Trial Program Guide DOLLARSKILLS Math levels 4 - 8 Trial version: Set 2, Level 3 Set 1: (Levels 1 and 2) Set 2: (Levels 3 and 4) Set 3: (Levels 5 and 6) Windows or MS-DOS (VGA display) OVERVIEW Focusing on real-life math and business problems, the program takes students through the four steps of problem solving: numerical evidence, strategy, operation, and solution. Context-sensitive help is available as needed. Each set contains two levels. Each level has 45 questions within three ranges of difficulty, with 15 questions per range. Designed for middle school students, this program can be used as well by older students for remediation. Each lesson is self-directing and self-correcting. The computer gives step-by-step help in interpreting key words and solving problems. The program evaluates performance at each range. The student who does poorly is directed to a lower range for remediation. The student who does well is directed to a higher range for further skill development. Graphics reward students for each correct answer. The program is sent with "Fun" graphics on. To change to "Mature Learner" graphics, see Record Management and Configure Options: Game. Students must read the questions carefully to avoid irrelevant numbers, to convert two quantities into one, such as hours to minutes, or to watch for important instruction words, such as "twice," "half," or "each." PROGRAM DESCRIPTION DIAGNOSTIC TEST: A one-time diagnostic test at the beginning of each disk determines the student's place of entrance. The questions are multiple choice; as the student answers correctly, the questions gradually get harder. The program is configured so that the student is placed where s/he gets a first answer wrong out of a possible five. To change these numbers see RECORD MANAGEMENT and CONFIGURE OPTIONS: GAME. MAIN PROGRAM: Students do a round of randomly chosen questions within a range. To change the number of questions, see RECORD MANAGEMENT and CONFIGURE OPTIONS: GAME. The program comes with a Steps ON configuration. That means the student will be asked, in step-by-step fashion, to look for: the EVIDENCE (the numbers needed to solve the problem); the STRATEGY (the word clues that indicate the method to use to find the answer); and the OPERATION (the mathematical method to arrive at the answer to the problem), before trying to find the SOLUTION (the answer to the problem). Context-sensitive help is available throughout the main program. If you choose to have the student try to find the solution first, you must change the game configure option to Steps OFF. See RECORD MANAGEMENT and CONFIGURE OPTIONS: GAME. If the student answers correctly on the first try, s/he gets another question. If the answer is wrong, the student may try again. If the student again answers incorrectly, the computer will then review the steps described above. A student who thinks s/he cannot get the answer may choose the Help option, which will enable him/her to go directly to the Steps section. At the end of each round, the computer provides a summary of the student's work. A score of 70 percent or higher enables the student to continue to practice within the same range or advance to the next range. With a score below 70 percent, the student moves to a lower range. On the first try, the right answer is worth twice as many points as on the second try. Correct answers receive a graphic reward. RECORD MANAGEMENT and CONFIGURE OPTIONS To see student records, run RECORD from the directory, or press [CONTROL]T while at the title screen. The default directory for the windows trial version is: c:\MAVDEMO\DS-WTD\RECORD.EXE CONFIGURE: Configure allows you to set 1) Directory options and 2) Game options. DIRECTORY: Lets you define where the program stores the students' data. There are three basic ways to configure the program. CURRENT (default for trial) ENVIRONMENT (default for network and single station) PATH (user defined) CURRENT: The program will store its files in the directory where it was installed. ENVIRONMENT: Use I-CLAS variables to set directory. PATH: The program will store the files in the user defined directory. Select PATH and enter your working directory. Sample: C:\working (If you leave PATH blank, the program will store its files in the directory where it was installed.) SYSTEM ADMINISTRATOR: A system administrator can go directly to DIRECTOR.CFG. The following is more detailed information on the Record - Configure - Directory options. DIRECTOR.CFG = Lets you define where the program stores the students' data. This is a plain ASCII file that most editors can edit and save (as an ASCII file). There are three basic ways to configure the program's DIRECTOR.CFG. CURRENT (default for single user) ENVIRONMENT (default for network) user defined CURRENT: With this word as the first line in DIRECTOR.CFG, the program will store its files in the directory where it was installed. ENVIRONMENT: With this word as the first line in DIRECTOR.CFG, the program uses three environment variables that can be modified by the DOS set command (see your DOS manual for more information on the set command). These variables are automatically maintained by I-CLAS, but for generic networks you can set them up as follows: HV (home volume, or drive) G (students' parent directory) D (students' directory) Sample setting of master environment: SET HV=sys: SET G=students Sample setting of the students' login batch: SET D=student_._ _ The program will then assemble these variables to the path sys:\students\student_._ _ \ and keep its working files there. user defined: Any other text as the first line of DIRECTOR.CFG