Reviewer Name: Vincent E. Buggs Date: 30 Sep 2006
Title of Software: U.S.A Puzzle
Software Version: First
Medium (e.g., disk, CD, Internet based only): CD
Software Publisher: Juan B. Fleitas Year Published: 2001
Cost: $12.00
Website (URL) where software is located: http://edu-puzzles.com/
Targeted Grade(s) /Age(s): 7-12 Grade/ 12-18 Ages
Subject(s): Developmental base of U.S. Geography (Social Studies-History)
Syste requirements: PC- Microsoft Windows 95 or higher, CD-ROM drive, VGA 640X480 Minimal
URL of the website: http://edu-puzzles.com (Educational Software)
Part II: Evaluating Software Using Different Criteria.
Criteria:
Brief Overview: USAP is a geography program aimed to improve the knowledge base of students in U.S. geography and the U.S. Constitution. USAP is easy to run, it runs directly from the CD. USAP is developed with databases developed from national atlas, census, and American library. The program is designed with seven baseline tabs with various subjects under each tab: Geo quiz, Hidden word, Tables and List are just a few of the tabs designed in the program. The program has many different categories under each tab. A few of the categories are: state animals, state flowers and the U.S. Constitution which a student can work in order to enhance their geographical knowledge.
Educational Value: U.S.A Puzzle (USAP) is a beneficial educational tool that supports social studies and history lessons. USAP's has vast categories and fields to actively allow students to continually learn and enhance their understanding of U.S. geography and U.S. Constitutional amendments on state ratification. USAP does not measure the ability level of a student but it does provide an educator an idea of how much geography a student understands if the educator drafts up a worksheet to go along with the program. USAP can be administered to Grade levels 7-12. USAP can be used as a simple kinetic learning tool to extend the already covered material with visual format information.
Depending on the educator’s abilities to institute a clear lesson plan and incorporating USAP as a tool, student’s interest may vary. USAP is a visual program which does not include bells and whistles but wonderful graphics. USAP is at the mercy of the attention span of the user, sight is the only human sense that is stimulated during this program. USAP, large data base encompasses a vast volume of geography information with clear color scheme and a three dimensional map of the United States.
USAP has a baseline tool bar with seven subjects listed. Each subject is easy to read and understand: Geo quiz, Grill, Hidden word, Jigsaw, List, Patch words, Scrambled States, Tables and Trivia. Each tab and program list includes the instructions on how to do the activity, which means you do not have to open a PDF file or Readme word document. USAP is designed with several fields. One is Geo Quiz, which allows a student to pick their home state and see if they know the state capital, state population and land mass and key information in social studies. Another field is the Grill. It lists items such as: State flowers, State nicknames and several other things to name a few; the goal of the Grill is to challenge students to properly spell the name of the states. The trivia tab list large number of questions about state mottos, population, rivers and trees. Each tab has a variety of items associated with it to keep challenging the user.
Now looking at learning styles, USAP does not address various learning styles or learning disorders. It is a base program for non-learning disorder students. It is a wonderful memory tool but I have no information supporting the software being tested with student having a learning disorder. I think certain students with mild autism could use the program and do quite well with it. USAP builds memory skills and culture knowledge of U.S. States. The design of the program is engineered to make the overall user reinforce their memory skills. The program does not measure the shortfalls but an educator could produce an outside format to measure the skill sets and shortfalls of students.
Interest Level: USAP is user friendly with very simple installment tools. The product design is very visual and the open screen is wonderfully colored and graphically developed. USAP is an outstanding tool to accommodate history or social studies lesson plans. USAP could hold the interest of grade levels 7-12 with some support of an outside reward system. USAP challenges the user to think and research for their answers. In today’s fast food society give me the quick and easy answer, the program could be highly challenging for some students who lack good spelling and research skills. The format of the program is easy to follow and the instructions are included in the exercise the user is executing. USAP does lack sound and innovative interactive images which in today’s generation is sometimes considered primitive. USAP is inviting when presented in game show format or group work presentation. If used alone a worksheet needs to be included so the student has some form of completion. USAP does not score or track a student’s level of knowledge but what it does do is reinforces or prepares students for an idea of the next subject in geography.
Ease of Use/Installation: USAP can be loaded on any PC running Windows 95 and above MAC version not available. Loading USAP is a simple process. All one needs to do is insert the CD. Once the USAP is running is a very simple program to navigate. The average 7th grader could start operating the program with very little supervision or guidance. The website and software publisher is Juan B. Fleitas. Mr. Fleitas will return emails in a timely manner, I sent him an e-mail and he did respond. The website for USAP is a very simple website to navigate, all one has to do is click on the jpeg or name of the product they want. The website offers several other programs such as addition and subtraction software. The website does not give an educator many ideas on how to apply or use the software in a lesson plan. The website only requires adult supervision when it comes time to purchase items.
Absence of Bias: The program has no bias of gender or social economic impacts. The program is clearly designed to help students learn about America. The program comes in one language: English. The program would be a key educational tool for immigrates learning about America..
Part III: Overall (Holistic) Evaluation of Software
I do recommend this software for grades 7-12.
Choose a rating for the software you reviewed: 3 (Scale: 5= excellent 1 = poor)
Explanation: The reason for the 3 rating is the lack of sound or moving parts. You can not save data into the program or track a student’s progress. Even, with these shortfalls USAP is an outstanding product because geography is the baseline of teaching history or social studies. After searching the web and reviewing many products, USAP struck my interest because of the many actives built in it. USAP would be a good product for schools with a limited budget. As a teacher USAP should be applied as a support tool to the lesson plan. USAP can use in a game format, group project and a homework reinforcement tool.
Another fact is USAP exercises a students keyboard and memorization skills. I think USAP is like any software if applied properly students will use it. USAP vivid colors give it an edge up on the non-technological color paper; fill in the blank U.S map. Traditional geography is taken to another level with USAP’s vast activities tabs. As a teacher I would apply USAP in my lesson plan as reinforcement tool or a research tool. It could also be used as an extra credit tool during breaks as long as the educator develops a good questionnaire. USAP is my selection because I would want a product that I have to develop things to co-exist with my lesson plan, instead of getting a product that gives me all the answers and status of my students. In some ways USPA gives me that balance for my teaching style.
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