Professional tool

Definition

• (In this context) we define a professional tool as a tool that is used in a work context and hat has been mainly developped for it.

• In education, and in particular in the school system, that kind of software seems to be the most popular category of educational technolgogies.

• There may be several interrelated explanations:
  • Such tools are used in the real world and therefor did demonstrate their usefulness within given tasks.
  • Such tools are used in the "real world", therefore augment authenticity and learner motivation
  • Such tools are well suited to support project-oriented learning scenarios, i.e. support activity-based teaching
  • Teachers know how to use them (e.g. they use them to prepare courses or demonstrations).

Different types

• Office tools (word processors, speadsheets, presentation tools)

• Some cognitive tools like concept maps and note-taking tools like the Scribe note-taking application

• Internet publication tools like web-pages, CMSs

• Reference managers, links managers, etc., in particular those who allow to share informations with others.

• Internet communication tools like E-mail, Forums, etc. (see CMC).

• Computer-assisted design tools

• Simulation and modeling tools

• Visualization tools

• .....