ICT as a Situating tool

What is Situating tool?

Situating tools are systems/applications which situate users in an environment where they may experience the context and happening. it place learners in a situation where they can engage with the learning context, environment, and happenings. it creates three - dimensional images and provides the user the sensation of being situated in virtual environment. some of the examples of situating tools are Simulation, Virtual Reality, CD - ROM, Google Maps, and Google Earth. 

When a specific real life experience is unattainable or difficult to obtain, we can use this situating tool in teaching and learning as it place the user in the environment, understand and modify factors, communicate with other users, and encourage creativity and visualization abilities. More importantly, this application is authentic and very engaging giving the user the impression that they are studying in  a real - world setting.  

Now let us look at two examples of situating tools with its benefits and procedures to use them. The first example is Simulation.

Let us learn how to use simulation to teach the students through Phet Simulation. 

This situating tool is extremely effective since it assists students in understanding scientific concepts, making sense of real-life events, and engaging in scientific inquiry. I feel that this Phet simulation can significantly improve students' learning because, even as adults, it motivates us to learn new things through this simulation. So don't you think the kids will have more fun than the adult? 

I didn't realize until then that increasing the volume of a solution had no effect on the pH value. I discovered this after using the Phet simulation, and I also discovered that dilution and concentration had an effect on the pH value.

 

The second example is Google map.

Google Maps is a web mapping platform and consumer application offered by Google. It  is currently one of the most extensively utilized services and is an incredibly versatile tool which is quick and easy to handle. It offers satellite imagery, aerial photography, street maps, 360° interactive panoramic views of streets, real-time traffic conditions, and route planning for traveling by foot, car, bike, air, and public transportation.

Screenshot photo of PCE from Google map 

Google Maps has made our lives so much easier that it's hard to picture existence without it. It has become one of our favourite technologies because of its ability to provide so many different services in one place. It’s convenient, easy-to-use, and much more cost-effective than buying an expensive GPS device. The following are some of the advantages of Google Maps:

1.      Find Address For Free: This site calculates street addresses, city location, phone numbers, zip codes, and even satellite imagery.

2.      Get Directions Instantly: The advantage of Google Maps is that users are able to make a voice-guided navigation system by adding markers for parking, restaurants, hospitals, or any other point of interest to the map. Users can then easily get directions from one location to another by clicking “Get Directions”. 

3.      See Where Your Friends Are: With the Google Latitude application, users are able to see their friends on a map in real-time.

4.      Explore Historical Data: Google offers great historical imagery that can be used for research purposes or simply for entertainment.

5.      Explore Places of Interests: Google has compiled an extensive list of places that are photographed in 360-degree street-level images. Users can click on the map to see different areas or respond with a street view of their own business, home or favourite location.

6.      View Street Views: This option allows users to explore different cities around the world by simply clicking an image that’s placed on the Google Map.