Mechanics, Heat. Optics, Waves and Sound, Electricity, and Atomic Physics are the topic areas covered in the Diagnostic Tests. The Learning Module programs are subdivided into 23 sections beginning with Equate ions of Motion and ending with Radioactivity. The depth of knowledge covered in this package is quite impressive, with the questions being particularly well-constructed. The Study Aids booklet is well-written, with PHYSICS the information presented in a clear and concise manner Again, the Hints section of the screen display refers the user to the appropriate page in the booklet for help. Physics is now such a vast subject that no exam syllabus covers more than a small pan oft. A student using this package would certainly need the advice of a teacher as to the sections which are relevant for the particular course being followed. The section Preparing for the Examination in the booklet, which gives helpful tips on tackling a Physics exam, should be essential reading.

COMMENTS
For the serious student, these packages represent superb value for money. What they are most definitely not, is a short-cut for the less able. The fact that each Course Tutor covers such a wealth of information may cause problems to the student who is unsure about the precise requirements of the exam syllabus being followed, but an approach to the teacher would resolve this problem. The producers of these programs have avoided any temptation to include gimmicks or unnecessary graphics to give them more mass appeal, and a great deal of thought has gone into their preparation. Their main advantage lies in the way the computer is used to test understanding and pinpoint areas of weakness, to provide personal tuition based on the Diagnostic Test results, and to give practice in answering examination questions. As examples of truly interactive learning they are impressive indeed.

SPECTRUM MAKES THE GRADE: CRAMMING IN 48K

Theo Wood does some revision and looks at examination aids for O and CSE level.

LIGHT AND HEAT
Memory: 48K
Price: £6.95

PHYSICS (SCISOFT) ZX-81
Memory: 16K
Price: £7.50

PHYSICS (SCISOFT) SPECTRUM
Memory: 48K
Price: £8.95

PHYSICS (LONGMAN)
Memory: 48K
Price: £7.95

PHYSICS (HILL MCGIBBON)
Memory: 48K
Price: £14.95

MATHS
Memory: 48K
Price: £7.95

MERCHANT OF VENICE
Memory: 48K
Price: £7.95

ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA
Memory: 48K
Price: £9.95

STUART PERIOD
Memory: 48K
Price: £9.95

At about this time of year those facing the ordeal of O Level and CSE exams start thinking about revision. Perhaps mock results were not too brilliant or were even disastrous. And, of course, your study notes seem to be an impenetrable mass.

Before computers the tried and tested method of aided revision was revision notebooks. Those were inexpensive and divided the subject matter into topics relative to examination questions. Computer programs can help in this area but also they can test your performance and give grades.

Science topics lend themselves more readily to this treatment, for at O and CSE Level factual learning is paramount; equations and formulae have to be learnt and their operation understood if a student is to have a chance of passing. That is not quite the case in a subject such as English Literature where although knowledge of text is necessary, that alone will not ensure a high grade; opinion and interpretation become more important.

Rose Software has produced a program to aid O Level Physics, called Light and Heat, and it deals with those areas which appear on most syllabuses. The four programs break up the subject matter in easily digested pieces, with clear instructions and diagrams.

Multiple-choice questions test knowledge of a section and if the answer is incorrect a short explanation will be given. Formulae pertaining to the subject matter are indicated also. One possible drawback is that questions are not random; once answered there is no opportunity to practise application of knowledge.

The Scisoft study program Physics concentrates on testing with five programs of random questions. That can be useful if a student has already mastered the subject and only requires constant practice at using the knowledge. It is aimed at O Level, and the more able CSE, student.

Maths is another subject which lends itself to this treatment, but Maths produced by GCE Tutoring cannot be recommended. Obviously a product of the cottage software industry, the package is little different from an average textbook. All the main subjects are covered in eight programs but little effort has been made to simplify and instruct, unlike the Rose Software program.

In many cases the accompanying text would be of little help to a student floundering with the subject. No explanation is given, in some cases, when the incorrect answer is ENTERed, which means ignorance can well persist.

In contrast, the larger publishing firms have developed alternative methods of study. A review of two Longman packages, French and Biology appeared in Sinclair User in January and its other programs follow the same pattern.

Physics comprises five programs, including Text, a database which covers all the main topics breaking them down into more accessible pieces; Formulae which tests the formulae required; and Light which enables the student to set up screen experiments using mirrors, lenses and prisms.

