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EDUCATIONAL REVIEWS
Mike Edmunds grades a couple of
packages for those interested or
involved with computers and education.
Sitting in a tiny bedroom you
look around and gaze with horror
at the mess surrounding you.
Pieces of paper with hastily written
notes, formulae and jottings
cover the carpet and overflow
from the wastebasket! A cold
sweat beads your brow as the
enormity of the task facing you
finally sinks in !
No, it's not the setting for a
new adventure, merely
memories of schooldays with
examinations looming! Did you,
like many others, find the task of
revision a daunting prospect? I
certainly did and. on more than
one occasion, remember
rushing to the nearest branch of
a certain high street bookseller
to search the shelves for those
little packets of revision cards!
I doubt that the task of cram
ming for exams has become any
less onerous but at least, in this
age of the computer, you can
test yourself with a whole range
of programs which, to a certain
degree, allow more flexibility
than a textbook with the added
benefit of less pieces of paper!
Letts, the producers of those
aforementioned little cards,
have also branched out into the
software scene and have now
introduced a computerised version
of their Keyfacts for
students of O Level, GCE, CSE
and GCSE Chemistry. At
£ 1 1.50 the suite of programs is
not cheap, but you do get nine
programs for your money. The
programs have been designed to
test your knowledge and to
develop your deductive facility.
The suite covers the follow
ing areas: Atomic structure and
bonding. Periodic tables, Formulae,
Chemical deductions,
Electrolysis, Apparatus, Acids
bases and salts and Organic
Chemistry. The programs come
on two tapes in a substantial
wallet together with a pamphlet
outlining the programs and a
suggested list of further study
aids (including little packs of
cards!)
The programs themselves
are equally substantial in terms of
what they actually contain, but
my overall impression is that the
package has 3 rather 'bitty' ap
proach. This is not to denigrate
the actual Chemistry content
which seems to cover well the
areas concerned, it is merely the
way that the whole thing has
been presented.
The presentation, I suppose,
is not that vital when you are only
concerned with the facts and
exercises, but it seems rather
unfortunate, for example, to go
to the lengths of a specially
designed title screen only to
have it disappear after a few
seconds while the rest of the
program loads to an empty
screen, loading time is long
enough as it is!
Programs
However, on to the programs
themselves. The first program.
Atomic structure and bonding,
is one of several that use a com
prehension approach to learning.
A passage is presented and
the user then has to fill in the
missing words, much in the
style of the standard 'cloze' pro-
cedures. Now this is not
necessarily a bad approach, but
when half of the words have little
relevence to the chemical
aspect of the passage I can see
no reason to adopt this approach.
Words such as 'the',
'and' etc. certainly did not test
my knowledge of Atomic bon
ding.
The passage, (there is only
one) is subject to five levels of
difficulty, the harder the level
the more words missing. At the
hardest level I can see some
point, but at the easiest it tests
very little except your eyesight
(cyan text on white paper!)
The 'Periodic table' program
tests your knowledge of the
location in the periodic table ot
some of the more familiar
elements. Alternatively, you can
select options which require you
to apply your understanding of
the electronic configuration of
atoms.
'Formulae and equations' requires
you to determine reac
tants and products. You also
need to complete equations or
organize a selection of
chemicals to produce a valid
balanced equation. This program
is awkward at first, as
subscript numbers have been
asigned to graphics keys, this is
rather fiddly, as are some of the
other inputs required, but soon
grasped.
'Chemical deductions' tests
your overall knowledge of
Chemistry by supplying clues
about the nature of a substance
which has been randomly
selected. In Electrolysis' a random
combination of electrolytes
is selected and you are required
to identify the ions present, say
which electrode they migrate to,
identify the preferred reaction at
each electrode and compile the
ionic equation for each electrode
reaction.
Apparatus' puts you back into
the lab selecting the correct
apparatus for the preparation of
thirteen gases. Your selections
are examined and the correct ap
paratus is drawn. You are then
required to provide a balanced
equation.
In Acids, bases and salts'
you have to complete descrip
tive passages and examine
given reactions for validity. You
can also see how pH levels
change during acid-base titrations.
The 'Organic Chemistry' programs
are in two parts, one being
the missing word passage, at
the end of which the content is
represented diagramatically.
The second requires you to identify
isomers, homologues and
compounds with similar reactivity.
Chemistry being the complex
animal that it is I make no
apologies for the descriptions
above, these being necessary to
give a fair picture of the programs.
As a package this covers
almost everything that the exam
student is likely to require.
Graphics, where applicable, are
competent and the complete
suite goes a long way to making
the subject more approachable
and enjoyable. Although competent
I feel the overall presenta