Software/Website Evaluation # 1

Software: English Key Stage 3 - Full Marks; CD-ROM, © Plus Factor Limited. Published by idigicon Ltd.; Web Site: www.idigicon.com

Grade/Age Level: Key Stage 3 (British education system); 11 to 14 age group

Language: English

Content: Standard Assessment Tasks (informally called SATs) for British junior secondary students in the subject area, English.


1) What is the intended purpose of the software?
A tutorial providing revision and testing in ten areas of English: Spelling; Punctuation; Prefixes & Suffixes; Parts of Speech; Writing and Reading Skills; Letters; Advertisements; Narratives; Articles; and Terms used in English.

Mainly entertainment-oriented, ‘designed to make revising for SATs Key Stage 3 more fun than ever thought possible.’

2) What is the content of the software and how is it presented?

A suite of English MCQs in ten English areas. Study notes also part of the package. The MCQ feature is more prominent. It is animated, sound-tracked, and in game format. A choice of four survival games, Jetman, Alien Diner, Rescue, and Pursuit, can be applied to any of the 10 areas or levels.

However, the player must also have good English competence in the various levels, good discriminatory skills and quick recall of grammar rules and language elements to complement his gaming skills. It is a single player game and the player gets 3 lives. The player can print his score card at the end of the game.

The revision notes feature is a dense and compact series of notes in MS Word on the Start menu page. This feature is overshadowed by the red game button that invites the player with the words ‘Start Game.’

3) What external documents does the software include? Are they effective?

There are no external documents, and this is one of the limitations of effective use. Two key elements of Key Stage 3, speaking and listening, could be incorporated, especially since the real Key Stage 3 syllabus does not include MCQs.

4) In what ways is the software interesting to the target audience?

The software was most likely created to appeal to 11 to 14 year-old males of a decade ago. The adolescent of today might find the software archaic. In fact, it is difficult to conceive of an adolescent in any era choosing to play an English Comprehension, Spelling, and Punctuation MCQ game.

The arcade features of the software may cause it to have limited appeal among female adolescents.

The software really targets educators and parents. Teachers and parents are the ones most likely to buy a game such as this, thinking that it would appeal to adolescents.

5) For what language goal(s) is this software useful/effective?

This software is likely to be most useful for peer group English language revision, but since only one player can play at a time, interest is likely to wane, especially since the test questions within each level increase in difficulty.

The revision notes feature is not likely to appeal, because there is too much text to wade through.

6) Does this program offer practice? Assessment? Feedback? Of what kinds?

The program offers practice, because it can be repeated as often as desired. The player can ‘pause’ the game by striking the spacebar at any point. Pausing the game offers the choice to exit, but not to consult the revision notes. If the player exits, the game is over. Pausing the game should be modified to also incorporate a feedback feature.

The program offers gratuitous feedback in the form of a flashing CORRECT, and with a bonus of extra lives if the player achieves a high score at any level. Negative sound-effects feedback occurs if the player makes the wrong choice on a question. The player then gets 2 more tries. After 3 wrong tries, the game is over.

The player can choose the option to see his/her score throughout the game to the right of the screen. At the end of the session player can print a report.

7) Is this software easy to use? (i.e., navigation, layout, etc.)

The software is easy to use. The navigation requires just the normal 4-point directional dragging of the mouse, and a left-click for the right answer.

A talking robot initiates the software with a Game Screen Help menu with arrows pointing to and labeling the icons of the game. Just click 4 icons to begin the game.

8) What are the strengths of this software?

The software is a self-monitoring, language learning, and assessment tutorial. It uses an entertainment format to motivate students toward language learning.

However, the ‘About the Program’ interface contains the following caveat: ‘As we cannot monitor the use of the software we recommend that you discuss the results with your class teacher, rather than rely on our assessment alone.’

This caveat suggests that a student can cheat or manipulate assessment outcomes.

9) How can this software be improved?

Make the revision notes more attractive, so that they would become more central to the language learning.

Less skill and drill, and more emphasis on language in context, especially in the early levels of the game, especially since it is well known that students do not always transfer language elements that they get correct in isolated spelling and punctuation exercises into their connected writing.

The suggestion above should be seriously considered, since Key Stage 3 English assessment uses short and long answer formats, and not MCQs. Format of the game could be aligned more with Key Stage 3 English syllabus, e.g. listening and speaking, components of the Key Stage 3 syllabus, could be included.

Feedback and assessment features should minimize guessing. Players could be directed to the relevant revision note when their answer is wrong, instead of being encouraged to guess.

External documents, e.g. additional passages should be included in the package, to extend its life and interest, since after a few sessions, all the plays are known.