DESTINATION: OCEAN

Could be too much fun...

By DOUG MACARTHUR

This is a powerful, hugely entertaining multi-media program that promises hours of fun. Designed for children aged six to 12, Destination: Ocean would make a useful adjunct to a unit on ocean life, at home or in the classroom. To realise its educational aims, though, plenty of adult supervision is required.

One of the most persistent - and valid - criticisms of much educational software is the passive nature of many programs. Even if responses are elicited and some valid learning outcomes achieved, the child is still usually left alone to gaze into the computer screen. Many of these programs function as little more than electronic child-minders.

Destination: Ocean is complex and young children will need plenty of help getting started. The program starts with a flying submarine splashing into the ocean. The first working screen resembles the driver's console of this vehicle, from where you are presented with several choices. You can view pre-programmed story ideas, an extensive fact book, or work on an E-Book (E for Express).

Clicking on the New button brings up a choice of 18 backgrounds, ranging from a tidepool to a beach to the ocean floor. By clicking and dragging, you can populate the scene with divers and swimmers, add plants, fish, treasure chests and dozens of other objects.

The fun really begins when you animate the scene. Have your divers follow a dolphin into a cave, or discover a sunken pirate ship and treasure guarded by sharks. By using the animation tools, each scene becomes a film clip. You can add text to the scene and, if your computer is so equipped, you can also record your story and play it back while your animated scene runs. By adding scenes, you can create your own movie, or E-Book, complete with pre-recorded background music, sound effects, and your own voice, reading the words to the story that you wrote to go along with each scene.

Obviously there is a lot here, but without adequate supervision, the educational benefits of this otherwise terrific program are minimal.