 48K of memory and two disk drives, provided a simple programming method for writing CAI lessons. Still leery of this electromechanical beast, I set about discovering the world of computers. What I found was astounding.
Easy to learn
After looking through a set of instruction manuals provided with the soft ware, and with a little coaching from Doug, I began punching on the computer keyboard. After about three hours, I tested the program I had just written. Much to my amazement, it worked.
The program, an orientation to our fire depart ment, lasts about 10 minutes. It begins with a two-paragraph explanation of the program and how to run it. Then it gives some information about our department and asks the student a quest ion about what had just been covered. If the student responds with the correct answer, the computer tells the student he got it right, and the computer goes on to the next set of information. If the student gives the wrong answer, the computer tells him why the answer is wrong and explains the right answer. And all this happens instantly.
Sound amazing? It was to me. I could hardly believe that in only three hours I could be writing computer programs. Most of the credit must go to the software, the computer program that allows me to write the instructions to the computer to present the lesson.
Text, graphics, sound
The software contains three main functions that are useful to fire service lessons. The first is the text editor. This is the program that prints the information on the screen for the student to read, and asks the student the questions. It also provides for the feedback to the student in the form of a screenprinted response to the student’s answer.
The second feature is the graphics editor. This program allows you to draw graphics for use in your lesson program. The images are actually drawn on the screen using either the keyboard or game paddles and then stored for later use. To recall a graphic image during a lesson, the appropriate command is included in the text portion of the program. Some examples of graphics you might use are floor plans of buildings, street maps, hose lays, or even pictures of fire trucks to enhance the appeal of the student’s display.
The third feature of interest is the sound effects editor. This program lets you include songs, reinforcing tones or other sound effects like a siren in your lesson to increase the appeal of your lesson. In one of my programs, the computer tells the student to take a break before going on and then plays him a little tune while he’s waiting.
The software comes with an excellent set of instruction manuals which describe how to use all the features of the program. Even with no prior training in computer terminology or computer programming, I found them easy to understand and use.
Lessons developed
So far, I have developed four lessons using Apple PILOT software. The first is called EMT Case Studies. The computer describes the case and then asks a series of questions about the patient’s problem and treatment. Since responses to the computer’s questions must be short and predictable, I used multiple choice questions for this. If the student answers correctly, the computer responds with an “atta boy” and a little more explanation as to why the answer was correct. If the student responds with a wrong answer, the computer explains the correct answer. The program then runs to the next question or to the next case history.
The second is called Exits, a study of article 12 of the Uniform Fire Code. In this program, I didn’t turn the computer into an electronic page turner. Instead, the computer tells the student to read a paragraph out of the code and then answer a question or two about the paragraph. If the student responds correctly, the computer tells the student which paragraph to read next. If the student responds incorrectly, the computer explains the correct answer, suggests that he reread the paragraph and then goes on to the next reading assignment. The questions are problem and application oriented and require either a yes or no answer.
Field hydraulics drill
The third program is called Field Hydraulics. This was designed as a self-study review class for field hydraulics calculations. There is very little text and a whole lot of problems to solve. For the complicated hose lays, the student is given three chances to get the correct answer. If the student responds incorrectly, the computer tells him so (nicely), suggests a possible explanation for his error, and asks him to try again. After three incorrect answers, the computer tells the student the correct answer, and explains how it was gotten.
While I could have used the graphics capability to show the hose lays, I chose not to. The problems are given on an accompanying sheet. This allows.easier changes in the program. Instead of having to redraw the hose lays in the graphics mode, I need only change the answer in the lesson and redraw the hose lay on paper. Since after two or three times using the lesson the students would become familiar with the problems, it is important that the problems be changed so it can again be challenging.
