I have chosen to review Ultra Key 4.0 which is available from the OSAPAC Database (http://www.osapac.org/dbOESS/dbOESSe2.asp?id=366). However, as I don’t teach in Ontario I have chosen this because it is the closest thing that I have available at my International School in Japan, which is Ultrakey 3.0. This program is essentially a drill & practice program which allows for a limited number of minutes per week of directed method of instruction. At our school we do it for 5 minutes before each class. Used properly this program is an excellent method for building required keyboarding skills. When reviewing this program I will base my review on pages 85-88 of Roblyer’s “Integrating Educational Technology Into Teaching” as well as Appendix 3, “Essential Criteria Checklist For Evaluating Instructional Courseware” found on page 320.
Instructional Design and Pedagogical Soundness
When looking at the courseware from this standpoint there are many strengths. The teaching strategy matches the students’ needs and is based on accepted methods. Having learned keyboarding skills without a program such as this the program itself teaches the skills in a similar method to the way that I learned. The order of operations makes sense starting with the Home Row keys and moving away from them. Also, they pay particular attention to the Home Row thereby ensuring a solid understanding of where all good keyboarding begins from. Also, by separating the learning of posture and hand placement students can review these skills any time regardless of where they are at in the process.
One concern I have about the program is the readability of it. While one of the program’s strengths is the ability of students to work at their own pace, this results in a lot of instructions that a student works through on their own. While the program offers excellent visual clues for the student to work through and presents it in an easy to understand format, this can still be confusing for young or lower level learners.
However, the strengths here outweigh the weaknesses. The students have a high degree of control over the presentation rate, and they can even quit at any time and start over from a particular section without being penalized. This allows them to correct themselves if they accidentally go out of order, for example. Another strength of the program is the feedback the student receives. Not only is it immediate, but the content is appropriate. The program offers both praise when a learner does well and constructive criticism when needed. It does not offer unbalanced feedback either positively or negatively so the students are not motivated improperly. For me the proof is in the way my students react to the program. They are motivated by it and never groan when they have to do it. However, when they receive positive feedback they are happy, but they do not linger upon the criticism or react in an improper, positive manner at the criticism. This leads me to understand the program reinforces correct, not incorrect, behaviour.
Content
The content is very good with appropriate, challenging things to type. This material does not favour one race, religion, or sex over another. In fact, the program allows users to choose the skin tone of the hands graphic that accompanies the instruction, thereby demonstrating multicultural sensitivity. The content also matches required curriculum objectives. The OPSAC database lists the objective with the Ontario curriculum that it meets:
Expectations for Grade 9
Introduction to Information Technology in Business BTT 1O Software Applications, Overall Expectations SAV.01 demonstrate the skills required to enter data by using appropriate keyboarding techniques Software Applications, Data Entry Skills SA1.03 use correct keyboarding techniques (e.g., proper posture, correct fingering, proper wrist position)
Expectations for Grade 10
Introduction to Information Technology in Business BTT 2O Software Applications, Overall Expectations SAV.01 demonstrate the skills required to enter data by using appropriate keyboarding techniques Software Applications, Data Entry Skills SA1.03 use correct keyboarding techniques (e.g., proper posture, correct fingering, proper wrist position)
Expectations for Grade 11
Geographics: The Geographer's Toolkit CGT 3E Methods of Geographic Inquiry, Developing and Practising Skills GI2.14 enter data into the computer by a variety of methods (e.g., keyboarding, downloading files, scanning);
User Flexibility
This is one of the programs greatest strengths. Below is a screen shot of all the options the user has to personally tailor the presentation of the material:
Some of the highlights here include the ability to manipulate the sound, give sequence control, and tailor options such as challenger, skill check and own materials. These latter options are especially useful for advanced learners. The interface is easy to use because the options are limited. You can see from the screenshots above and below that the pull down menus are limited and the onscreen language is simple and not overwhelming:
Technical Flexibility
For our system this has proven to be the greatest weakness of the program. I find the program to freeze a lot because of memory problems. As well, when students choose some lessons or skill checks, particularly numbers, a series of unintelligible symbols appears rather than the desired text. To get rid of this hitting ALT + Ctrl + Del and then cancel is necessary. For young learners this is especially confusing and demoralizing.
Other negatives to the program include the fact that while it teaches posture and finger placement, there is no way for the program to judge whether these criteria are being met when the lessons and skill checks are being performed.
Overall I recommend this program for motivating students to perform the drill and practice routine of keyboarding. It is a good program to build these skills because of the overall ease of use, appropriate & immediate feedback and the control over content each user has. I agree with the OPASAC review of the program when it says that, “voice-accompanied instruction is perfect for young children, students with ADD, • and students who are visually impaired.” So, it is easily adaptable for various grade levels, as well as lower, intermediate and advanced learners, including special needs learners. I look forward to upgrading our version to take advantage of the movie tutorials that 4.0 offers!
