Outside Items

This program uses names and pictures of common outdoor items to help the student to learn listening, identifying, and naming skills. There are eight sub-programs.

Select a program by clicking on the option and then click the “Enter” button to open the program.

Help

Click on the “Help” button to view the help contents. The help file opens in a separate window.

About

Click on the “About” button to view the profile of this company.

Enter

After selecting a sub-program, click on the “Enter” button to open the program.

Exit

To close this “Actions” program, click on the “Exit” button.

Note: In most of our matching and activity programs, the student must wait until the command voice has finished before he/she clicks on the object. For instance, the voice must finish “Match catching” before the student clicks on the catching picture. (If the student clicks on the catching picture before the voice command is finished, nothing will happen.) Therefore the teacher/parent needs to instruct the student to wait for the voice command to finish.

These sub-programs are:

1. Outside Item Matrix
Select the option “Outside Item Matrix” and click on the “Enter” button to open this program.

Outside items are shown here in a two-row, two-column matrix. When the mouse pointer moves over the picture of an item, an animation related to the item plays in the box on the right side of the screen. There are, in this program, two pictures and animations for each outside item. Click on the picture to view the next picture and animation.

>>and<<

By clicking on “>>” or “<<” the student can view the next or the previous set of outside items

Auto Play

Check this box to run the “Outside Item Matrix” program automatically; the student can just sit back and watch. To stop the automatic run, uncheck the box.

Sound

This option is selected by default. When this box is checked, the program pronounces the name of the outside item. If unchecked, it doesn’t say the name.

Label

This option is selected by default. When this box is checked, the name of the outside item appears just below the picture. When unchecked, the word doesn’t appear.

Done

Click on the “Done” button to close “Outside item Matrix” and return to the main program.

2. Progressive Method
Click on “Progressive Method” and then click the “Enter” button to open the setting dialog box. The setting dialog box offers four categories of choices. These categories are Mode, Settings, Distracter, and Selection.
Mode
Training
This option is selected by default. When this is selected, the program can be used to train the student.
Test

Select this option to measure the student’s progress. The “Report” button under “Test” mode is enabled. The “Prompt (Animation)” option is disabled.

Report

This displays results of the “Test”. The report features are similar to those of “Matching Outside Items Using Picture”.

Settings
Prompt (Animation)

This option is selected by default. When this is checked, the correct outside item animates after ten seconds to help the student to identify the correct answer. Uncheck this feature to disable it.

Command Text

This option is selected by default. When this is checked, a short text appears at the bottom of the screen. It tells the student which items to identify. If unchecked, the text won’t be visible.

Distracter

A “distracter” here means an incorrect choice.

Outside Item

This option is selected by default. When this is selected, distracters are all outside items.

Non- Outside Item
If this option is selected, distracters are not outside items but some other items.
Mixed
Distracters are either outside items or non-outside items.
Selection

The first outside item (Flower) is the default. The teacher/parent can select any item from the list shown under “Selection”.

Ok
Click on the “Ok” button to open this program.
This “Progressive Method” is designed to introduce the outside items to the student one by one. This method allows the student to master the outside items’ names gradually.

This “ Progressive Method ” runs through seven stages:

Stage 1
Introduction. The selected outside item moves from the left side to the center of the screen and a character points to the outside item and pronounces the name of the item. This continues until the student clicks the “>>” button to move to the next stage.
Stage 2

Single Item. In Stage 2, the student is asked to find the outside item introduced in Stage1. When the student clicks on the outside item, he/she is taken to the next stage.

Stage 3

One Distracter. The outside item introduced in Stage 1 and another picture as a distracter are shown and the student is asked to find the correct outside item. When the student clicks on the correct outside item, the next “find” question comes up. As long as the student clicks on the correct outside item, he/she stays in Stage 3. The student can move on to next stage by clicking the “>>” button. If the student clicks on the wrong outside item, then the program returns the student to Stage 1, the Introduction Stage.