will be used as the program's working directory. Sample: C:\working GAME: Lets you set the following: IN THE DIAGNOSTIC TEST 1) The number of questions a student must answer correctly to advance to the next range 2) The number of wrong answers allowed before stopping the range advancement and placing the student IN THE MAIN PROGRAM 1) The number of problems per round, which may be between 2 and 10 2) Whether the student is able to try to find the solution before seeing the steps 3) The kind of graphics that will come on the screen: "Mature Learner" or "Fun" RECORD MANAGEMENT: If the student does not complete the Diagnostic Test, s/he will be started at the lowest range upon returning to the program. The student's scores during the main program are saved only when s/he completes a round. This version saves records for only two students. A third name will automatically replace a previously entered name. (The School version saves records for as many students as disk space allows. The Network version saves records for 1,000 students.) The records can go to the screen or the printer. You may see the records of both students, or choose one of the student's scores. If you choose to look at the scores of both students, you may have them displayed in alphabetical order or from highest to lowest. Use the following keys to make your selections: ALT: Allows you to choose items in the Top Menu: (1) Order (2) View (3) Select (4) Print (5) Delete (6) Configure (7) Exit. In each of the first three options, you will have the choice of selecting records from the Pull Down Menu by name, date, skills mastered, or class code. TAB: Changes the category of information that is displayed in a fixed cycle, e.g., from students' names to last dates played, to highest mastered skill levels, to class codes, to a student's entire record and then back again to the students' names. ENTER: Selects or deselects any piece of information on which the cursor is placed. Selected items can be viewed, printed, or deleted as a group. They appear on the screen highlighted in red. Screen Layout: Instructions are placed in color boxes at the bottom of the screen. The number appearing at the end of the last line of instructions on the screen indicates the position of the cursor in the total number of records. Just before this number is a description of what information is being displayed, e.g., name, date, etc. Moving the Cursor: To move the cursor use the arrow keys. To see preceding screens, use the Page Up key. To go to following screens, use the Page Down key. To go to the beginning of a list, press the Home key. To get to the end of a list, press the End key. To See Records: All information may be viewed on the screen or printed out. To clear previously selected records, choose Select from the Top Menu and Deselect from the Pull Down Menu. Note that your viewing selections are cleared each time the program is restarted or the computer is turned off. Examples 1. To print out the records of one class, follow these directions: Top Menu Pull Down Menu Other Keys Remarks/Actions ALT Select Class Cursor keys Find the beginning of the class ENTER Mark the beginning of the class Cursor keys Find the end of the class ENTER Mark the end of the class ALT View Selected Now only that class is displayed. (Repeating this step would restore screen as it was.) ALT Order Name Class now alphabetized ALT Print Selected Printing is optional. Information can be viewed on the screen. 2. To print the highest (or lowest) skill level, follow the steps above, replacing Class, from the Pull Down Menu, with Mastered. 3. To see the records of all students in a range on the screen, choose View from the Top Menu and choose Entire from the Pull Down Menu. 4. To see the records of an individual student on the screen, place the cursor on the name of the student whose records you want to view, and press TAB to change the information displayed. Record Management Error Fix: If the program runs but does not keep student records properly, access the RECORD program and delete all records. Copyright 1988-1997 Merit Audio Visual All rights reserved GTDR ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- We hope you enjoy using DOLLARSKILLS. The School versions of this program contain the following: 1. Three sets of two levels of exercises 2. Record management for as many students as the disk space allows 3. A program guide Merit offers a full range of educational software for writing, reading, grammar, vocabulary, ESL, and math. Merit software is available for networking for Novell and other LAN, and site licensing. School or Institutional Purchase Orders accepted. We will be happy to answer any questions you might have. MERIT AUDIO VISUAL (800) 753-6488 (212) 675-8567 FAX: (212) 675-8607 Call us Monday through Friday between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM Eastern Time. Or write MERIT AUDIO VISUAL, 132 W. 21 Street, New York, NY 10011, for free software catalog. This program is produced by a member of the Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP). ASP wants to make sure that the shareware principle works for you. If you are unable to resolve a shareware-related problem with an ASP member by contacting the member directly, ASP may be able to help. The ASP Ombudsman can help you resolve a dispute or problem with an ASP member, but does not provide technical support for members' products. Please write to the ASP Ombudsman at 545 Grover Road, Muskegon, MI 49442-9427 USA, FAX 616-788-2765 or send a Compuserve message via CompuServe Mail to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536.