SPECTRUM LESSONS

Mike Edmunds administers a gold star or rap on the knuckles to a mixed bag of Educational Software

Almost everyone in the field of education, and beyond, must have, by now, accepted the fact that the computer has served its period of apprenticeship within the school. It has, for the most part, found an acceptable and valuable role within the school curriculum.

Although this statement may be challenged by many, it is nonetheless obvious that the computer is destined to become an even more integral part of our children's education in the future and, though not all of us may like it, as teachers and parents we have an obligation to see that its full potential is realised.

Educationally the computer is, at the very least, the equivalent of an "electronic wordcard" and can be thought of as a valuable resource to sit alongside the Maths equipment and the reference books.

From the early days (it is really only 2 years since the DOI package?) when there was a mad scramble for any software that could remotely be labeled as 'educational' we have, thankfully, become more discerning, and parents and teachers alike now look carefully to decide whether or not a particular program really fulfills a need.

The criteria by which we can judge a particular program are many and varied, but essentially there is now a more enlightened attitude about what constitutes quality software. The standard of educational programs has in creased tremendously in what is really a very short time the user can now afford to be choosy. The content of programs must increasingly be adaptable and of tasting value, able to offer an ever widening range of experiences.

That is not of course, to ignore totally the ever present 'drill and practice' programs which still have their uses, but nowadays a program must be seen to be of 'real' value to earn its place in an educational context.

The batch of programs under review this issue appear to cover a wide area of interest but not all live up to the high standards which teachers and parents alike have a right to expect from 'educational software'.

Firstly, from a newcomer to the education scene, Turtle Software, comes Educational Cassette One. This is intended for children of six to eleven, and contains four programs: Maths, Hangman, Co-ordinates, Alphabet Tutor and Compass.

The programs all come under the 'drill and practice' banner in that they are intended as reinforcements of work already taught, but the overall impression is nevertheless one of quality. The first page of the comprehensive instruction pamphlet outlines the aims of the programs and then proceeds to give an analysis of the individual programs. Each program is identified by filename, number of bytes and loading time.

The individual structure of each program is detailed, together with lists of the UDG's and variables used, and a list of suggested modifications for tailoring to your own purposes. The contents of each of the programs are evident from their titles, but each has been designed to make the practice an enjoyable experience.

Colour, sound and graphics are excellent throughout and each program is very user friendly, guiding the pupil effectively through outlines of the concepts involved and then testing by means of a game. The programs have been fully tested in schools and provide an ideal method of learning reinforcement, although I see the real value of this as being a package to stimulate and extend the fun of learning at home.

If what you want are some well designed drill and practice programs then at £4.95 this is value for money. Available from Turtle Software, 'Wychwood', School Road, Finstock, Oxford 0X7 3DJ.