International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling 14: 51-57, 1991. © 1991 Kluwer Academic Publishers. Printed in the Netherlands.

Computer assisted counseling - model for the elementary school

YAACOV J. KATZ School of Education, Bar-llan University

Abstract. Computers are now part and parcel of the instructional process in many elementary schools. In addition to Computer Assisted Instruction, it is possible to utilize the school computer for other educational purposes such as data storage and information retrieval which can conceivably increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the counseling process. The model described in this paper was built so as to provide the school counselor with an instrument which, although based on traditional counseling methods, is immeasurably more accurate in the provision of updated information for diagnostic and other counseling activities and thus contributes to greater counseling efficiency.

Computers and education

Computers are making a serious and vital impact on society in many areas and certainly in the field of education. The computer poses important challenges for the educational system (Meggary, 1983) and three major areas in education can conceivably benefit f rom the use of computers which may be described as the climax o f technological development. These are learning and instruction which are steadily becoming increasingly computer-based; educational administration and organization; and auxiliary specializations in education such as counseling.

The importance of computer assisted instruction lies in its potential to lead to what eventually may be a complete shift f rom group to more personalized schooling (Evans, 1979), to increase teacher skills and knowledge and generally improve teacher performance (Du Boulay, 1980), and to perhaps generate a radical curriculum reform (De Beer, 1982). Hoyle (1983) went so

far as to say that the mass influx of computers into schools may well bring about the long dreamed of educational revolution and more specifically the teaching revolution. CAI serves as a vehicle for improving the students ' learning; it helps developing abstract knowledge (Papert, 1980) and com- puters used by groups of people linked into networks can be effectively used to teach cooperat ion and altruism (Stodolsky, 1981). However , progress has

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generally been limited to CAI and CAL and rapid developments are being made in these specific areas all the time.

School administration is another area that has profited from the use of computers in the educational system although little attention has been paid to the topic of administration and organization in the literature (Gaynor, 1977). The advantages of computer utilization in the area of administration are evident in such modes as guidance, testing, curriculum evaluation, records and scheduling (Salisbury, 1971), as a management tool and as a storage and retrieval device (Ely, 1983). As such the computer facilitates the work of both the school principal and the school counselor.

Counseling, which may be described as the field in education which specializes in the concern for the individual's well-being, needs and develop- ment, is an essential facet of the total educational process. The key question that remains is whether the computer's proven contribution to learning and instruction can be successfully transferred to the field of counseling. Super (1970) has answered this question stating that although radical innovations, such as computer-assisted and computer-based counseling, are likely to encounter initial resistance, after familiarisation and proven effectiveness, counselors will be able to make better use of computer processed informa- tion. The computer is an especially potent counseling tool with regard to information storage and retrieval (Das, Bright, & Maby, 1983), counselor accuracy and efficiency in the process of student evaluation (Sampson, 1983), and improved record keeping which effectively enhances counselor accountability (Nelson & Krockover, 1983). Crabbs (1983) added that computer assisted counseling is a cost-effective method of tabulating and manipulating data. Pogrow (1983) summed up the potential of the computer for the counselor as a delivery system designed to improve school effective- ness and efficiency by reducing personnel time that would otherwise be required for the same task.

The goal of the model described in this paper is to provide counselors with a computerized software package called Computer Assisted Counseling (CAC). This package allows for the efficient use of all information vital to the diagnostic process and enables the counselor to evaluate educational and diagnostic situations with added accuracy. The main innovations suggested by CAC are in the areas of time saving, information gathering, information processing and retrieval. Information which usually takes days or even weeks to process by traditional methods is processable within minutes with the assistance of the computer. CAC does not attempt to offer radical changes in counseling methods. Rather CAC provides the counselor, steeped in traditional counseling procedures, with a sophisticated instrument for data storage and information processing thus improving efficiency, depth and utility whilst counseling by well-known and acceptable methods.

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Mention should be made of the fact that CAC was developed for use in the Israeli elementary school system and is designed to meet the needs of the Israeli elementary school counselor. However, the package may easily be translated into English or other languages and can be adapted, without much trouble, for use in other school systems.

Computer assisted counseling model

The CAC package provides the following services: 1. Diagnostics 2. Reports to Parents and Teachers 3. Student Placement 4. Teacher Counseling 5. Statistical Package for Data Analysis

Diagnostics

Diagnosis of a student will be based on the following CAC information: a. Biographical Details b. Developmental History c. Academic Achievement d. Standardized Testing e. Social Standing

Biographical details Biographical information pertaining to all students is entered into the computer at the beginning of the school year. When a student needs counseling this information is immediately available. A biographical print- out can include such data as home address, parents' educational levels, parents' occupations, number of children in family, birth order of subject and number of rooms in apartment.

Developmental history Starting from birth, all relevant developmental information is recorded on the school computer. Medical, psychological and social development - based on physicians' diagnoses, psychological readiness and aptitude tests and kinder- garten teachers' social evaluations - is encoded and made available for retrieval should the counselor wish to refer to the child's developmental history for any particular reason during the course of his or her studies at school.

