The Web Site of Sandra Soucy

10th Grade World History & Civics

ASIA INSPIRER

Tom Snyder Productions

1-800-342-0236 / wwww.teachtsp.com

Grades 4 - 12

Geography / World History / World Cultures / Economics

Reviewed by Sandra Soucy

SOFTWARE DESCRIPTION: “Around the world in eighty days …” I found myself humming this tune as I navigated through Tom Snyder’s Asia Inspirer software. That flowing melody seemed appropriate as I traveled on a virtual tour around Asia in eighty minutes (or so). Asia Inspirer creates a virtual scavenger hunt. As students travel from country to country on their quests, they learn the location and the natural resources of Asian countries from the Mediterranean Sea to the Pacific Ocean. Asia’s role in world affairs continues to grow through the 21^st century. This program helps students learn about the various cultures, regions, and resources of the world’s largest continent.

An outstanding feature of this software is the division of the learning task into three levels of difficulty. Level One sends the students in search of one resource in regions of Asia. Level Two increases the difficulty by sending the students in search of two disparate resources. Level Three adds a final destination as the students search for the two resources. At each level, the students have ten steps to accomplish their goal. Use of the seven resource maps is an integral part of the search. Students must carefully plan before embarking on their trip. The goal is to accumulate points by finding the top countries with the designated resources. As an added incentive, there is a bonus question at the end of the journey, which earns extra points if answered correctly.

The program is further divided into three modes of operation. The whole class feature allows the teacher to guide the students using the classroom computer. The multiple team rotational choice allows the students to work in a cooperative group setting using the classroom computer. One team uses the computer as the other teams plan their routes. The single team option is designed for use in a computer lab or a classroom that has multiple computers. Each group utilizes its own computer to accomplish the task.

TECHNICAL QUALITY: This software is easy to install and run. Its navigational features provide an ease of use regardless of the user’s experience with computer programs. A click of the mouse is all one needs to make choices or move to the next step. In addition, the program is easy to demonstrate to the whole class before the students start their group work. The map key is easy to understand, and clicking on the “present location” icon brings up a menu to choose the next destination.

The program is a bit slow between choices, and the audio portion does little to enhance the program. Motor noises and musical sounds do more to annoy than to lend authenticity. The initial reminder for travel logs, pencils, and maps reinforces the need for the teams to plan ahead!

ACCURACY OF CONTENT: Although the maps accurately show national boundaries and give symbols for resources, this program could use some authentic photographs that depict the wide diversity of the continent of Asia. As each location is reached, a photo could pop up showing the resource in its natural location. For example, as the group tours Asia in search of rice, a photograph of a rice paddy in China could be displayed. If the category is population growth, the students could benefit from a photograph of the various peoples of Asia as each destination is reached. Also, a map depicting physical features and elevations accompanied by photographs of those features would enhance this program.

USE OF TECHNOLOGY: Asia Inspirer uses the available technology to make this program interactive and fun to use. It is a good tool to use to supplement learning units about the various regions of Asia. It can be adapted for learning activities in geography, history, economics, or world cultures. Although this software does not end with a student-created product, an innovative teacher could use it as one aspect to develop a unit artifact.

A useful feature of this program is the ability to set options. In addition to choosing the class mode and difficulty level, there is the option to have the teams work “head to head” on the same trip assignment, competing for times and points. Groups can save their results and compare scores. The starting region can be preset or left to the default random starting point. Timing can be set to 10, 20, or 30 seconds, or turned off altogether. Another important feature is the option for teams to undo moves, yet the “undo” feature can also be shut off for a greater challenge.

ROLE OF STUDENTS: This program is completely student centered. With only initial instruction from the teacher, students can work in a whole class setting or in teams to plan a route and find the resources. Since the menus and navigation buttons are easy to understand and use, students can work together to accomplish the goal. The points and timing features encourage the students to work efficiently. The ability to set the difficulty level allows the students to initially learn how to work the program and then advance through the levels. It also allows for differentiation among students with a variety of learning abilities. Students can be grouped according to ability level or placed in mixed ability groups where duties are divided and/or rotated.

ROLE OF TEACHER: The User’s Guide is thorough and easy to follow. It provides detailed explanations and clear instructions. The Walkthrough feature provides suggestions for class preparation. The Guide contains graphics of the computer screen at each step of the navigation. The Guide also provides Travel Logs and Resource Maps for duplication. In addition, lesson plans are included, together with optional maps for custom categories. With all of these features, the use of this program can be adapted and expanded beyond the prepared format.

CLASSROOM USAGE: With the option to differentiate by ability level and by group size, this program can be used by single users, small groups, or for whole class instruction. I believe this program would work best in groups of three to four students in a computer lab setting. The students can work together to plan trips, which promotes cooperation and discussion. They can then take turns choosing the next stop of their journey. If used with additional sources, students can go beyond the program to learn more about the countries they are visiting in their virtual tour.

CRITICAL SUMMARY: Overall, I am very excited about the possibilities this program offers. The tours are fun and challenging, and the software can be used as a first step in learning about Asian cultures. This is also its primary limitation. The software would be more useful if photographs, graphs, and facts could be displayed in pop-ups as each destination is reached. This could also be accomplished in a multimedia mode, if authentic sounds and video clips were added.

OVERALL RATING: 8 (ON A SCALE OF 1 TO 10)

EXPLANATION OF RATING: Asia Inspirer is an appropriate name for this program. As I worked through the steps I was inspired to learn more about Asia and its resources. The program is easy to use, contains accurate information, and provides challenging activities. It can be used as a tool in a variety of social studies courses, and its limitations can be overcome with the use of supplementary resources.