edu software classification

[rnd@sampo.karelia.ru]

Hi all!


While I am off the active list writers  for  now,  sometimes  I
lookup software list to find something quickly.
(Latest example:
   Xplns Ver.3.0 - free astronomy simulation

To find out if it is in the list or not.


Current material presentation become to be too inconvenient  as
the list grows.

Thus, my suggestion is to have several pages sorted
by different manner:

1. By category ( train, quest, simulation, database, admin ...)
2. By the name of tar-file  (aaa.tar.gz, bbb.tar.bz2, ...)
3. By the suggested school subject(s) (?)  (math, music, astronomy, misc)
4. By the target age (if the software is student-end)

And I think there could be a map of educational software, where
all possible kinds of it are listed. This way we will  see  how
many "white areas" aren't covered yet.

*

I think, that "Assorted other sites" must be on the top of the
list and advertized in more detail.

For example, SAL is not only math software, it is scientific archive.

*

I propose this kind of classification:

(by category:
 
1. educational
2. entertainment
3. school administration
4. development tools

1.1. demonstration (mostly movie, presentation, e-blackboard)
1.2. training (like typist trainer)
1.3. textbook/course (like electronic schoolbook)
1.4. simulation environment (like flight/market simulator
1.5. quiz
1.6. creative environment (like some 3D-meccano tools)
1.6.1. "young programmer" workbench
1.6.2. ... lots of things
1.7. quest-software 
1.8. what else?

(NOTE, that edu software could be further classified by
school subject for example)

2.1-N. well-known game types

3.1. gradebook
3.2. schedule
3.3. staff/pupil/parents databases
3.4. project planner
3.-- what else?


4.1. e-schoolbook/course developer environment (lite non-progr. v. of 4.2)
4.2. universal visual dev. tools
4.3. problem/quiz dev.env./generator
4.4. backend dev. tools (like C, Perl libraries for
special tasks)


What else? 

It can be also noted, that educational  material  is  not  only
software. To list a minimum, its:

a- didactic material (courseware, methodology principles);
b- software (players);
c- user (pupil/teacher manuals) documentation
d- support

(a and c are often in the same book, but having different books
for that is good idea)

(Support is often possible by teachers who  already  use  given
methodology.)

The only mistake which could be made in creating  edu  software
is  providing  too  narrow  methodology  principles  in   given
material  (course+soft),  because   different   teachers   have
different views... That is why simulation/creative envs are  so
popular...

*

Now I am diving into lurking mode again, but its good  to  hear
what do you think about it and how does  it  help  SEUL-EDU  to
carry out its tasks.

*

QZB is 1.3+4.3 in this classification, for example.

(it is still to be made...)


Sincerely yours, Roman Suzi
--
Russia * Karelia * Petrozavodsk
Wednesday, March 31, 1999 * Powered by Linux RedHat 5.1
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