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Academic achievement All achievement oriented information is recorded on the computer. The type of evaluation is indicated as well as the grade achieved. The name of the evaluator and the date of the evaluation are also recorded. This information enables the counselor to check student achievement and assess progress over a given period. In addition, CAC allows the counselor to compare student grades with the class or group average in any particular subject or group of subjects. CAC also allows for the calculation of a frequency distribution of grades, and provides a printout of students who deviate from the mean by more than one standard deviation. Students more than one standard deviation below the group mean usually have difficulty keeping pace with their peers in the academic sphere, and perhaps in other areas as well. This printout focuses attention on these low functioning students, and provides a sound basis for educational interventions.

The software package offers the option of a 'Diagnosis Sheet' printout of variables considered by educational experts to be central to successful academic achievement. Key variables are ability, perception, thinking, learning, memory, concentration, diligence, creativity, maturity and be- haviour. Teacher evaluation of these key variables provides a clear picture of the students' problems as well as important information for the counseling process.

Standardized testing An important aspect of diagnostics and counseling is the assessment of student potential and achievement as compared to standardized norms. In CAC, the student is able to take standardized tests by computer. Immediate computerized results indicate the student's position compared to the group norm. This information allows the counselor to suggest stream, track or class placement with a greater level of efficiency and speed. CAC includes standardized tests in the form of MILTA - the Israel Group Intelligence Test

- and the Israel Reading Comprehension Test.

Social standing The social standing of students in their respective classes may be obtained through the medium of sociometric testing conducted with CAC. The student's social status in the classroom usually adds important correlative information that can be used to verify or add to the initial diagnosis of the student's problems.

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Reports to parents and teachers

CAC also allows parents to be kept informed of their child's progress and to express their opinion to an authorized faculty member. A periodical report is presented to parents and teachers on the basis of student achievement data fed into the computer over any specified period of time. When presented with a report, the parents are asked carefully to check the student's progress, to make any comments they feel appropriate and to return the signed report with comments to the class teacher.

Student placement

CAC offers the counselor facilities for determining student placement on the basis of entrance examinations, standardized achievement tests, intelligence tests, aptitude tests or any other relevant measure. Students can be assigned to classes on the basis of homogeneity or heterogeneity of learning levels, ethnic origin, socio-economic status or any other criteria congruent with school policy. Students can be placed in differential streams or tracks according to their ability in those subjects where streaming or tracking exists within the school framework. This facet of CAC saves much time and promotes counseling efficiency in class or group formation.

Teacher counseling

CAC gives the counselor the opportunity to check progress made by the teachers in their respective classes or groups. Significant differences found between parallel classes or groups for common subject matter or significant differences for the same classes or groups in different study topics, enable the counselor more readily to diagnose instructional problems which typify specific teachers. Learning problems which characterize particular classes can also be diagnosed in order to assist teachers. With the computerized data the counselor is able to advise the teachers concerned how to improve the situation in their respective classes or groups.

Statistical package for data analysis

CAC contains a basic statistical package including correlation, and t-test options in addition to the mean and standard deviation analyses already described. Statistical analyses of test scores at the individual and group levels

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enable the counselor to make effective group and individual comparisons based on group norms.

Prel iminary evidence

CAC is at present being used experimentally at Gush Etzion Regional Elementary School which has 28 classes, 72 teachers and 758 students. Preliminary investigation indicates that by using CAC, counselor efficiency increased by approximately 37%. This increase was measured by comparing the number of students referred to the counselor and treated by him for learning, social or behavioural problems during the 1987 academic year with the number of students referred to and treated b y the counselor for similar problems throughout the 1988 academic year, during which CAC was first introduced at the school. 65 students were seen by the counselor for the above-mentioned problems during 1987, as opposed to 89 students who received counseling for similar problems during 1988. This increase of nearly 37% is due mainly to the use of CAC and not because of an increase in the number of referrals, which remained fairly constant during 1987 and 1988.

Conclusion

The initial results of CAC seem to indicate that CAC provides the counselor with a package which can significantly cut down time and effort spent on data storage and retrieval as well as affording efficient information proces- sing vital for effective counseling, consulting and coordination of student services. The counselor is able to use time more profitably as a result of the speedy service provided by CAC, without effecting any radical changes in the counseling processes traditionally used by school counselors. Thus CAC can add immeasurably to the effective contribution made by the counselor to the students, faculty and parents. A comprehensive study is now being conducted to pinpoint the advantages (and disadvantages) of CAC. However on the basis of preliminary information already available, it seems that CAC is worth considering as a positive technological instrument that may well help improve the counseling process.

References

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Das, A., Bright, L. & Smaby, M. (1983) Uses and abuses of computers in counseling. Elementary School Guidance and Counseling 18(1): 51-57.

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