Longman win a prize for originality but they are not the best available. Rose Software must be congratulated on the way it presents the instructional sections, drawing heavily on the experience of the author. At the end day, however, all these packages have their shortcomings, being only study aids to certain parts of the syllabus or lacking in originality of approach.

Hill McGibbon has teamed up with Pan Books to provide the most comprehensive physics revision software packages on the market. Due to be published shortly, Pan Course Tutors cover the entire syllabus combining 25 study modules - two tapes - with a paperback book covering the course in more detail.

Diagnostic tests are taken first, rather like examination papers, followed by an analysis of answers and time taken, shown in graph form against a target time. Reports are then generated as to which modules would be useful.

Review copies were not available at time of writing, but the packages were displayed at the recent Computers in Education Exhibition and they suggest that Hill McGibbon is to be congratulated. At £14.95 the programs are almost twice the price of the others, but compared with the cost of hiring a private tutor the cost is not prohibitive.

Other software houses concentrate on the arts subjects and here Penguin Study Software has produced a most comprehensive collection of revision aids for English Literature, at both O and CSE Level. The Merchant of Venice package is representative, as all programs follow the same format. There is the conventional method of studying the play, where you can choose either to run through the acts alone, or ENTER plot, and a brief description of the plots will be given. Another feature is the facility to follow a character's development throughout the play by ENTERing, for example, Shylock - all the relevant acts, and speeches will be indicated and questions asked. The answers are not given.

Penguin has adopted an original approach in that key words form a database menu and that can be used to examine key themes. That, however, can be confusing as the key words relate to references in the text only, and when studying a Shakespeare play it is useful to develop themes overall. ENTERing 'flesh', 'Shylock' and 'revenge' will return the message, 'I have found nothing, perhaps what you were looking for was insignificant'. In The Merchant of Venice? A good knowledge of the text would be a prerequisite of gaining the full advantage from this type of software.

Akadamias Software is a group of lecturers at the University College of North Wales who have adopted the more conventional approach. The program Antony and Cleopatra illustrates the format used throughout the range. A notebook is included which contains numerous examination-type questions. The program is divided into different sections covering plot, background, language, characterisation, imagery, themes and dramatic effects.

In the revision mode a question appears on the screen with an answer. The test mode operates on four levels, differentiated by the time allowed, in the form of multiple choice questions; you have only to press Y or N as relevant. Grades are given as each question is answered and 'behind time' messages appear on the screen.

Dr Margarette Smith's approach to Antony and Cleopatra, one of the more complex of Shakespeare's later tragedies, is impressive and she produces an easily comprehensible formal and guide to the main problems of interpretation.

Akadamias Software has also produced a range of programs covering History topics, using the same format of revision and testing. Those encompass whole chunks of history, for example the Stuart period, or British History 1714-1815.

Although critics decry the use of a computer as a revision aid, those who are having difficulty with a subject or have missed some course work the programs reviewed can be extremely useful. The publishers mentioned supply programs covering a range of courses so it is worth checking for availability.

Rose Software 148 Widney Lane, Solihull, West Midlands. Tel 021-705-2895.

Scisoft, 5 Minster Gardens, Newthorpe, Eastwood, Nottingham.

GCE Tutoring, Tel 0494-711014.

Penguin and Hill MeGibbon available through most bookshops.

Akadamias Software, University College of North Wales, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2LXJ.

A FIRST CLASS ROMP

Theo Wood finds that educational software is a boon to teachers.

One feature which stands out when you look back on 1985 is the increasing sophistication of software in the learning field.

While previous years saw a mass of new software the quality was not necessarily good. There was a feeling that publishers were keen to jump on the bandwagon and produce software quickly for a perceived, rather than an actual, market.

Some of those programs were distinctly dull, but 1985 saw an increase in the games element and the fun/educational borderline became blurred.

PRESCHOOL LEARNING

For the pre-school and infant age group Romper Room from Beyond is another attempt at using the Spectrum for initial alphabet teaching. Romper Room is much more lively than previous programs of this type. It features a character called Max who illustrates each letter with an action. The screen picture above is one example.

On the first game, Watch the Letters, both capital and small letters are shown together with a small sentence to be read by the parent. Max then sets the word, such as dancing for D. That is much more fun than a static graphic of an object.

