Evaluations

Other Formats

Installation

The software needs to be manually installed on each PC or Laptop. The CD-ROMs needs to be present in the CD drive for the software to run. It loads very quickly and responds well to user input. There is no networked version of the product available.

Navigation

Kidspiration has a simple to use interface and should only take the teacher 30 mins to 1 hour to get used it. There are no introductory sequences or tutorials but there is an extensive help menu that will provide teachers with answers to any questions they have.

During activities the software provides useful on-screen help. After at least one class of guidance and one supporting activity the software should be easy enough to use for the student without the teachers instructions. The software uses friendly icons in the interface to make it comfortable for students.

There are a number of features in the software that are used to track the student’s progress. The publish tool in writing view will launches Microsoft Word to allow the student or teacher to transfer student work from Kidspiration. If the teacher or student entered text into the Student Name dialog, this automatically becomes the suggested file name when students save their projects. Files must be saved at the end of each activity to save the students work. The software also has a full range of keyboard shortcuts and other accessibility options that assist the students. There are also symbol libraries; fonts and text sizes and these are easily accessed. They allow the student to make selecting the perfect image and font a fast and easy task.  In picture view symbol captions can be turned on or off from a single button.There is also a password on the teacher menu that prevents students from changing teacher preferences.

Documentation

There is an additional CD available called Exploring Kidspiration. It is an interactive training resource that combines narrated step-by-step instruction with practical classroom examples. This has a step-by-step tutorial to guide you through Inspiration’s integrated Picture and Writing Views, including details on how to tailor the software to best meet the needs of your students.

There is an additional resource available called Inspiration in the Classroom that contains extra lesson plans. However, this was not purchased and so not evaluated with the software.