ActiveMaths as Shareware (C)1995 John Calder Here "Shareware" means I am letting you have a fully functional "light" ActiveMaths. Also on offer is the "registered" version which gives you a larger system of programmes for $30 NZ ($20 US) I am: John Calder, Box 41-076, Auckland 3, New Zealand EMAIL: calderj@schools.minedu.govt.nz The starting command is: mathmenu ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ About ActiveMaths It is at about age 15 that you go past number work and into higher levels of Maths. A computer system can make this Maths come alive in interesting and even exciting ways, helping to make it "click" into place for you. I am a teacher myself as well as a film-maker, so I have drawn from both sets of experience to make this happen. In 1992, I searched for Maths learning programmes and I was disappointed with what I found, so I decided I could do it better and here it is! ActiveMaths is a system of programmes. ---------------- The programmes of exam style questions have helping steps. If you get a question wrong first time, a help message appears, and you have a chance to get half a mark by trying again. I've also used colour (when available) and even some animated movement in diagrams to help make ideas clearer. THIS SHAREWARE VERSION CONTAINS ONE PROGRAMME OF 25 MULTI-CHOICE QUESTIONS. ---------------- 'Rounding Off' and 'Integers' are skills practice activities suitable for younger students as well as School Cert level revision. The system uses a 'random number generator' (same sort of thing as the Lotto lucky dip) to write new questions each time you run it. So you can never use these questions up ! As at the start of 1995, I've also found ways of using this generator with some of the exam-style questions. SUPPLIED WITH REGISTERED VERSION ---------------- In 'Graphing of Equations' and 'Draw-by-Plot', the graph page becomes an open space you can explore. Equations, variables, shapes and graphs come to life as objects you control: change, squeeze and tweak them, and learn by seeing the results. These 2 programmes use the same graph page in different ways. In 'Graphing of Equations' you enter your equation and the system graphs it. In 'Draw-by-Plot' you can enter commands with co-ordinates as in (x,y). FOR EXAMPLE: circle(2,3),4 to draw a circle with centre at (2,3) and radius of 4 Other activities are possible, including substituting for variables in formulas and equations. For both programmes: (the following info is also given in the programmes themselves) F1 key ... gives you brief help F4 key ... gives you more detailed help, especially examples F9 key ... copies what you entered before so you can save typing when just making small changes F10 key ... changes across to the other programme You are encouraged to experiment with these programmes. Part of the whole idea of using a computer system is that you are free to make mistakes and learn from your experiments. Use the guesses that do work or almost work to make better guesses, it's a great way of gaining a better understanding of these ideas. ---------------- 'Frankenstein' is a game, a little like 'hangman', to help learn Maths words I have collected from past exams. ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ System Requirements IBM compatible computer, XT type and above. At least CGA graphics to run the complete system and EGA/VGA/SVGA or better to get the full effect. Hard disk preferable. I've made this a DOS-based system which means that, while it makes good use of the colour and speed of a modern computer, it will still run on most low-tech and older machines. It also makes it economical on disk space! The files, when copied on to floppy disk are in 'ready-to-run' form. This means that it is possible to run 'ActiveMaths' from the floppy disk without installing it into the computer's own hard disk. This also makes it possible to use it on low-tech computers without a hard disk. And it may be easier to borrow the use of someone else's computer to try it out on because you can reassure them that it is running separately to their precious work. NOTE that the floppy should be 'write enabled' (slider covers hole) BUT running from the floppy does mean that 'ActiveMaths' may be a bit slow changing from one activity to another. ( like 5 seconds). Graph drawing is slower too. So you need to 'install' ActiveMaths to a hard drive to see it at its best. --------------------- NOTE for laptops and others using: "EGA mono", "VGA mono", "SVGA mono" etc ActiveMaths graphics will work but the shades of grey used instead of colours may look dull on some machines. You should try manually changing to my alternative graphics where I use devices like dotted lines to get a better look in black and white. Do this by entering 'cga' when you are on a graphics screen. ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ Copyright Note I reserve all rights on my programmes, as in the ways and means to make this maths work interactively on a computer. An EXCEPTION is the "FRANK" programme which is not my original idea, but is my improved version of part of the freely distributed "IQ-BUILD" shareware programme of the mid 1980s, still available as "PC-SIG no 18". If the original authors are reading this please accept my congratulations for your fine work and know that I am following in the spirit of the original and making my version freely available in the same way. For that reason, this disk contains the programming code for "FRANK", and those of you interested in programming can experiment with it, adapt it, or even improve it more(!) with the QBASIC system found in DOS-5 and above, or any BASIC compiler, eg POWERBASIC, VISUAL BASIC, or QUICKBASIC. Teachers and students should also feel welcome to use the questions generated by "ActiveMaths" for revision sheets, worksheets etc, so long as you are not exploiting my generosity for a project for profit or a large-scale project that goes outside your home or school community. In these cases, work out a clearance with me first. ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ I hope you find this angle on learning Maths helpful and enjoyable. Let us know what you think! John Calder, ph Auckland 8282612 17th Feb, 1995 ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