TIMEMONSTERS.COM
A. Desired Outcomes
Specific Virginia SOL: Math K.9: The student will tell time to the hour, using analog and digital clocks.
B. General Product Description
Title: Time Monsters
Designed and Developed by Marc Gunderson
This program can be used at home or in the classroom by either individuals or small groups. It can also be used whole group with the use of an interactive white board and projector/computer setup. The purpose of the program is to teach learners how to tell time.
The program is presented by a virtual instructor, the animated Professor Tempo. The first time to website is loaded, Professor Tempo tells the students how to navigate through the program interface and the suggested order that the lessons should be completed in (indicated by a bright blue flashing arrow for the next suggested lesson).
The material is divided into 15 lessons with post-lesson quizzes and 2 large tests at the completion of all lessons. A suggested order of completion exists. However, the lessons may be completed in any order.
The intended users for this software are children who do not know how to tell time.
C. Instructional Context Description and Evaluation
Context Description
Time Monsters is a combination of Tutorial followed by Drill and Practice. New information is presented to the learner and after the information is presented an opportunity is given to put that newfound knowledge to work with a quiz. For example, in the initial lesson the learner is told via an animation how the numbers are arranged on a clock face. Monsters then remove all the numbers and to complete the lesson, the leaner must drag and drop all the numbers back to their correct positions.
The context of the majority of content is orienting and instructional. The virtual instructor, Professor Tempo, and the monsters are used to gain the learners’ attention with animation, narration, sound effects, and humor. Directions and instruction are given by Professor Tempo at every step of each lesson. All his directions are given verbally since the intended users of this program are likely emergent readers. If the user follows the suggested course of instruction (as indicated by the large blue flashing arrow) the lessons build one upon another, giving the students the skills and knowledge to advance successfully.
The combination of instructional and orienting context types works well. This website goes well beyond the aforementioned kindergarten math objective. SOL Math K.9’s required information is covered within the first 3 of the 15 lessons.
In regard to Keller’s ARCS model, the main motivational strategies used by Time Monsters are concreteness and humor for attention getting. Time Monsters uses concreteness as it both shows “visual representations of any important object or set of ideas or relationships” and “Give examples of every instructionally important concept or principle.” Time Monsters also uses humor in abundance. The narrator shows are combination of both terror and frustration when the monsters interrupt his instruction or otherwise meddle in the lesson. Little is presented for relevance strategies other than the “Present Worth” goal of being able to tell time. For “Confidence: and “Satisfaction”, goals are clearly stated, the material is presented at increasing levels of difficulty, newly acquired skills are tested quickly and verbal praise or other feedback is given promptly where appropriate.
Context Evaluation Summary
The context in which the material is presented is appropriate and well done. The ARCS strategies that Time Monsters employs (particularly humor) are well thought out and enable success for students. If I could make one change to the way the material is presented, it would be disallowing students to stray from the suggested lesson order. Each lesson builds upon the skills and knowledge presented in previous lessons. If the student chooses to take them out of order, confusion and frustration follow due to a lack of success.
D. Instructional Components and Conditions Descriptions and Evaluation
Instructional Components/Conditions Description
Time Monsters addresses the introduction, information/activity design, and practice/feedback components. Time Monsters addresses the introduction component when the site is loaded for the first time. Professor Tempo gains the learners attention with narration and humor. He then informs the learners of the general objective: gaining the ability to tell time. He also informs the learner about how to go about meeting that objective by completing the lessons. The information/activity components are the lessons themselves; the practice/feedback components are the quizzes that follow each lesson and the two tests to be completed after all the lessons
The following conditions from Appendix D are addressed:
- Present varied examples or instances of concepts and rule applications, calling attention to the distinctive features of examples, definitions, and procedures
- Encourage learners to recall previously learned information or examples that illustrate concepts or rules being presented
- Clearly communicate the definition of defined concepts, using the fewest number of words.
- Break down the process of performing or applying rules into steps, and clearly communicate these steps to the students
- Demonstrate an application of the rule for the students
- Provide learners with opportunities to "play" with concepts and rules within simulated or "real" environments, identifying and selecting their own examples and non-examples of concepts and rule applications if possible
- Present a variety of contexts or experiences that allow the students to practice applying the rules or identifying/describing concepts, providing guidance throughout early stages of practice
Feedback is provided during the post-lesson quizzes. Feedback comes in several forms depending on the quiz. Correct responses are met with positive verbal cues. Incorrect responses are met with a verbal cue and the learner is then advised to try again. If 4 incorrect responses are made during a quiz, the lesson is replayed. The following feedback method is employed:
- Knowledge of response (learners are informed that they have submitted a correct or incorrect response). This type of feedback mechanisms is often used in situations where the leaner must respond until a correct answer is submitted.
Instructional Components/Conditions Evaluation Summary
Feedback is adequate and thorough with the exception of a lack of review at the end of each lesson. Correct responses are met with positive verbal feedback and incorrect responses are met with a verbal “try again” cue. The number of total correct and incorrect responses are displayed at the conclusion of each quiz. If I were to make a change in the feedback component of Time Monsters, I would include a simple review at the conclusion of the post-lesson quiz.
