Seminar on a Disk : Windows/Fundamentals 3.1

Those learning methods based around a computer terminal can take either the basic form of a demonstration or involve interactive elements.  The latter is perhaps the more sophisticated, with the obvious advantages of engaging the student.  Computer based packages can be further supported with audio commentary/instruction, video demonstration, the more traditional printed manual/guide book and the human instructor.  How different methods of computer training can be integrated effectively is a key consideration.  Which approach is best is also a question of resources (both in development and use) as much as which is the most preferred teaching method.

Seminar on a Disk provides a computer based interactive tutorial with an illustrated manual containing a textual explanation, command summaries and further exercises.  The idea is to remove the need for a human instructor and provide a cost effective method to allow learning to take place at the students own pace and convenience.

Seminar on a Disk: Windows 3.~1 / Fundamentals is one of a series of interactive PC based training packages.  The series as a whole covers an impressive range of packages, for example spreadsheets, word processors, databases etc.  Different levels of expertise.  Each comes with the interactive tutorial on a disk with a supporting manual containing further exercises, hints and tips.  The full list of titles currently available is given at the end of this review.

Installation

The interactive tutorial requires a mouse, hard disk and a colour ~EGA, ~VGA monitor.  For the tutorial itself the Windows software is not actually required.  Rather the tutorial is a constrained simulation of Windows, using a series of Windows screens displayed in accordance with your actions.  Consequently the program uses a large number of graphics which mean that when unpacked from its two disks the tutorial occupies about ~3MB of hard disk space.  Another consequence of this is that Windows simulation appears using the larger ~VGA icons even on a machine supporting Super ~VGA.  This, however, does have the desirable property of making the icons and buttons that much larger and hence more accessible.

Windows Fundamentals Review

The tutorial can be started from the DOS prompt.  The manual gives initial instructions on how to install and start the package, along with a note of the conventions on how to enter keyboard commands.  The conventions are also summarised within the interactive tutorial itself, in a short "Instructions" section.  The instructions introduce you to the idea that the tutorial is part of a four stage approach to learning how to work within the Windows enviro~mnent.  The four parts are shown in figure 1.

Figure I Initial screen (Omitted from this version)

How to control the tutorial is also explained.  The 'advance' button, takes you through the tutorial when you are not asked to perform a specific action.  This button introduces the Windows convention of being 'greyed out' when not available.  It is also good to see that it is of a relatively large size.  Even the novice mouse owner should be able to correctly position the mouse pointer for a successful click.  There's no 'backward' button, which means to review anything you have missed you have to review the current topic from the beginning.

This is not problem since each topic is relatively short and well supported in the manual (each
of the ten lessons is broken up into several topics).

Figure 2 (Omitted from this version)

Presentation is biased towards clarity rather than stunning design.  Text appears white on black in a simple box consistently placed on the screen (see figure 2). Instructions about which key to press or what action to perform are indicated in blue.  Compared with the brief tutorial that comes as part of Windows 3.1 itself (you can access this form the help menu in Program Manager) the presentation of the Windows Fundamentals tutorial seems somewhat basic.  This basic design is, however, effective in conveying information and the product does have some nice conveying information and the product does have some nice touches (such as the opening animation and rather inoffensive looking fish who for reasons best known to himself occasionally drifts across the screen).  Interaction is maintained by requiring frequent and varied input from the mouse and keyboard.  It seems this is a far better approach than using a more passive demonstrations.  The tutorial copes well with clicking, double clicking actions which are performed to a specific location.

When it comes to dragging icons and re-shaping windows (where more than one correct response is possible) the tutorial demonstrates what to do rather than allowing the student to perform the action.  Such demonstrations are not frequent and given the problems that recognising multiple correct responses cause from a programming perspective, this is perhaps not surprising.  Overall the tutorials way of detecting a correct answer doesn't appear that sophisticated, in a single correct response is sought in each case.  One other area where this comes up is that although you are introduced to different ways of performing actions in Windows (either by clicking or using the keyboard) the tutorial recognises only the particular one requested.  Thus the tutorial works fine as long as you stick to the instructions, but exploring beyond this gives no response.

