Learning with the dragon king

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In many primary schools adventure programs have been shown to offer teachers and children exciting possibilities to work both with the computer and away from it.

The story for Wizard's Revenge begins when you go to visit your auntie near the seaside on holiday. While she is snoring in her deckchair you choose where to wander, gaining various clues and eventually meeting a little dragon.

The dragon asks for your help, and you move on to the second part of the adventure which is set on an island. Here four keywords have to be gained by passing certain tests before entry to the wizard's castle.

Throughout the program, problems have to be solved before progress to another part can be made.

For example, the story begins with chores before the children can go to the beach, so washing up involves number work.

The train journey brings in timetables, and also money to buy the tickets.

Once on the island, drawn rather attractively with an overlaid coordinate grid, the child can choose which square to explore.

Some squares contain tests which are both fun and educational and these must be passed before passwords are given.

When all four passwords and the key to the dungeon are successfully gained, there is a journey by bus across the desert before the castle is reached and the dragon king released.

The program may eventually become repetitive because the clues and passwords are always the same, but it will provide a lot of enjoyable learning for junior children.

Phil Tayler