PC-SIG: World of Education

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Text File | 1993-07-18 | 17.3 KB | 522 lines

CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 HARD & SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS . . . . . . . 1 MAIN MENU WINDOW . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 USING A MOUSE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 VOICE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 MUSICAL REWARDS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 SUBMENUS OR LEVEL WINDOWS. . . . . . . . . 3 LASER BLAST. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 BUG NUMBERS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 APPLESPIDER. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 TIMESTABLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 ADDITION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Add Level 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Add Level 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Add Level 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Add Level 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 SUBTRACTION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Sub Level 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Sub Level 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Sub Level 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Sub Level 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 MULTIPLICATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Mul Level 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Mul Level 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Mul Level 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Mul Level 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 DIVISION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Div Level 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Div Level 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Div Level 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Div Level 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 ALGEBRA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 SOME FINAL NOTES . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 MOM' MATH The Manual INTRODUCTION The strength and prosperity of the U.S. has always relied on the level of our education and character of our people. Now, the education level in the U.S. is actually decreasing rather than increasing. Illiteracy is becoming common and knowledge of science and technology is becoming rare. In most U.S. Universities the foreign students specializing in science and technology now outnumber the American students. By placing this software on the market we hope to do our part to rectify this problem. This program is divided into 9 math options. These are Laser Blast, Bug Numbers, Applespider, Timestable, Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division, and Algebra. Multiple levels are provided to allow growth. HARD & SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS The minimum hardware requirements for running Mom's Math are 256K RAM and EGA graphics adapter. A mouse is optional. The minimum software requirement is DOS version 2.0 or higher. MAIN MENU WINDOW This window lists all the main options you may choose from. There are several ways to select an option from Main Menu. You may use the up or down arrow keys to highlight the desired option then press the ENTER key to accept the option. Or, you may press the key corresponding to the first letter of the desired option until the option is highlighted then press the ENTER key. You may also use the mouse to select an option as -1- described in the next section. Accept QUIT or press the ESC key to stop the program. USING A MOUSE If you have a mouse and have installed it's driver, you can use it in the option windows to select options. To select an option using the mouse just move the mouse cursor to the option you want then press the left button twice. The first press will highlight the option and the second press will select it. The right mouse button can usually be used in place of the escape key (ESC) to exit menus or options. Also, the left button can usually (not always) be used in place of the ENTER or RETURN key. Instructions are usually given on the screen to tell you when this is possible. If you're not using a Microsoft (tm) compatible mouse you may have trouble using Mom's Math. If so, turn off the mouse support in Mom' Math by pressing the t or T key during the opening screen. Tandy (tm) and Agiler (tm) mice are sometimes not Microsoft (tm) compatible. VOICE If you have purchased the voice files for Mom's Math, you can use this option to turn on the voice. If Voice is on and Musical Rewards is off you'll get voice compliments after each correct answer. If Musical Rewards is on, you'll get a musical reward after each correct answer. MUSICAL REWARDS You may or may not want the computer to make sounds. To turn the Musical Rewards off select this option from the -2- Main Menu. If you select ALWAYS, you'll get musical rewards for each correct answer and a beep for incorrect answers. If you select SOMETIMES, you'll get musical rewards for every 100 points. If you select NEVER (OFF), all sound will be off except for Voice. Voice is controlled separately. SUBMENUS OR LEVEL WINDOWS Most options have submenu windows. These windows are used to select learning levels or to choose a particular suboption. Choose from these menus using the same techniques as in Main Menu. In particular, use the mouse, arrow keys, or the key corresponding to the first letter of the option to highlight the desired option then press the ENTER key or the left mouse button