Due to Windows' graphical environment, correctly clicking on an icon or button does achieve a clearly visible result.  Equally an incorrect response produces a flashing error message accompanying beep and more importantly a red arrow (of the non-airborne variety) pointing to the area you should have pressed.  Other than the humiliating beep there is no penalty for mistakes but neither is there any extra advice beyond the indicative arrow.

Learning by doing is re-enforced by repeating the various commands to move and maximise your Windows.  This is both done during the interactive tutorials and in the manual based exercises (which all start at the DOS prompt).  As the steps are repeated you are introduced to the various alternative ways of performing the same action, for example A~LT then F access's the file menu, as does clicking the word File on the menu bar.  Learning these alternatives becomes an important part of the way you use the Windows environment, the extent you use the mouse as compared to the keyboard is largely a matter of taste (and past experience) and with a few functions some are significantly easier to achieve with one of the two methods (and in some applications a combination of both).

Beyond starting and manipulating Windows and menus, the fundamentals course moves to consider how to use the File Manager.  Like other applications the file manager can be customised and allows you to copy and move files in groups or on their own.  From my own experience this can be best achieved using the mouse and keys together and as you would hope this approach is explained in Windows fundamentals.

Due to the ease of moving text and graphics between applications you begin to use a far greater range of software than you would when using DOS - using a particular package for the task for which it is best suited.  Thus to get the most out of Windows it is important to appreciate you can work in different ways.  With this in mind its nice to see that Windows Fundamentals devotes a whole lesson to Sharing and Transferring information between applications.

The course ends neatly with a 'Help on Help' lesson.  Windows help facilities are common to most Windows applications.  Each are based on a standard set of commands and offer different ways to search for help on a particular topic.  Briefly, you can use normal search facilities to find a particular word or give an alphabetical listing and once receiving help can receive help/definitions on the terms used.  Once you're familiar with the system its far easier than searching for the relevant documentation.

Each lesson in the interactive tutorial is paralleled by explanation in the manual.  There is text summary of what you encounter in the tutorial.  This is followed by a step by step guide to individual commands you have encountered (e.g. how to delete a progra~m item, how to maximise a group).  The alternative ways of performing the same action are also included, making it a useful reference source.

Each lesson ends with exercises that you can try in Windows itself (as opposed to the simulated tutorial version).  The approach is a clear list of 'What you do or type ~" and a corresponding "What happens".  Each exercise starts at the DOS prompt so you can easily complete them in which ever order you prefer without having to look elsewhere in the manual.  The text is thoughtfully written, allowing for the fact that the appearance of Windows will depend upon how it was left by the last user and is interspersed with hints and tips.

Conclusions of a Windows user

Having been using the Windows environment on a PC for about six months, much of what I encountered was not new to me.  Even so the tutorial didn't appear overly slow and as you work through the topics in each lesson you really feel you are making progress.  The 'hands on' exercises take only a few minutes so you could easily do them around your other work.  The manual did contain some extra information that I hadn't picked up, mainly additional keyboard shortcuts.  Whilst all the keyboard shortcuts are at the back of the Windows manual itself, in the Windows Fundamentals you are told what you need to know and in a more helpful environment.

Overall the package is well planned and even the novice should find it easy to make rapid progress.  Even for the more experienced user the Fundamentals course does have some important advantages.  It introduces you to using a number of programs in conjunction and give you a idea of how by using the keyboard, mouse and the supporting applications you can get the most from your machine.

Matt ~Ayres
University of Portsmouth

Seminar on a Disk products are produced by InfoSource Inc. and distributed in the ~UK and Europe by NCC Blackwell ~(Tel 06~1 228 6333).  Prices range from £~39.99 - £65 - educational discounts ~o up to 20% are available.

Seminar on a Disk products currently available are: Lotus ~1-2-3 Fundamentals; Lotus ~1-2-3 Database Management,.  Lotus 1-2-3 Graphics; Lotus ~1-2-3 Macros; 1-2-3 for Windows Fundamentals,. ~1-2-3 for Windows Database; Quattro Pro Fundamentals; Quattro Pro Intermediate,.  Excel for Windows Fundamentals; Wordperfect Fundamentals;  Wordperfect Advanced,.  Word for Windows,.  Paradox; ~DBASE,.  PC and DOS Fundamentals; DOS 5 Fundamentals; Windows Fundamentals; Harvard Graphics Fundamentals.