Software
Review of: |
| Although
I’ve never bought any training software, I have used several computer-based-training
(CBT) programs extensively in my previous job and have contributed to a
Training CD development project. My impression of most such software has
been that it tends to be somewhat tedious and slow moving — emphasizing
the obvious while avoiding the difficult aspects of the subject. The Professor
Teaches series of training CD’s for the newest version of the Microsoft
Office suite of applications demonstrates that it doesn’t have to be that
way. This is a training program for the uninitiated, to be sure, but it
kept my interest even though I was very familiar with the applications.
For a list price of only $39.95 — for a nine-CD set that covers all the
Office applications, including Access and Outlook, and even all current
flavors of Microsoft Windows — I would consider buying it simply to check
out the new features of Office XP. Considering the cost of most such training
programs, I wonder how Individual Software is making money and if the other
CBT companies are mad at them!
Individual Software’s objective is to deliver high quality software programs that increase user productivity, knowledge and confidence in operating a personal computer. Individual Software currently supports both the retail and corporate markets. The Company, based in Pleasanton, California, is privately held and currently employs 50 people. Their Web site informs us that Individual Software has won numerous awards over the years for its software from industry associations, publications and distributors. Some of Individual's current best-selling, award-winning titles include ResumeMaker Deluxe Edition, Professor Teaches Office 2000, Typing Instructor Deluxe Edition and AnyTime Deluxe Edition. Their software is available through our major retail outlets such as CompUSA, Best Buy and Office Depot. I also found this Professor Teaches program available for $30.95 at Buy.com . Computer requirements to run this software are minimal — a Pentium with 16MB RAM, 32-bit MS Windows of some stripe, CD-ROM, and 16-bit color. Sound card and speakers are also “required”, although I didn’t discover that the program was speaking to me until I was halfway through the Word course. My speaker volume had been turned down too low to hear the fellow talking, which he does in a very natural instructive tone. By listening as well as reading, you have additional reinforcement, and some of the info provided is spoken only. The CD case says that 60 MB of disk space is required, but I found that the minimal installation for Word (leaving the sound files on the CD) required 90 MB of hard drive. Excel required a minimum of 95 MB, and so on. If you are cramped for disk space, you may want to uninstall each course before starting the next one. Installation of each of the courses was without problems and did not take very long. Each did a successful autostart from the CD and did not require a reboot when finished! Online registration is also provided. Each CD comes with instruction on how to take a Professor Teaches course, and navigate through the successive screens. The courses consist of six lessons, which Professor estimates will take you 60-90 minutes each. The Word lessons included:
Each course is organized similarly starting with an introductory lesson that would prepare anyone to launch into using the program – how to start the program, open a file, use a wizard to create a new document (spreadsheet, database, presentation) perform simple data entry, save your work and exit. Each course then becomes more specific to the application it covers. The second lesson on Access goes into some detail about what a database is and gives a quick lesson on the characteristics of relational databases. It then provides lessons on tables, queries, forms and reports. The Excel lessons cover formatting, viewing and printing, formulas and functions, and finish with a lesson on creating charts. After the introductory lesson in Outlook the Professor provides individual lessons on the Inbox (e-mail), the Calendar, Tasks, Contacts, and “additional Tools” which include filters, flags, notes, and integrating Outlook with other Office applications. Two things make these courses useful and appealing. The voice providing the training seems quite natural, much like a good classroom instructor. He doesn’t just read you the text in the box, but adds to it or skips some of it. The sound provides additional information over and above the written materials. In addition, the Professor puts his lesson in a very good simulation of the application. He tells you what buttons to click, what to type where and then waits while you do it. He is more patient than I would be. When you do click and type as instructed, the program behaves as its real application counterpart. I would recommend this very reasonably priced set of courses to several prospective buyers. It would be particularly useful to someone brand new to computers, or someone who has been just “getting by” but keeps intending to “read the manuals”. Don’t look now, but we haven’t been getting the manuals lately. Organizations which commonly have to train new secretaries or data technicians would also find these courses extremely valuable, as they could assist the newbie go through the appropriate CD course first, providing a solid foundation for using the application. So the real question — did I learn enough about Office XP to want to go out and buy it? Not yet.
Bryan Lilius is the Staff Elder at Faith Presbyterian Church, 1307 Blanco Woods. He was previously a software engineer for Litton here in San Antonio, developing scientific applications for the Air Force, mostly involved with the simulation of lasers and laser effects. He has a Master's Degree in Education from Troy State University. |