Stage 4

Two Distracters. In Stage 4, the outside item introduced in Stage 1 and two other pictures as distracters are shown on the screen and the student is asked to find the outside item introduced in Stage 1. As long as the student clicks on the correct outside item, the student remains in Stage 4. When the student clicks on a wrong outside item, he/she is taken back to Stage 1. The student can move forward by clicking the “>>” button.

Stage 5

Three Distracters. The outside item is shown with three other pictures as distracters. If the student clicks on the wrong outside item, then the program returns the student to Stage 1, the Introduction Stage.

Stage 6

Combinations. The outside item that the student identified in Stages 1 through 5 will appear as a distracter or as the outside item to be identified. Another outside item (which the student learned earlier) will also appear as a distracter or as the outside item to be identified. If the student clicks on the wrong outside item, then the program returns the student to Stage 1, the Introduction Stage.

Stage 7

This is the last stage. In this Stage, the student is asked to identify all the outside items he/she has learned so far. If the student clicks on the wrong outside item, then the program takes the student to Stage 1, the Introduction Stage.

>>

 

When the student clicks on the “>>” button, the program introduces the next outside item in the list.

<<

At any time the student can move backward by clicking the “<<” button when the button is visible.
Done

Click on the “Done” button to close this program.

3. Matching Outside Items Using Pictures
Click on “Matching Outside Items Using Pictures” and then click the “Enter” button to open this program.

The default selections for this program are: Level 3, Training Mode, Outside Item Distracter, Command Text, Prompt with Blink, Congratulatory Animation, and Select All.

Here an outside item is shown at the top of the screen. The student is asked to click on the matching outside item shown among others at the bottom of the screen.

Level 1

When this option is selected, one outside item appears at the top of the screen. One outside item picture is shown at the bottom of the screen to be matched with the one at the top, without any distracter.

Level 2

When this option is selected, one outside item appears at the top of the screen. Two pictures are shown at the bottom of the screen to be matched with the one at the top of the screen. There is one correct choice and one distracter. You can choose an Outside Item or Non-outside Item distracter. “Mixed” gets disabled.

Level 3

This level is selected by default. One outside item appears at the top of the screen. When this option is selected, three pictures are shown at the bottom of the screen to be matched with the one at the top of the screen. There is one correct choice and two distracters. You can choose an Outside Item, Non-outside Item, or Mixed distracter.

Training

The Training mode is selected by default. This program uses outside item pictures to train listening and matching skills.

Test

Here, the student can test him/herself. “Prompt” and “Congratulatory Animation” are disabled. The test results are recorded and “Report” becomes enabled.

Report

Only under “Test” mode is “Report” enabled. After doing any number of test problems, you can click on “Done” to see the report. When you click on “Done” the settings screen appears. Now click on the “Report” button under “Test” to see test results. First the current test result will be shown with the date, starting time, end time, and level of the test. It also shows the percentage of correct answers. There are also buttons for showing test results in different forms. “Report” allows the teacher/parent to measure the student’s progress. The following are available.

Detailed Report

This screen shows test results including the grade, object identified, distracters, and time taken to finish the test.

View Old Records

If there are old test results, they will be shown on this screen. The current test result is always on top.

Bar Chart

If you wish to see test results on a bar chart, click this button.

Overalls

This button appears on the Bar Chart Screen. Here, the student can see the average of all test results of up to the last ten attempts. Written vertically on the bar are: overall percentage of correct answers, and date and starting time of the tests. When there are any old results, they will be shown, left to right, from oldest to latest.

Right Arrow

This changes the display to the next more recent set of test results. When the current test result is on the screen, this button is grayed.

Left Arrow

This changes the display to the previous set of test results. When this button is grayed, there is no earlier test to see.

On the top left corner, the display indicates which record is being shown out of total records.

Print

When this button is clicked, the printer prints the current screen.

Delete

All existing records will be erased if this button is clicked. (But a warning message box pops up and asks for confirmation.).

Done

Click on this button to close the screen and return to the previous screen.

Distracter
Outside Item

This option is selected by default. When this option is selected, the distracters are outside items. This option is disabled for Level 1 and available for Level 2 and Level3.

