Reviewed by Holly Buckland
SCHOOL SUBJECTS: Problem solving, Higher order thinking skills, Creativity, Imagination, Math, Science
GRADE LEVEL: 4th grade and up
PLATFORM USED FOR EVALUATION: MacPowerPC
HARD DISK OR CD-ROM?:CD-ROM
TIME TO PLAY: unlimited
RATING: 8.5
The third module called Head to Head is used with two players. You must solve the puzzle with a friend. You each take turns adding parts to the puzzle from the parts bin. Each player is only allowed to take one part from the bin during one turn. This creates a cooperative environment for using the problem solving games where the players must discuss and plan their next moves to achieve the given goal. Each player's turn is timed in this module.
The On-Line manual may be accessed at any time from the tool bar to get information about the software's use, modules, features and much more. It is easy to maneuver and understand, even for beginners. This module may be printed for quick reference. which may be especially helpful for beginners because you may print out information and pictures about the various parts and what they do when you use them in a puzzle.
The Sign In module give you a place to keep track of your progress with the various puzzles. You may enter in you own name and sign in each time you enter the program to keep track of your progress.
The sixth module is called Walk-Through. It is similar to Professor Tim's workshop, but this time he is prompting you through the steps to build a puzzle. He tells you how many parts to choose and when to name your goal and puzzle. This is a good place to start if you need guidance and have never built your own puzzle before.
When you are in each module you can navigate easily to another by using the tool bar at the top of the screen. There is sound in the program during certain parts of it. The main character in the program, Professor Tim tells you the goals when you are involved in the puzzle module. Sound occurs sometimes when you click okay and get different parts and tools.
Unfortunately there is only a Professor Tim and not a Professor Tina as well. He is the only human pictured in the program. I do think this is a great program for young girls and women because it shows the ways various gears and tools work which girls might not otherwise be using in everyday occurrences. I do hope in the next version they include a woman Professor. Also, I would like to see an easier way of navigating to the explanation of the various parts located in the parts bin. I was able to dig in to the online help to find it, however it was not readily accessible as I would like to see it. It would great to be able to click on parts while they are in the bin and get an explanation of what they do. (It is only possible to get an explanation once you have selected the part and dragged it to the workshop screen, then you can click on the magnifying glass.)
Once students have a grasp of how that various tools and parts work they should try the even more creative modules of the program, like Professor Tim's Workshop, that helps them create their own puzzles. If all the students do this then they could exchange puzzles and try to solve each others. This could be a really challenging and motivational activity. Math and Science are both used in this program. Students see how various parts work and move. It is almost like an on-line Erector set! The students can experiment with the gears and scenery, as well as name a specific goal and work to get the computer to do this. Angles and direction are important components in placing objects to achieve the goal of the puzzle.
If there are some kids in your class that are somewhat intimidated by the lack of structure they can use the module called Build a Puzzle with Professor Tim. Tim help to prompt the students creativity. I know students would get hours of pleasure and important skills out of this program. I hope you choose to check it out and use it in your classroom!