E. Instructional Message Display Description and Evaluation
General Message Display Description
Time Monsters sticks to the “Keep it Simple” mantra. Information is presented from left to right and from top to bottom where appropriate. The menus are always visible and contain easily identifiable information. If the user is unsure about what a menu icon is, he or she simply has to cursor over it for a verbal explanation of what it is. A bright blue flashing arrow indicates what to click on next in the lesson menu and interactive objects are brightly colored.
Text Use and Display Description
Text is used very minimally in Time Monsters. The program was designed for students that are emergent readers so verbal instruction and directions are prevalent.
Text Use and Display Evaluation Summary
Text is used very minimally in Time Monsters. The program was designed for students that are emergent readers so verbal instruction and directions are prevalent. I feel that the inclusion of text directions would only serve to clutter an already simple and elegant design.
Pictures and Illustrations Use and Display Description
Graphics in Time Monsters are simple and efficient. A mute button/volume control is represented by a speaker icon. A help function is represented by a blue question mark in a blue box. The lessons are represented by 12 wedges of a clock face. While this is not intuitive of what each lesson is about, the fact that one can cursor over the icon to hear a verbal description makes up for the vagueness. The clock faces, minute hand, and hour hand have a consistence appearance throughout the lessons so as not to confuse the
learner.
Pictures and Illustrations Use and Display Evaluation Summary
Simplicity is the main strength of the graphics and display in Time Monsters. Every icon serves a needed function with little extraneous things to confuse or lead the learner astray. Diagrams, charts, and graphs are not present in Time Monsters unless one considers the ever-present clock face a diagram. The inclusion of diagrams, charts, or graphs would not enhance the learning or help to meet the objective and would therefore be superfluous.
Audio Use Description
Narration is the prevalent means of conveying information in Time Monsters. The aforementioned lack of text because this program is intended for use by emergent readers is the reason for this. The narrator, Professor Tempo, is easy to understand as he speaks slowly and clearly. Sound effects are also present particularly when monsters are meddling in the professor’s lessons.
Audio Use Evaluation Summary
Professor Tempo is the able narrator of Time Monsters. The narration and sound effects are appropriate and necessary for the intended audience.
Navigation Description
To navigate through the lessons in Time Monsters, the learner simply clicks the icon the bright blue flashing arrow is pointing to. The user can also choose to take the lessons in any order. Enabling cookies on the site enables the website to remember which lessons the user has taken previously. A feature on the website also enables the user to clear the cookies.
Simplicity is the strength of the navigation system employed by Time Monsters. Simply click on one of the 15 lessons, preferably the one that the bright blue flashing arrow is pointing to. To repeat any lesson after it is completed simply click on it again. Cookies on the website remember which lesson have been completed previously and can be cleared easily for new users or simply disabled within the web browser.
F. The ID Expert Review Evaluation Report: Final Thoughts
Time Monsters, found at timemonsters.com, is a web-based series of lessons designed to teach children how to tell time. It can be used to teach Virginia SOL Math Objective K.9: The student will tell time to the hour, using analog and digital clocks. The program is a combination of tutorial 15 lessons followed by drill and practice type quizzes.
The context of the majority of content is orienting and instructional. The virtual instructor, Professor Tempo, and the monsters are used to gain the learners’ attention with animation, narration, sound effects, and humor. Directions and instruction are given by Professor Tempo at every step of each lesson. All his directions are given verbally since the intended users of this program are likely emergent readers. If the user follows the suggested course of instruction (as indicated by the large blue flashing arrow) the lessons build one upon another, giving the students the skills and knowledge to advance successfully. In regard to Keller’s ARCS model, the main motivational strategies used by Time Monsters are concreteness and humor for attention getting. Time Monsters uses concreteness as it both shows “visual representations of any important object or set of ideas or relationships” and “Give examples of every instructionally important concept or principle.” As stated previously, Time Monsters uses humor in abundance. The narrator shows are combination of both terror and frustration when the monsters interrupt his instruction or otherwise meddle in the lesson. Little is presented for relevance strategies other than the “Present Worth” goal of being able to tell time. For “Confidence: and “Satisfaction”, goals are clearly stated, the material is presented at increasing levels of difficulty, newly acquired skills are tested quickly and verbal praise or other feedback is given promptly where appropriate. Graphics in Time Monsters are simple and efficient. A mute button/volume control is represented by a speaker icon. A help function is represented by a blue question mark in a blue box. The lessons are represented by 12 wedges of a clock face. While this is not intuitive of what each lesson is about, the fact that one can cursor over the icon to hear a verbal description makes up for the vagueness. The clock faces, minute hand, and hour hand have a consistence appearance throughout the lessons so as not to confuse the learner. Time Monsters sticks to the “Keep it Simple” mantra. Information is presented from left to right and from top to bottom where appropriate. The menus are always visible and contain easily identifiable information. If the user is unsure about what a menu icon is, he or she simply has to cursor over it for a verbal explanation of what it is.
Time Monsters should meet the objectives set forth by Virginia Math SOL K.9 and is priced perfectly to do so: free.
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