Reviewed by Dr. Cynthia Terwilliger, Alliant International University

June 4, 2001

I installed Math and Music using the Full install option to hard drive on a Windows 98 computer. It ran quickly and efficiently, with no noticeable delays in audio or animation.

If we are to develop a uniform theory of knowledge, we will need to educate children to see the relationships between the various fields. Thematic, cross-disciplinary instruction is a tenet of many Middle Schools, who organize their curriculum into "clusters." This product would be especially sympathetic with programs that already ascribe to the thematic approach. And since it is targeted at students at the middle school level, this seems to be a good match.

The product would also appeal to schools that challenge their students to see beyond the facts to the "why" behind the subjects they learn. The introduction to the students is quite intriguing, challenging students to become wise by learning not just arithmetic, but the larger mathematics that can be used to describe very diverse fields. The graphics and scenarios are very appropriate and interesting to young teens.

Math & Music also has a strong basic math component. Teachers who buy the product intending that their students continue to practice their math facts will not be disappointed. The tutorials are very simple and systematic. The Basic Number Training section is a skill drill that keeps students "brushed up" on basic facts, and scores are kept and reported automatically.

The Textbook is very well written, with attention to the vocabulary and interests of the middle school student. Although the publication quality is simple, suitable for printing from file, the layout is clean and the graphics are carefully chosen to complement the text without being laborious to print. A student could print this document independently, and then keep it as a major curriculum source during the duration of the course.

The Student Guide is also written in a simple language with attention to the middle school student. The screen images are very helpful, and the assignments and study questions are thoughtful. I’m especially impressed with the quality of the Internet sites that were chosen as supplementary resources for the projects. These are very high quality sites, with excellent reputations, that have proven to endure as educational resources. So they are highly likely to be available on the Web for several years into the future, unlike many Web resources.

The Teachers Guide was appropriate and informative.

I might suggest that a few summative projects be added to the student assignments and exercises. Since the philosophy of the course is integrative and thematic, exercises that encourage a student to synthesize the information and apply it to additional fields of study would be appropriate.

The interface to the software exercises is clear and engaging. I found the navigation to be simple and intuitive. The graphics are carefully chosen to represent features and functions, and organized on the screen to quickly lead students to their interests. "Bookmarks" are kept, and the student is allowed to either return to a partially completed section where he left off, or begin that section again.

Audio instruction is lavish. The professional voices, both male and female, are clear and enthusiastic. Math & Music makes sophisticated concepts accessible to limited readers by providing audio narration of all the key instructional passages, as well as the directions to the exercises.

Graphics are very simple, but colorful and informative. Overlays are used very frequently and appropriately to demonstrate how algorithms are built, and to lead students step by step through problem solutions.

The actual samples of music through a time line are enchanting. Photographs provide a visual context for the beautiful, but brief, recordings. After this taste of musical history, students may even be motivated to continue studying these periods on their own.

The six activities cover a nice breadth of subject matter. The Basic Number Training is a review and remedial instruction on operations, as well as a timed game to keep the student sharp at his basic facts. The Spaces and Shapes is also a review of geometric concepts, as well as a careful explanation of the Pythagorean Theorem, which may be new to Grade 7 students. The three sections that apply math to music, Mathematics of Music, Science of Music and Journeys in Music, are the core of the program, and clearly reflect the author’s love for the subject matter. I found the Exploring Numbers section on ancient numbers, duplation, primes and tallies to be somewhat inconsistent with the purpose of the product. The subject matter is interesting, especially to middle school students, but it was not directly tied to the Math & Music theme.

The current political climate of the public schools requires that when a school spends money on an instructional resource, they must be able to provide evidence that the product supported their curriculum agenda. Math & Music fulfills this expectation by providing simple, clear documentation of each lesson’s goals, printed workbooks where student may record and score their assignments, and automatic scoring and reporting of the software activities. In the software exercises the accountability has several tiers. Students are given immediate feedback as they work through each exercise, they are quizzed at the end of each exercise, and they may choose the Final Challenge as a summative exercise at the completion of the entire course.