The three other games in the package, Press a Letter, Find a Letter, and Letter Quiz work from that basis. Letter Quiz is the hardest of the games, where the player has to observe Max's action, determine the initial letter, and then press the letter on the keyboard.

Education publisher Macmillan has produced games which follow on from the kind of skills learnt in Romper Room.

Tops and Tails and Castles and Clowns are designed with the help of Betty Root, who is the 1985 President of the United Kingdom Reading Association. Those games are involved with the recognition of initial sounds and Tops and Tails introduces sound blends. Both feature games and, interestingly, two people can play. That is really useful when you have two children squabbling over who should play with the computer.

Mr T Meets His Match by Good Housekeeping, deals with memory skills. The players have to pick out pairs of animals as they turn over cards on the screen. The one-player option allows Mr T to be a forgetful or clever computer opponent. At a higher level the animals on the cards change to geometric shapes.

The other game, Switcheroo, provides food for thought as the task is to change one animal into another in four moves. That can be done by changing the size, colour, or animal. Mr T Meets His Match is an interesting package which deals with non-verbal skills using entertaining graphics.

Paddington's Garden Game is a gentle arcade frolic in which Paddington has to go around the garden to find a pot of marmalade, catching butterflies as he goes. The butterflies are released at the end of the game.

Joystick control ensures easy use. The game is innocent enough for the younger age group for which it is designed. Paddington fans should enjoy it, while practising hand/eye coordination.

SIMPLE ARITHMETIC

While today's educational thinking encourages calculators for yesterday's burdensome tasks of long division and multiplication, elementary numeracy cannot be ignored. Several programs work on that problem and are so designed as to deal with varying skill levels from five to 11.

Mirrorsoft's Ancient Quests pack age has a game called The Count which provides practice of simple counting to more complicated sums such as division and multiplication. Moving around the castle you must solve the problems posed before reaching the library where the Count can be overcome.

The other game, King Tut's Treasure includes arcade action. You must move Professor Diggins around the screens, avoid the hazards and dig for the matching shapes, match a fraction with a decimal or fraction with a name.

Psion and ASK collaborated on two of the year's best programs which deal with numbers. Estimator Racer is another arcade classic in which you have to race around a track as fast as possible. The faster you go the more frequently you have to answer questions. The speed and level can be selected and depend on the type of car and player's control.

Estimator Racer is different from other similar programs in that it is not the correct answer which is needed but the one nearest to the answer. That skill is useful when using a calculator, and encourages quick thinking without the need for complete accuracy.

Number Painter is another program with the same pedigree. This time the aim is to reach the target number by painting out other numbers - such as +2, +3 - until the target is reached. Based on a platform and ladders game, and operating at a number of different skill levels, Number Painter is great fun and has enough action to appeal to players who are hooked on games.

ADVENTURES

Adventure games have proved popular and the format is selling well in adventure books with multiple choice options. Taking an active role in the development of the plot, young readers are encouraged to improve their reading skills.

Mirrorsoft's Phineas Frogg must be considered a classic of its type for eight to 10 year olds. A story book is provided to fill in the plot background before you start the game, and a multiple choice of action is shown on each screen. There are also several arcade games which have to be played to solve the mystery, which is to save the scientist Mole from the Secret Lair of the Terrible Hamsters - SLOTH for short.

Jack in Magiciand could be played by the same age group, or as with Phineas, with younger non-readers as an alternative to reading a story. Based on the old tale it too has options. As a text-only adventure it lacks some of the interest of Phineas, but that is compensated by using a more descriptive text.

SIMULATIONS

Simulations are one way of introducing a subject and practising skills. Weathermaster by Sinclair/Macmillan is one of my favourites. Using it you can play at being a weather forecaster.

Onscreen you see a picture of the British isles and the frontal systems moving over the chart. The aim of the game is to provide a correct forecast. That must be done for each region until the whole country has been covered. If you can do that you can become a weathermaster - no mean feat.

Oilstrike is another in the Science Horizons series from Sinclair/Macmillan. It is a simulation similar to Weathermaster but this time you have to survey and drill for oil. The secret is to find suitable oil-bearing strata before drilling, otherwise costs mount turning the operation into what could prove to be a fruitless exercise.

