Mitosis and Meiosis: An Interactive Approach, 3rd edition

www.illuminationed.co.uk/products/MitosisAndMeiosis3.htm

KS4 (Years 10 - 11)

Science

Description

Having evaluated a previous version of this excellent program, I was eager to see how the package had been improved upon. The original version was almost flawless, but the publishers have found several ways to extend this imaginative piece of software without losing any of the simple interface. It can be difficult to teach the concepts of meiosis and mitosis, so any package that makes it easier to do so is invaluable. This package ensures that the user is able to learn about both processes in a variety of ways without ever feeling confused by the subject matter. It really is one of the best subject-specific packages I have ever used.

Supporting Documentation

The CD-ROM comes with a 4-page booklet insert which guides the user through the contents of the disc. A detailed guidebook is also available on the disc which gives an itemised description of how to use all aspects of the software. All or part of this book can be printed as necessary.

Technical Support

The insert contains contact details for the publisher and the guidebook on disc expertly describes how the user can load and set up the software to suit their own needs.

Purpose of the Program

This package has one clear aim - to visually explain the concepts of meiosis and mitosis in an entertaining way. Quizzes and a glossary help to reinforce the knowledge gained and the ease of use of the package makes it suitable for teacher-led presentations or self-study.

I am hugely impressed with the quality of the animations, as they are simply drawn and are presented at a pace that is neither too fast or too slow. If students want to play the animations at a different speed they can, and the publishers are to be applauded for allowing this to be a variable that the user can alter. These animations combine with a collection of tests which can be used to assess and monitor the progress of each student at the end of each section. Images used in the tests also means there is no bias towards text-based questions which is important in this highly visual topic.

Curriculum Relevance

This program is well geared towards the topic of meiosis and mitosis in both A-level and GCSE Science or Biology courses. As such, it would be an extremely valuable resource for any Science Department to own.

Extent

This package completely covers the topic of meiosis and mitosis at A-level and GCSE level. Therefore, although it may seem to be a rather specialised disc, its usefulness and relevance cannot be overestimated.

Appropriateness

The software has been redesigned to include new features that make it even more useful in the classroom. As the interface allows the user to set their own pace, this really is a flexible approach to computer-assisted learning that many other publishers could learn from. The content is entirely suitable for the target audience and the sympathetic tone of the audio commentary is one of the best and most noticeable features of this package.

Quality

The animations and worksheets are extremely well written and designed. The content is clear and although the narration and text track are sympathetically constructed, they are perfectly suited to the target audience. The pace of the animations is configurable, enabling students to work at a pace that suits their individual needs.

The text version of the narration ensures that hearing-impaired users are able to miss nothing of the high quality content on this disc. The fact that students can choose different levels of access at any point (A-level or GCSE) means that it is perfectly configurable to the ability of any student by the teacher or the student themselves. All the handouts themselves are available at different levels.

This package completely covers the topic of meiosis and mitosis at A-level and GCSE level. Although its content is very specialised, it presents complex content to the user in such an endearing and enjoyable way that the difficult concepts of meiosis and mitosis are made approachable to all users. This new version offers some improvements of functionality to an already impressive product. The changes to the interface have made it even more easy to use and the online quizzes and animations are simply superb. This program not only stands out from the crowd, it sets the benchmark by which other similar products should be measured. The credentials of the production team reads like a 'who's who' in the field of Biology and is very impressive - having this information available reassures the user that they are indeed using a package that is a cut above the others on the market.

Product Overview

This product is published by Illumination Educational Software (Tel: 0151 522 0356)