Curriculum RelevanceThis title supports English 1 Speaking and Listening: There are abundant opportunities for group discussion about how to solve the problems. It could also be used to listen to descriptions throughout the adventure and listening to other children's ideas about possible solutions.
English 2 Reading: The software provides an excellent opportunity for children to show and apply their understanding of a text in order to work out what Barney needs to do next and how the problem was overcome in the text. Users could be encouraged to actually skim through the text alongside the computer, actually locating extracts that give clues. By using this title over a prolonged period I feel that children will gain a good understanding of story development. The problem scenario and solution format that we see in the adventure forms a solid basis for story writing.
The software can enable children to develop their reading comprehension skills alongside enjoyable problem solving activities. The title supports a range of information handling skills. Children have to remember many aspects and items during the adventure. Note taking could be encouraged as a means of jogging the memory. Design & NavigationA key strength of this title is its ease of use and flexibility for different users. There is no introductory sequence so I had to explain the basic input method and give a list of key commands.
For my class I was able to select the option for all commands to be inputted via pop-up menus, which took the emphasis away from spelling for most of them. From here all my children were away and able to focus on applying their reading and problem solving skills.
It is also possible to select/deselect speech and a visual reminder of which objects are being carried. The options facility also allows you to easily specify where you want children's game progress to be saved. Once this has been done all the children have to do is insert their name to create a saved game file. This is then easily reopened once the game is launched.
As well as inputting written commands the game also includes directional buttons, which really help speed up the basic navigational aspects. The language is appropriate for Key Stage 2 children. Ease of UseThis title is for child learner use and once a simple introduction into the input method has been completed the title can be used with minimal help or supervision. It is possible to print out a list of commands for the children to use at the beginning, or the drop down command menu can be selected. I found that highlighting the most commonly used commands was also a great help to many children.
Commands can only be inserted one at a time and correct spelling is crucial to input the desired command. The consistency of the input structure means that it should be very easy to pick up. Leaving and saving the software is very simple and children can select these options via on screen icons. Children need to save any progress, as they will not be asked to do this automatically upon leaving the game.
The supporting documentation is divided into several sections. These cover installation, explanations of how to use the set up options, save game details and meaning of icons. A different section provides the teacher with a walkthrough guide to the adventure with solutions to the problems and the order in which they are tackled. Towards the end of the booklet can be found a useful list of vocabulary commands and possible ideas for the ways in which Stig might be used in the classroom. Also in the box, comes a related topic web and a layout map showing the various places and scenes visited by Barney during the adventures. This was very useful when working through the problems following the walkthrough guide. I found that I could do this very quickly and it really helped me assist the children with hints when they were stuck. Special NeedsA clear advantage is that text can be spoken via clicking on the red lips. This option can be turned on or off by the teacher as desired. In it's purest form of having to enter all commands via a keyboard this title would have been far too difficult for most of my Year 3 children so I was very pleased that the option to select drop down command inputs was included. It enabled them to complete the adventure. CoursewareThis title is essentially an adventure game based around solving problems. The problems do not get progressively harder, but it is necessary to use previously acquired knowledge or objects to complete them.
Each problem involves interaction with either Stig or objects in the environment and requires some basic knowledge of realistic object usage. By typing Help very simple clues are given to help the child along. A feature of the title worth noting is that there are several opportunities for the child to make a wrong move and end up having to start over again. These normally occur when upsetting Gran, such as returning to the house with logs or chopping down the tree onto Stig's shelter.
A child cannot become stuck in the game as used up objects such as strings will automatically reappear upon revisiting that location. It is not possible to set the problem complexity, but as I mentioned earlier, options can be set to make inputting the commands simpler. Progress is saved but there is no indication of how far through the adventure the child is. ConclusionThis title was very popular amongst my class, but more for its qualities as an adventure 'game' than in any relation to Literacy skills. Some children had read the book, but most took their patchy awareness of the first three chapters from the excellent BBC series.
It does have motivational aspects for reluctant readers. I can see the way in which this title has been designed to support the text, but a lengthy period of study would be required to put it to best use.
Taking the title from a broader topic sense would give more options. I feel that my children developed their problem and communication skills through the use of this title as they logically thought through possible solutions together.
|
