Drill, Drill, Drill
A Review of Master the SAT
Mark Woon
Master the SAT, by Tesuji, claims to train you in the skills
necessary to perform well on the SAT. It provides graphical, animated
drills on topics required for the SAT: area and perimeters, math
review (algebra, equations, etc.), math problems (multiple choice,
comparison, and grid-in), geometry, analogies, sentence completion,
reading comprehension, and vocabulary. Each drill has 30 levels, and
they become more challenging the higher you get.
When I first opened the box, I was rather surprised by the lack of
documentation. All you get is the CD and a printed copy of an actual
SAT test. The only visible instructions were on the CD jacket, and it
only covered the installation procedure briefly. Fortunately,
installation on Windows95 was a cinch. Everything runs off the CD.
Once you start the program, you're immediately dumped into the
vocabulary drill with very little warning on what you have to do.
While the interface is extremely easy to understand, a little more
in the way of an introduction would have helped. Having to resort
to the help menu every time something new happens is not conducive
to a low learning curve. This is where a manual would have come in
handy.
That said, I think the drills were pretty well done. The vocabulary
and analogy drills, for example, used flash cards that you had to
match correctly. In addition to general vocabulary (ie. words), the
drill also worked on prefixes, suffixes, and roots. Some of the
math-related drills used a tetris-like theme: various objects would
fall as you solved the problems. Give a correct answer and the
object disappeared. Mistakes meant a growing mountain of objects that
would eventually force you to restart the level. The rest of the
drills in general used a simple multiple choice interface.
I do have one complaint about the flash-card type drills though. Sometimes, some cards started face down. Once you flipped them over, you had to match them. The problem arises when the matching card or solution is also face down. If that happens, chances are you'll answer incorrectly unless you're fortunate enough to guess correctly and pick the right face-down card. The programmers at Tesuji might call it a feature, but I'm calling it a bug.
Whenever you have completed all the drills or feel you are ready, you
can take the provided printed SAT. While the questions are on
paper, you can input your answer directly into Master the SAT.
It will time you and calculate your score automatically for you upon
completion.
In addition to all the drills, Master the SAT also provides
extensive records and charts on your work. Everything from how fast
you've progressed through a particular drill to how much time
you've spent on the entire program can be displayed on an x-y graph.
This is a great feature for parents to see if their kids have really
spent the time they say they've been spending on Master the SAT
or not. It can also reveal your weak spots, allowing you to
concentrate on the problem area.
One thing I discovered in using Master the SAT is that it's not
really a learning tool. It's more of a skill enhancer. The program
helps you develop what you already know and builds on skills that will
help you take the SAT. It develops your speed, attention to detail,
and accuracy through constant drilling. The only way you learn from
Master the SAT is by making mistakes, at which point it will
try to show you the proper way to solve the problem.
As such, Master the SAT should not be used in isolation. It should be combined with other learning aids. In fact, even Tesuji recommends using Master the SAT with books like SAT for Dummies and Inside the SAT. I think those who will benefit the most from this software are people with short attention spans. Each drill does not take long to complete, and it adds a little bit of fun and excitement to what might otherwise be another boring study session.
School House Scorecard
| Product: |
Master the SAT |
| Company: |
Tesuji
|
| Cost: |
Not Available |
System Requirements:
Windows 3.1 or Windows 95, 386/25 or better, 4 MB RAM, 2 MB free disk
space, double speed CD-ROM, VGA display
Breakdown:
Ease of Use 4
Learning Value 2
Entertainment Value 3
Graphics 2
Sound 1
Overall Score:
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