Name: Analogies, Logical Reasoning
Type: Educational
ROM/RAM reqd: 8K/16K
Listable? Yes
Printed listing? No
Written in: BASIC and MC
Easy to load? Yes
Display: Good
Price: $14.95 each
From: Windcrest Software Inc.
POB 423, Waynesboro, PA
17268
Analogies and Logical Reasoning, two separate programs, pleasantly teach important concepts in logical thought. I found each suitable for junior high and up.
Analogies comes with two programs, one a demo containing 25 analogies and explanations of how analogies work. The computer gives the first three words; you supply the last. For example, pride: lions::gaggle: You answer geese, because a pride is a group of lions and a gaggle is a group of geese. The computer scores your analogy-perceiving ability. The analogies range from simple to clever.
On the other side you find an analogy utility that lets you easily create your own analogies. You enter all four words plus an explanation for users who do not guess correctly after two tries.
Logical Reasoning introduces conditional statements, contrapositives, converse and inverse statements, direct and indirect proofs and the invalid logic of analogies, circular arguments and generalization clearly and simply. It uses tests, drawings and puzzles to cleverly demonstrate logic. Learning how Sherlock Holmes knew which of the three men lied and exactly how many coins they found in the treasure through indirect proof held my attention for an hour.
On tape you get 12 programs to load one at a time, including a pre- and post-test. The computer asks your name and manages to remember it through all 12 even though you load new programs. It also assures that you don’t skip lessons by requiring an entry code if you don’t go straight through.
Problems: Both programs contain annoying misspellings. This proved crucial only in Analogies, where the computer rejected my (correct) spelling of venison. Also, inquiring minds may find the programs run slowly. Windcrest should make Analogies self-running, since mistakenly starting with RUN destroys the analogy sets.
Each program comes attractively packaged like a book and includes a short instruction manual.
Windcrest makes game and educational software for several different home computers on both tape and disk. I’m glad to see them offering such high-quality educational software for ZX/TS users.