Fireground simulation
The fourth program is my favorite- Fireground Tactics. It takes the student through a simulated fireground situation placing him in the position of the incident commander. This program uses the computer graphics capabilities extensively. The program takes the student from the time of the alarm to successful extinguishment of the fire, having the student make the decision on apparatus assignments, initial hose lays for supply, lines laid for attack, ventilation of the fire building, etc. When the student arrives “on the scene,” he is shown a floor plan of the building with the fire area shown in orange. He identifies points on the building to ventilate and to begin attack. If correct decisions are made, the fire goes out. If incorrect decisions are made, the fire gets bigger. If the student does too well, the computer complicates the situation by throwing variable situations at him. The beauty in this is that you as the programmer can use building layouts in your area for the fire problems. This adds realism to the program and helps make it relevant to the student’s needs.
Computer gets personal
There are other useful features of the Apple PILOT software. To make the lessons a little more personal, I have programmed the computer to use the student’s own name during the lesson. This is a simple programming step and sure adds to the appeal of the lesson. If you wish to limit the amount of time a student has to respond with an answer to a problem, you can program in a specific length of time for the student to answer. This can be useful for problems like the hydraulics program explained before.
Another nice feature is that you can use the game paddles to locate points on the screen. Say you want the student to locate the electrical shutoff for a building drawn on the screen. The student can move a set of crosshairs across the screen to the point he chooses, press a button, and the computer will tell him if he is right or wrong. This can save a lot of typing in of answers.
Since computers converse with us in very literal terms, spelling errors can cause the computer to perceive the answer given as incorrect. If you anticipate this in your program, a simple instruction will allow slight spelling errors in the student’s answer. If you anticipate a variety of possible correct answers to a given question, the computer will store the correct answer in a number of forms. For example, if your question calls for the answer “engine,” you can program the lesson to accept engine, pumper or other similar answers that may be acceptable.
Limitations
There are limits to the types of material than can be computerized, CAI is an excellent medium for material presented for review. Subjects like the field hydraulics program, drug reviews for paramedics, math problems, pre-fire surveys, and applications of technical material are all excellent subjects for CAI. The problem in using the computer for new material is that the student cannot ask the computer questions. Only the computer does the asking. Therefore, if you intend to use the computer for presenting new material, make sure that you include all the information you want to present and explain it clearly.
In developing computer-assisted instruction programs, approach it as you would any other class. First and most importantly, define what it is you want to teach. In other words, write down your goals and objectives for the lesson. Identify the audience that will be using the program and gear your material for their level and interest. Outline your program, and test it to see how it flows. Does it leave the student needing more information? Does it flow in a logical progression with each new section building on the last?
Write your program on paper first. This will give you the opportunity to rearrange or change the program as needed. Don’t be afraid to use gimmicks, flashy graphics and sound effects. These appeal to most all audiences. To prove this, go to your local video game arcade and count the number of people over 30 dropping their quarters in the machines blasting spaceships out of the air. Be creative.
Next, test the program yourself. Check for “bugs” in the program which give false responses or refuse to work at all. Correct all spelling errors. People see these. Then test the program on several other people. Find out if they enjoyed using it. Measure what they have learned. Make sure they are learning what you identified in your goals and objectives.
Now you are ready to put the program out for use. But you’re not done yet. Keep track of the number of people who use it. Find out if there is enough appeal and utility to keep people using the material. And last, keep it up to date. It’s relatively simple to change programs to fit changing situations.
Here to stay
Computers are here to stay. As trainers, we can take advantage of this technology. If you already have computer access in your department, find out what software is available to do the training job. Apple PILOT is but one of several different types on the market. There is also software available for the mainframe computer user to develop computer-based education programs. These can offer a little more versatility and features, but cost more. One company offers a terminal which can accept the student’s input by simply touching the screen at a predetermined point rather than having to type out the answer. For you who really want to get elaborate, there is software available to allow you to connect the computer to a videotape player to produce interactive video training programs. Then, instead of reading the information off a screen, the student can watch a demonstration, listen to a lecture and then respond to questions given by the computer. The computer’s response to an answer can be to show a portion of the videotape explaining why the student got the wrong or right answer and provide additional material.
You may have people in your department who are versed in computer programming, or may wish to get involved. Let them. While computerasssted instruction can save time in the long run, it does require a sizable investment of time initially. Finally, share your ideas with others as I have in this article. There’s no sense in reinventing the wheel. Computers, with their strengths and their limits, can be a very useful training tool.
