Purpose of Program:

DC Circuits Challenge is not a self-instructional program or a tutorial. Rather, it is a set of interactive activities designed to supplement other instructional components by adding the following three elements through Computer Based Instruction. First, the exercises give students immediate feedback to reinforce correct responses and help prevent the development of misconceptions. Second, context sensitive help and hints are provided where appropriate to make learning rapid and convenient. Third, each activity is corrected and graded on-line which benefits both students and teachers. DC Circuits Challenge includes a total of fifteen interactive exercises. The first twelve exercises cover circuit analysis on series, parallel, series-parallel, and multiple source networks. The last three exercises in this program are virtual troubleshooting experiences on series, parallel and series-parallel circuits. The DC Circuits Challenge program can also be used effectively to perform classroom demonstrations using a LCD video projector or large screen monitor. 

Much effort went into making this program easy to use and highly interactive. DC Circuits Challenge does not follow all Windows "look and feel" conventions. The program is designed for users who may have little experience with using computers and computer software. Students can use the DC Circuits Challenge environment to freely try methods and learn by experiment and discovery. Being allowed to search, experiment and discover are aspects often found in games but sadly missing in the educational environment. The freedom to experiment with and discover concepts can make learning interesting and exciting. 

New parameters are selected every time an exercise is used. This allows students to practice a particular exercise numerous times without boredom and memorizing the answers. The troubleshooting exercises have over ten thousand variations each! Because of the simple interface, most students will be able to experimentally learn to use this program within a short time. Most option selections are forgiving because a confirmation is required for important selections. 

Each exercise begins with viewing an introductory page. The introductory page presents formulas and important ideas about the topic. Some introductory pages include animations illustrating a key idea or concept related to the topic. Selection of a "BEGIN" button moves students from the introductory page to the interactive exercise. The program measures the time that is required to complete each exercise. Students have the option to print a certificate showing Topic Title, Student Name, Student ID, Date/Time, Score, Time on Task, and a Validity Code. The Validity Code can be used to verify that the certificate is authentic. In addition, students have the option to have scores recorded in a disk file. The "Check Certificate Validity" option can be used to determine if a certificate has been altered.

Installation:

Extract the file dccrt4.exe if you receive the program in a zip format as file name dccrt40.zip. Run the program dccrt4.exe. The installation program will guide you from this point. This program requires Windows 95, 98 or NT4.

Program Status: 

Trialware to be freely distributed

Publisher Contact:

etcai@ametro.net