to accept. Accept Return, or press the ESC key, or press the right mouse button to return to Main Menu. LASER BLAST This is an exciting game that entertains and teaches quantity. First, a number of space ships are shown. Then, colored numbers begin to float across the screen. The object of the game is to shoot the correct number with the laser. The correct number is the one that equals the number of space ships. To shoot, simply push the SPACE BAR. To get numbers 0 through 4, start the game by choosing the first option. To get numbers 5 through 9 choose the second option. Obviously, most pre-schoolers should start with the numbers 0 through 4. Points are given for each hit. The faster you play, the more points given. The speed can be increased by using the > key and decreased using the < key. To return to Main Menu press ESC. -3- BUG NUMBERS This option teaches the concept of multi-digit numbers. You are shown three large boxes. The box on the right will have 0 to 9 large individual bugs. The center box will have smaller bugs grouped in clusters of 10 each. The box on the left will have very small bugs in groups of 100 bugs each. Your job is to find how many bugs are shown on the screen. You must first count the number of groups that contain 100 bugs each. Press this number on the keyboard. This gives you the most significant digit. Next, count the number of groups that contain 10 bugs and press this number key. This gives you the next most significant digit. Finally, count the number of large bugs on the right side and type this number. This gives you the least significant digit and you're done. Ten points and an animation are given for completion. APPLESPIDER This is a very exciting and intense game that drills you in basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division. From the Applespider opening screen choose Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, or Division. Next, you must choose the playing speed. Your options are Very Slow, Slow, Medium, Fast, or Very Fast. More points are given for playing faster. The applespider wants to eat your apple. You must prevent this by using the arrow keys to move the apple out of the spider's way. At the beginning you are given 10 free moves. To get more moves you must solve the equation at the bottom of the screen. For every correct answer you get five more moves and points are added to your score. As your score increases, the spider gets faster. Your Applespider score will get added to your total Math score only if you win the game. You win when you have -4- correctly answered 20 math problems. When this happens another apple will fall on the spider and squash him. As always, press ESC to stop. TIMESTABLE After selecting this option you'll have to select a level from one to seven. If you choose Level 5, for example, the number 5 will be used in the multiplication table. After you choose a level a worm will move that many apples onto the screen in one row. Then, you'll have to multiply that number by 1 to continue. Let's assume again that you chose the number 5. After you give the answer to 5 X 1 the worm will move another row of 5 apples onto the screen. You must now give the answer to 5 X 2. This continues until 5 rows are done. You can always find the answer by adding the total number of apples. When you're done just press the ESC key. You'll then be shown how many points you accumulated. More difficult multiplication tables give higher scores. ADDITION This option has four levels of difficulty. In each level the numbers are chosen at random. Add Level 1 In this beginner's level, stars are shown beside each number. The number of stars equals the number. For example, suppose you are asked to add the numbers 2 and 3. Beside 2 there will be two stars and beside 3 there will be three stars. To find the answer just count the number of stars, type the answer and press the ENTER key. After you've entered the correct answer you must press a key to continue. -5- Add Level 2 This level is exactly like Level 1 except the numbers are larger and the stars are not shown. Add Level 3 This level illustrates how to add multiple digit numbers by stepping you through the process. Again, all numbers are chosen at random. Active elements of the problem are highlighted by flashing the digits. Individual questions in the form of simple equations are shown at the bottom of the interactive window. A flashing cursor at the end of this equation indicates that an input is expected. If you enter the correct value it will be placed in its proper spot. The computer will beep if the answer is incorrect. When you've finished with the problem, you must press a key to continue. Add Level 4 This level is exactly like Level 3 except numbers with decimals are used. In each of these levels a complete correct answer is rewarded by the addition of 10 points to your score. If sound is on you'll also get a tune for every 100 points. You can press ESC to quit and return to Math Menu when you're done. SUBTRACTION This option has four levels of difficulty. In each level the numbers are chosen at random. Sub Level 1 In this beginners level, stars are shown beside each number. The number of stars equals the number. If you are asked to, for example, subtract 2 from 4 there will be two stars beside the number 2 and four stars beside the number 4. However, two of the four stars beside the number four will be blinking to indicate the two that will be taken away. Also, the two stars beside the -6- number 2 will be blinking. To find the answer just count the number of stars that are not blinking. After you've entered the correct answer you must press a key to continue. Sub Level 2 This level is exactly like Level 