The two educational software programs I chose to review were Math Trek 1, 2, 3 and Bailey's Book House. I decided to choose one software program that was mathematical related, and one that was literacy based. Both programs, however, focused on the primary grades, and are developed specifically for these intended age groups. Both of these software programs would be beneficial for use within a primary classroom environment, however I feel that Math Trek 1, 2, 3 is far superior to Bailey's Book House.
Results:MathTrek 1,2, 3Math Trek 1, 2, 3 is a highly
interactive multi-media mathematical program, which would be a useful learning tool in any kindergarten to grade three classroom. The variety of sound, video, animation and graphics appeals to many different learning styles. It is an engaging program with colourful animations, and a fun bear for children to follow through the activities. As soon as the students log onto the game the bear introduces them to the primary concept of the software, and gives clear direction of how to navigate through the different options.
The game is organized by mathematical strand and grade level, providing the user with a good amount of choice. Although there are no levels within each individual game, the user can choose between grade levels on the toy shelf, for age appropriate level instruction and game challenge. The five math strands offered directly correspond to the strands as presented in the Ministry of Ontario Curriculum.'There are a variety of games available at every grade level in data management and probability, geometry, measurement, number sense and numeration, and patterning and algebra.
Once the game is complete, the bear lets the student know whether they got the answer correct or not, and keeps track of correct attempts with paw prints, so the success is visible to the student for each game. All of the games have a progress tracking system showing the number of attempts and the number of completions, which would allow both the students and the teacher to be aware of progress and which games have been played. The games are geared toward grade expectations, but offer enough of a challenge to keep the students entertained and engaged in the task, at the same time making learning fun.
Bailey's Book HouseBailey' Book House, in
contrast to Math Trek 1, 2, 3 is not motivating or engaging, by any means. It provides students with basic literacy practice, but does not provide any stimulation to its user or motivational tactics. In fact, after exploring Bailey's Book House I found this software to be somewhat boring, and I am actually quite
surprised at its presence in so many classrooms, in so many schools. So what is so wonderful about Bailey's Book House??? I wanted to discover for myself why this program was incorporated into so many different learning environments.
After playing the games, I can understand to some degree why this software is appealing to some students. However, I believe the appeal would only be applicable to those students in kindergarten as the learning activities are
extremely basic. There are no wrong answers in the games, which is both positive and negative. It allows the student to make choices without being told they are "wrong", and at the same time learn basic skill, for example, in rhyming. However, by providing answers that are only correct, the student is not learning how to make the best choice, and it lacks any form of intrinsic, motivational challenge.
When the student first begins the game they are faced with Bailey, whom I'm assuming is a cat, sitting in a chair. Unfortunately, for the student, Bailey does not begin to talk, so a new user, especially at the intended age level of 3 to 6 would not be aware of what to do next. When the student does finally realize that they need to click on him the only thing he says is, "...come and play in my
book house". He gives no further instruction or prompts about what to do next, or how to navigate through the different games. It is rather intimidating for a young student who has never played, and definitely not engaging.
Discussion:When reviewing the software I began by familiarizing myself with both pieces of educational software. Before I began playing the games I read some on-line information about both pieces of software to understand their purpose. Once I gained a better understanding of the premise of each, I played both games for approximately one hour. I did spend more time on Math Trek as it has a substantial amount of curriculum based games in comparison to Bailey's Book House, which offers only a few simple games. After playing the games, and familiarizing myself with at least one math game from each grade level strand, I was able to formulate a more informed opinion.
The tests were conclusive with what I said above. I found that Math Trek 1, 2, 3 was highly engaging in comparison to Bailey's Book House, and was actually quite entertaining. The progress tracking systems encourages its user to keep trying until they discover, often
through trial and error, the correct or best answer. Bailey's Book House, on the other hand, was not motivating or interactive, and offered no type of tracking system. Although it is likely useful as a starting point with computers and technology, its basic educational value is rather low, and I believe that many students in kindergarten would easily bore with this software.
If I was placed in primary classrooms I believe that both software programs could successfully be incorporated into the classroom environment. The students would definitely be more engaged by Math Trek 1,2,3, than they would with Bailey's Book House, primarily due to choice and the opportunity for more interaction. The technology would be useful for students who do not yet know how to read, or those who have trouble with writing down their thoughts, as this technology only requires the click of a button, or movement of a mouse.
Bailey's Book House would work well in a kindergarten classroom, where there is a diverse group of learners who are coming to school for first time with a huge disparity in learning from one student to another. It would provide students with an introduction to literacy based
activities, who may not be writers or readers. However, kindergarten students may find this program difficult to navigate independently, as there are no clear audio or visual instructions to guide the student through the programs.
Math Treks 1, 2, 3 would work well in a primary classroom environment. The well organized, highly engaging activities would motivate students to use this software. Because it relates so directly to curriculum expectations in mathematics this program could be used as a learning or reinforcement tool for most students. The fantastic audio instructions make it user friendly and extremely easy to navigate independently through all of the different math activities. Unfortunately because most classrooms have only one computer, the time to engage in these activities would be limited and shared. Overall, I think the most motivating element of this software is the student progress tracking systems, and the great amount of choice in activities and grade level.
Recommendations:
The class generated evaluation tool, in comparison to the Kathleen
Schrock software evaluation was just as useful. I think that as a class we were able to establish a variety of useful evaluation points. Although a basic review, it is comparable to the online version that was used. Both are quite simplistic, however provide enough information for a consumer searching for basic product purchase information. Although both of the tools were very general, they did provide an excellent starting point, and do not influence the reader too significantly one way or the other. I believe this is important, because it encourages the potential user to experiment with the software and formulate their own opinions.
The class generated wiki sheet was quite thorough, but left room for individual interpretation. There are enough points to guide the user through a decent evaluation of educational software, and
enable them to form a valid, fair evaluation using a designated, unbiased format. It covers the five primary area that would be of concern to the potential user, particularly in an educational environment.