Non-Outside Item

When this option is selected, the distracters are some items other than outside items. This option is disabled for Level 1 and available for Level 2 and Level 3.

Mixed
This option is available only for Level 3. When this is selected, one distracter is an outside item and the other distracter is a non-outside item.
Command Text

This is checked by default. When checked, a short command text is visible at the bottom of the screen. If unchecked, the command text will not be visible.

User Defined

This feature allows the teacher/parent to customize the screen by selecting particular matching objects and distracters and choosing their locations on the screen.

When this box is checked, the next screen will be the “SELECTION” screen. This screen allows the teacher/parent to choose the matching object (outside item to be identified) and its location on the screen. It also allows the teacher/parent to choose the distracter/s.

There are no distracters for Level 1. Therefore the teacher/parent should select only the matching outside item.

For Level 2 and Level 3, the teacher/parent has to select the matching outside item, its location, and distracters from the User Defined “selection” screen before clicking the “Ok” button.

The picture-matching screen has a “Back” button. The student can return to the User Defined setting screen by clicking this button. Click the “Done” button to close the User Defined program.

Prompt

This is checked by default. If the student fails to match the correct outside item picture within ten seconds, the program guides him/her to the correct picture. This is available for “Training” mode but disabled for “Test” mode.

Uncheck this box if the prompt is not needed in “Training” mode.
Prompt with Blink

This option is selected by default. If the correct outside item picture is not chosen after ten seconds, it blinks.

Prompt with Label

The names of the outside items appear below the pictures.

Prompt with Animation

If the correct outside item picture is not chosen after ten seconds, an animation appears (the correct outside item picture animates).

Congratulatory Animation
This box is checked by default. This is available only for the “Training” mode. When this is checked, clicking the correct outside item invites a congratulatory animation. This animation runs for ten seconds. Click anywhere on the screen or press the space bar to stop the congratulatory animation.
Selection
Click on the check box to select or deselect the outside items.
Select All
This is selected by default. Check this box to select all outside items. Uncheck to deselect.
Ok
Click this button to open this program after choosing the settings.
Done
Click this button to close this program and return to the main menu.
4. Matching Outside Items Using Similar Pictures
Click on “Matching Outside Items Using Similar Pictures” and then click the “Enter” button to open this program.

This program runs like “Matching Outside Items Using Pictures,” but the pictures shown are similar but not identical.

The settings are the same as those of “Matching Outside Items Using Pictures”.

5. Matching Outside Items Using Words
Click on “Matching Outside Items Using Words” and then click the “Enter” button to open this program.

This program runs like “Matching Outside Items Using Pictures,” but instead of pictures, words that name the outside items are used. The student is required to click on the correct word which represents the outside item shown at the top of the screen.

The settings are the same as those of “Matching Outside Items Using Pictures”.

6. Discriminating Outside Items

Click on “Discriminating Outside Items” and then click the “Enter” button to open this program.

Here, the student is asked to find and click on the correct picture shown on the screen.

The settings are the same as those of “Matching Outside Items Using Pictures”.

7. Activity with Outside Items Using Pictures

Click on “Activity with Outside Items Using Pictures” and then click the “Enter” button to open this program.
The settings are the same as those of “Matching Outside Items Using Pictures”.

Here, something which interacts with the outside item is shown at the top of the screen. The outside item with or without distracter(s) is shown at the bottom of the screen. The student is asked to click on the correct outside item with which the item shown on top interacts. For example, when the bee is shown at the top and the student is asked to let the bee smell the flower, he/she should click on the flower.

If the correct picture is clicked, it moves up and the appropriate animation plays. (The flower goes up, the bee smells it.)

8. Activity with Outside Items Using Words
Click on “Activity with Outside Items Using Words” and then click the “Enter” button to open this program
The settings are the same as those of “Matching Outside Items Using Pictures”.

This program runs like “Activity with Outside Items Using Pictures” but instead of pictures, words for the outside items are used. The student is asked to click on the correct word for the outside item with which the item shown at the top interacts.

If the correct word is clicked, it moves up and the appropriate animation plays.