PUBLISHER Microsoft Corporation Canada 1994
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS To play the dialogue and music excerpts, video clips and to display text and graphics in Microsoft Dangerous Creatures you need: ¥ A multimedia PC that includes a 386sx or higher microprocessor, at least 4 MB of RAM, 2.5 MB of available hard disk space, CD Rom drive, audio board and a VGA (for 16 colour support) display. ¥ MS-DOS operating system version 3.1 or later. ¥ Microsoft mouse or compatible pointing device. ¥ Headphones or speakers.
VALUE JUDGEMENT The program Dangerous Creatures can be distributed within the package when purchasing a new PC whereby the consumer is given the choice of Encarta or Dangerous Creatures. Dangerous Creatures can be also purchased from any of the local reail computer outlets in Launceston at the cost of $39.00. At this low cost it would be advantageous for every primary classroom to have acces to the program as it offers a vast amount of imformation and detail on the different animals in the world and students can be introduced to the multi media of audio and visual simultaneously.
EASE OF USE Dangerous Creatures is a program that is extremely easyu to operqate and is suitable for students fron a seaarly as kindergarten through to late secondary school uears. Once the program has been installed and dowloaded (by the teacher) the studeeents are able to acceess the programby inserting the CD abd then clicking ont he icon Dangerous Creatures. From there the students will be able to enter and choose which area they would like to utilise by clicking on the various options available on the bottom of the screen or by clicking on the symbols and highlighted words on the screens using the mouse as a control.
DOCUMENTATION ACCOMPANYING Complete with the CD is a booklet with explicit instructions on how to operate the program Dangerous Creature, as in the setting up the program, starting the program, exiting the program and of getting help throughout the program. Dangerous Creatures also comes with an overview movie that teaches the basics of using the program. The overview movie can be viewed when the programs first started upon it can also be viewed whenever chosen by double clicking on the Dangerous Creatures icon. There are no student worksheets accompanying this program but that can be left for the teacher to organise which would depend on the level of the students operating the program and what they were using the program for.
FRAMEWORK NATURE The program Dangerous Creatures is and educational software package. The contents of the program Dangerous Creatures is fixed in that the operator can not change or add to the contents in any way. However, the program offers students the opportunity to explore and research the different animals through the multimedia of audio and visual. Students are also able to print their chosen text and pictures from the program.
DESCRIPTION OF OPERATIONS The program Dangerous Creatures promotes the modes of exploration in control of the mouse and of exploration ion research through the utilisation of written key links and of symbols. The key lines can be utilised through clicking the mouse on the highlighted written words, the option boxes on the bottom of the screen that are pictures or by clicking the mouse on the symbols the screen such as: video clips which is shown by the symbol of a film strip or of dialogue which is shown by the symbol of a loud speaker. As the program Dangerous Creatures is a visual and audio media it therefore caters for the needs of the varying abilities of all students.
OBSERVATION OF TARGET STUDENT The two students I observed operating the program were Peter and Lauren both aged 6 years and although they were of the same academic level they both had different results with the program. Firstly I opened the program and showed them the basics of using the mouse button as the control by clicking on the option boxes on the bottom of the screen. I also showed them the option box BACK which would take them back to their previous screen. That is basically all that I showed them as I wanted them to explore for themselves. Once in the program Peter raced along by clicking the mouse on the various options. He did not ask many questions as he enjoyed and felt confident experimenting and exploring on his own. Peter was able to access the audio for himself and he immensely enjoyed listening to the narration given. He then found access to the video clips and then went back through the screens finding all the most gruesome of insects and animals that he could find to view using the video clips. Lauren on the other hand was a lot more hesitant. She would try and read most of the text on the screen before moving onto another screen. Lauren was not a confident as Peter in exploring the various options available and I interjected and showed her the audio option and she than sat and listened to what was being narrated. I then showed her the video clip option which again she immensely enjoyed. On questioning both students later, I found that Peter was able to access note of the options available than Lauren, however Lauren was able to give more accurate information on a specific animal that she chose to investigate. Overall, they both really enjoyed the program and their favourite part was the video clips which showed how the creature moved. PeterÕs favourite was the snake.