Title: GCSE Maths

Publisher: Europress Software Ltd.

Age Range: Up to Junior Certificate/Transition Year

Curriculum Area: Mathematics

Summary:
This program is suitable for use up to the Junior Certificate and possibly Transition Year Students in the area
of Mathematics. In general it is a very good package that covers key areas in the curriculum for example
Numbers, Algebra, Shape, and Handling Data. The topics are laid out in sequence. Instant feedback is given
to the pupils. Their overall performance is given as a percentage and is also seen on the progress bar. The pupils
have three levels or tiers to work with which will cater for different abilities in the class. The teacher has also the
option to design his/her own course from the material in the program, which allows the teacher to omit areas
of the program for a later stage.

Overview of teaching with this title:
The pupils will have to receive an introduction to the topics that are covered in the program, e.g. the word algebra etc.
however the program covers the topics in good detail. The program covers the following topics: 1. Algebra
2. Numbers 3. Shape, Space & Measure 4. Handling data The program provides very good feedback to the
pupils in three different ways and explains what the pupils should have done in the case of getting an incorrect
answer. No corresponding worksheets are provided for use in the classroom afterwards. The feedback to
the pupils is excellent. The pupils can all work at different speeds that can be saved and returned to in the next
class. The package covers a wide range of abilities and the pupils can all be working at the different levels
from intermediate, to foundation or higher.

Content:
The content for most of the program is very good. Five mathematical experts take the pupils through the
material. The material is well laid out in step form. As part of the questions at the end of a topic the pupils
have to arrange the "key steps" in order. A summary of each section is also given at the end of a topic.
The pupils have the use of a calculator, a unit table and an equation editor throughout the program.
The teacher/pupil has control over the level of difficulty by selection foundation, intermediate or higher
at the beginning thus eliminating certain material if desired. The teacher has also the option to design his/her
own course from the material on the program; this can be saved and recalled when needed. All topics are
grouped together and follow a sequence of developing ideas. The program covers a variety of learning
modes including visual, aural and numerical. The material is very accurate and up to date. The language
is appropriate to the pupils who will be using it and works best when the pupils are working in pairs.

Design and Navigation:
The on screen help is available and appropriate at all times in the form of a tutorial but the way it is presented
I feel is difficult for the pupils to understand. Without having gone through the documentation at first it would
be difficult to work with the software. The introductory sequence is very short and at a point can be by-passed.
An individuals work can be saved and can be recalled on return to the section. The program gives instant
feedback in the form of either "correct" or "incorrect" to pupils' answers. The pupil is asked at the start to select
a level from foundation, intermediate or higher. When the pupil has completed a set of questions and hasn't got
them right, the pupils are told that they have not received their selected level and are asked to try more. A
percentage system is also used to indicate the pupil performance as well as a progress bar that indicates their
progress in individual sections and their progress in the overall package. No printing is available of any records
for the pupils.

Installation and Use:
:The product loads quickly and responds quickly to input from a pupil with either "correct" or "incorrect".
When the answer the pupil gives is incorrect it also gives an explanation of what the pupil should have done.

Supporting Documentation:
Documentation is provided as part of the software. It includes loading and running instructions and these are
divided separately within the documentation. Sufficient information is given in the documentation to know
what the software does without having to run the software but would be difficult for a student to understand.
No worksheets or resources are provided for use in the classroom to follow up on the computer work.
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