Can computer programs replace teachers?

There has been a lot of work lately creating programs for tutoring students, particularly in math, since mechanistic mathematical problem solving procedures are well suited for these types of programs. In some cases these programs have been used to reduce the number of teachers.

From what I have seen of examples of the use of these programs, they emphasize mechanics over understanding. It is important to be able to apply problem solving methods, but it is just as important to understand how they work.

Let me give an example. I sometimes will tutor a student to solve a quadratic equation. I tell the student to place all the terms on one side of the equation, so we end up with an algebraic expression equal to 0. Then I ask the student if he knows how to factor the expression, and often he is able to do so. At this point, the student may ask what to do next. Instead of just straight off saying what to do, I will ask the following. Suppose I have two numbers that when multiplied together equal zero. What can you tell me about the numbers? The student usually says that one of the numbers must be zero. Then I ask if this can be applied to the current problem, and it is a joy to see the light go on in the student’s head. With this understanding, the whole process starts to make sense – the reason for setting everything equal to zero and then factoring. This greatly facilitates remembering what needs to be done.