The success of sports simulations in the software charts proves their popularity. Two sports simulations which require more skill than usual are Yacht Race and Run For Gold, both from Hill MacGibbon.

Yacht Race is an introduction to the art of sailing and comes with a printed chart of the different courses. There are six levels of difficulty which allow the novice to learn by coping with steering the dinghy before moving on to trimming the sails and setting the balance.

Run For Gold similarly requires a learning curve to fully master the pace and steering of your two chosen runners. Setting the pace too high for your runners will quickly tire them out. The object of the game is to increase your fitness level in local meets, before moving on to reach Olympic standard.

The Spectrum is not noted for its musical capability but one program stands out which uses what little there is to the full. Music Typewriter, from Romantic Robot, enables you to print out a score on to a wide selection of printers and interfaces.

The product is a real aid to budding composers who are working with a musical instrument. You can ENTER the notes with the help of the keyboard overlay which is provided, and edit the tune bar by bar.

A substantial section dealing with setting key changes, rhythm or tempo, as well as right or left-hand play options, means that the package can cover a wide variety of musical styles. You cannot use chords, but that is a failing of the hardware.

MORE LOGO LOGIC

Sinclair's own version of Logo was a critical success in 1984 and provided Spectrum owners with the chance to experiment with a full implementation of the language. Two Logo lookalikes were released in 1985 which offer Logo facilities of Logo at a reduced price.

Spectrum Logo Graphics from Sigma deals purely with turtle graphics. Using a keyboard overlay the main commands can be ENTERed with single key stroke. Spacing between commands is added automatically. That may be of some help to younger children but the entry of commands will not deter most children. The big drawback with the program is, however, that routines cannot be SAVEd.

The second Logo program was Picture Logic, from Addison Wesley. The program is a reworking of Heather Govier and Malcolm Neave's earlier program Logo Challenge.

Picture Logic adopts the structured approach to turtle-type graphics. The book accompanying the software takes you through the first stages and beyond by a series of exercises, called challenges, with many hints and tips to help beginners. In neither of the two programs is there any list processing facility which can be found in the full Sinclair version. If, however, you want turtle graphics and want a structural approach Picture Logic is the best buy.

One package which is easy to use and provides access to the Spectrum's graphics capability is New Generation's Light Magic. The program allows you to draw onscreen, change brush size and generally play around with colour and pattern without any programming skills. A program such as that can give some insight into how a graphic system works as well as being instantly usable.

BOOKWARE

For 11 to 16 year olds the Century Communications book Maths Tutor for the Spectrum is to be recommended. It is not a revision package but a self-contained maths course in book form with a tape for a few pounds extra.

A maths course could well be very difficult to follow but author Robert Carter has brought a masterly use of language into play which ensures that the whole subject does not become too dry. The explanations in the book are oustandingly clear and simple, and use of the programs in the book reinforces understanding of the mathematical concepts required up to O Level.

Revision programs are the mainstay of the program lists for secondary school age. The best of those on the science side are the Pan/Hill MacGibbon packages, called Pan Course Tutors. They cover all the usual science subjects and come with a text book.

There are diagnostic tests at the beginning of the programs which help students to identify weak spots in their study course.

The student is then directed to a suitable module. The modules make extensive use of screen windows, with one for the explanation, one for a question and a third for hints.

Penguin has released more titles in its study range, which mostly cover English Literature. Those operate on database techniques which allow you to browse through and follow characters in a novel or play. As the study of English Literature is largely interpretive, and the space for text is extremely limited, it would seem that those and other, similar, packages offer little real advantage over revision notebooks.

WORLDLY WISE

A program for older students which does not concern revision is Worldwise, a study of nuclear weapons. It operates as a database as well as providing a basis for playing negotiation simulations. It is meant as a factual program and not, in itself, an opinion former.

The Richardson institute for Conflict and Peace Research, at Lancaster University, operates an update system for members of the user group WUG - Worldwise Users Group, membership £2.00. Extra copies and microdrive versions can be obtained through the group at a special price.

Programs such as Worldwise can be used to provide the basis for intelligent discussion in an area which is renowned for bias and emotion, frequently unsupported by hard facts.

All in all, 1985 has been a good year for educational software. As it becomes less easy to rely on simple rule and drill exercises, producers of software are showing imagination and wit in their programs. In doing so the packages are becoming more attractive to use and more fun to play.