Evaluations

Other Formats

Installation

The CD-ROM must be in the CD drive each time you use Lexia. By clicking on “My Computer” the installation process starts automatically. Not all of the information on the CD is installed on the computer so installation only takes a moment or two.  A shortcut to Lexia is automatically placed on the desktop. This package is fully networkable.

It is necessary to use the same computer the student used previously as their student records are stored on the hard drive. I found that copying student records by floppy disc to be useful if you need to move a student to another computer. The student then needs to select their class and name to automatically open their individual student record. As this process takes less than a minute, this product launches quickly enough. Feedback is automatic on user interactions.

Navigation

The interface is simple enough to be used with little or no reading of the accompanying manual. The screen layouts in the various units are similar and the navigation buttons are consistent. Lexia is suitable for all levels of literacy development and the publishers recommend it for seven year-olds to adult.  As Lexia is interactive and engaging it is suitable for both younger and older users. The layout and design of Lexia is accessible enough to be used by younger students.
Lexia requires little instruction on its use. To start using Lexia students simply click on their name followed by the level and unit they want to work on. Students have the option to be given directions or not while completing activities.  The on-screen help is available for each unit.  I found it useful as it explains clearly what the student needs to do. I demonstrated how to use the software to the students and they understood what to do in a matter of minutes.

After the teacher first installs the Lexia CD-ROM, he/she must set up a student’s name, class and details so that activites completed are stored on the computer. This needs to be done only once. The teacher at this stage can select the levels at which they want the student to work at and disable levels they do not want the student to use. This can again be altered by accessing ‘Teacher Options’

Students are made aware that they have completed a unit when the ‘Go’ button appears. A block of the bar-graph pertaining to a particular activity is automatically coloured in when students complete an activity. I found the bar-graphs served as motivation for the student as they liked to see the blocks of the graph gradually fill up. There is a ‘stop’ button on all of the screens allowing students to return to the main screen immediately.

I found the feedback in Lexia to be instant. It is in the format of sound, shading letters or buttons in different colours or a beep depending on the particular activity.  My students did not find it intimidating or de-motivational. Rather than using an error tone, Lexia gives auditory options such as ‘let’s practice with these words’ or ‘lets do this unit again.’  One negative aspect of this product is that students cannot skip feedback from the voice-over in certain activities which is frustrating when the student is already familiar with the program and already knows what to do. A ‘skip’ button would be a useful feature here.

Documentation

A manual called ‘Teacher Support Software’ is supplied with Lexia. The documentation is very well laid out; it is divided into the following sections:
1. Introduction
2. Setting up
3. Using the learning activities,
4. Managing records and using reports
5. Troubleshooting.

The installation instructions presume some prior knowledge of technical language on the part of the teacher. For example, no explanation is provided of what a ‘desktop’ is or what the Lexia shortcut icon will look like.

I found the section ‘Managing Records and Using Reports’ to be poorly explained and the associated screen layout does not have clear headings to follow.

The guide provides concise information on each level and in particular the set of words and syllables in each unit in the ‘Using the Learning Activities’ section.  This enables the teacher to access the content that a student will be be presented with before the activity. The guide focuses more on the content of the software rather than how the software must be used.