1 except the numbers are larger and the stars are not shown. Sub Level 3 This level illustrates how to subtract multiple digit numbers by stepping you through the process. Again, all numbers are chosen at random. Active elements of the problem are highlighted by flashing the digits. Individual questions in the form of simple equations are shown at the bottom of the interactive window. A flashing cursor at the end of this equation indicates that an input is expected. If you enter the correct value it will be placed in its proper spot. The computer will beep if the answer is incorrect. When you've finished with the problem, you must press a key to continue. Sub Level 4 This level is exactly like Level 3 except numbers with decimals are used. In each of these levels a complete correct answer is rewarded by the addition of 10 points to your score. If sound is on you'll also get a tune for every 100 points. You can press ESC to quit and return to Math Menu when you're done. MULTIPLICATION This option also has four levels of difficulty. Mul Level 1 This level is similar to Add & Sub Level 1 because you must count stars that do not blink to find the correct -7- answer. The difference is that the stars are grouped differently and there is only one line with stars. For example, suppose you are asked to find the product of 4 and 2. At the bottom, where the answer belongs, you will find two groups with four stars each. In other words, the computer has taken the four stars and placed them in the answer line twice. There is a total of 8 stars and they have been placed on the line where the number 8 belongs. Mul Level 2 This level is like Level 1 but larger numbers are used and no stars are displayed. Mul Level 3 This level leads you through long multiplication with multiple digit numbers. As in Add & Sub levels 3 & 4, active elements of the problem are highlighted by flashing the numbers. The instructions and questions to be answered are displayed at the bottom of the interactive window. The flashing cursor at the end of this question or equation is an indication that the computer is waiting for an input. Mul Level 4 Level 4 is identical to Level 3 except decimals are used. In each of these levels a complete correct answer is rewarded by the addition of 10 points to your score. You can press ESC to quit and return to Math Menu when you're done or press any other key to continue. DIVISION This option also has four levels of difficulty. Div Level 1 This level is similar to Add & Sub Level 1 because you -8- must count stars that do not blink to find the correct answer. The difference is that the stars are grouped differently and there is only one line with stars. If you are asked to, for example, divide 12 by 3 then beside the 12 will be placed three groups of stars with 4 stars in each group. Only one group will not be blinking. So, if you count the stars that do not blink, you'll find the correct answer to be 4. Div Level 2 This level is like Level 1 but larger numbers are used and no stars are displayed. Div Level 3 This level leads you through long division with multiple digit numbers. As in Add & Sub levels 3 & 4, active elements of the problem are highlighted by flashing the numbers. The instructions and questions to be answered are displayed at the bottom of the interactive window. The flashing cursor at the end of this question or equation is an indication that the computer is waiting for an input. Div Level 4 Level 4 is identical to Level 3 except decimals are used. In each of these levels a complete correct answer is rewarded by the addition of 10 points to your score. You can press ESC to quit and return to Math Menu when you're done or press any other key to continue. ALGEBRA This option also has four levels of difficulty. All four levels are basic introductory algebra but the difficulty level does increase slightly with each level. In each level you must solve for the unknown value of Y. Just follow the instructions and answer the questions, and the computer will lead you through the solution. When you see the cursor flashing, the computer is -9- waiting for an input. In all the Math options, the active parts of the equation are highlighted by flashing the numbers. Also, the final correct answer is rewarded by the addition of 10 points to your score. Press ESC to quit and return to Math Menu when you're done or press any other key to continue. SOME FINAL NOTES I hope you enjoy this software and your children learn much from it. I'll continue making additions, improvements, and corrections. Other software packages may be prettier but the fancy graphics require huge amounts of memory and, therefore, limit the utility of the software. I believe those software packages are all bun and very little meat. Mom's Math is designed to have just the right amount of both to make it useful and attractive. This software is dedicated to three people. First, to my wife for her patience as I've worked late nights and early mornings for the last 5 years writing this program. Second, to my 9-year-old adopted son who provided the motivation for this software. And, third, to the unwed teenage girl who gave birth to our son then gave him to us rather than choosing to terminate his life. I HAVE WORKED VERY HARD TO GET ALL THE BUGS OUT OF THIS PROGRAM. HOWEVER, I CAN NOT GUARANTEE THAT NONE EXISTS. WHEN YOU USE THIS SOFTWARE YOU MUST DO IT AT YOUR OWN RISK. I ACCEPT NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR DAMAGE THAT MAY OCCUR AS A RESULT OF ITS USE. Dr. Andrew Motes Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering John Brown University -10- All rights reserved, 1992 MOTES EDUCATIONAL SOFTWARE PO BOX 575 Siloam Springs, AR 72761