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v. 17 April 2007

SUMS Online Software Guide

   
1. Overview

SUMS Online activities are used by hundreds of schools in the UK, Europe and North America, as well as by Special Needs tutors and in Adult Numeracy. Each activity is designed to work on its own or to 'drop in' to an existing lesson plan, adding challenge and interest.

SUMS Online is available in many forms: - as an online service, as a CD for local installation, and in versions for PDAs/Smartphones (Windows Mobile) and for Sony PSPs.

The activities are designed to provide a wide variety of learning experiences. There are no ‘common answer grids’ used time and again. Instead each activity uses a new layout that helps maintain interest - so navigation through an individual activity will vary. This guide will help you recognise the most common features. If in doubt, encourage the student to click on things on the screen. They won't break the software.

The screenshots in this document are from activities in the unit 'Shape and Space 5a'.  The principles apply equally as well to all of our other units.

 
2. Getting started

a) PDA (and other Windows Mobile devices). If the software was supplied on CD, copy the whole SUMS Online folder to your PDA and then use File Explorer to find and start the amenu.htm file. Be sure to use LANDSCAPE mode. If the activities do not run then you probably do not have Flash installed, so go to this address and follow the instructions:

www.adobe.com/products/flashplayer_pocketpc/downloads/player.html

b) PSP. If the software was supplied on CD, you will need to copy it to the memory stick using the PSP's USB facility (you need a special USB cable). If supplied on a memory stick then look for the BOOKMARK in the browser. There are full instructions you should read before you begin, in the PSP section of this website (www.handheldeducation.co.uk).
3. Working with activities

Once you have reached the main menu page you will see at least 80 small pictures. Each one is a different activity. Click on a picture to start that activity. Be aware that the software covers a wide range of topics at different levels of challenge. Ask your school for advice about where children should begin.

Tangram Teasers is a typical activity, and one that can be attempted and enjoyed by all age groups, including adults. It aims to develop spatial skills and vocabulary relevant to rotation. It has both a structured and a freestyle element.  Below you will see the opening screen. This has the standard choice between an 'Easy' and a 'Harder' version of the activity.


Activity opening screen
Knowing where you are in the activity

Once a difficulty level has been selected, the student enters the activity. Two areas always reveal exactly where a student is.
The activity title. This is always shown at the top of the screen in large letters (e.g. Tangram Teasers) once you have begun an activity.
The difficulty level. This is shown next to the score at the top right of the screen.
To return to the activity menu from within an activity - click on the 'Menu' blackboard at the top left of the screen.
 

How to move about within the activity
There are three major navigation or information elements used in any activity screen. These are:
 
i)   Buttons.   An area that is clicked to signal the choice made.
 
ii)  Drag and drop.  An image that is clicked and then moved
using the mouse.
 
iii) Rollovers.   The mouse is moved over an area, and
  information is shown.

Examples of drag and drop, and of rollovers, can be seen as follows.


Example of drag and drop

In the example above, four Tangram shapes have already been dragged into place with the mouse. The student is in the process of moving the purple piece, and two green pieces wait on the left. Activities support two forms of drag and drop as follows:
Method 1. Click on the shape to be dragged, holding the mouse button down.   Move the mouse cursor and attached shape to the desired location. Release the mouse button.

Method 2. Click on the shape to be dragged and immediately release the mouse button. The target shape is now 'attached' to the mouse and will move with the mouse cursor.  When it is in the desired location, click and release again to release it.

Note that on some computers the mouse may occasionally seem to become 'stuck' to a shape - making it difficult to move on. In these cases simply close down your browser and then start the menu again.

Method 2 is often useful where a student has poor mouse control. Note. In situations where the required movement is in one dimension only (for example, moving a bar on a graph up and down) only method 1 is usually supported.


Example of a rollover

There are 20 possible Tangram shapes to be made. Each of the small orange squares on the left (in four rows of five) is a button. To help the student make a choice a large picture appears on the right (in blue/green) as the mouse is passed over the corresponding button. Here, the mouse is being passed over the button for a Tangram shape of a cat.
 
How students enter their answers
Where the student needs to enter an answer, there are three main methods.  One has been discussed above - drag and drop. In drag and drop exercises the student simply drags their answer to a marked location.  The other two methods are as follows:
Method 1. Multiple choice buttons.


Example of multiple choice buttons.

The example above is from the 'Rotate It' activity.  The student has to choose one of four answers that determine how a target shape to be rotated. First one of the four circular buttons above the numbers is clicked. Then as a second stage, the button labelled 'ROTATE IT' is clicked. This two stage process is used to allow the student time to consider their answer before committing to it.

Method 2. Number entry arrays

 
Example of a number entry array

This second example is from the Counting Cubes activity. A number has to be entered, and this is done by clicking on the blue arrows above and below the 'digit'. Once again, a second button is clicked to check the answer once the student has finished entering it.
 
4. The on screen performance report

Once you have started an activity, you will see a SCORE area at the top of the screen. This shows marks achieved. If you pass your mouse button over it then you will also see a PERFORMANCE REPORT, giving an idea of the percentage of marks being scored. Encourage the student to improve their performance. There is no facility for storing the performance.

Note. The marks are reset to zero for a particular activity at a particular difficulty level each time that the student re-enters that difficulty level from the activity menu.

 
5. Curriculum information
All activities are tightly linked to the national curriculum and national numeracy strategies. When using at home, follow the advice of the teacher. There is no harm in allowing children to 'work ahead' of where they are in class.
 
6. Accessibility

The bright, colourful graphics and other design features result in great interest from many students who are otherwise difficult to reach. Our software is used by Special Needs teachers at Primary (K-12) and Secondary level, as well as by Adult Numeracy tutors.

Difficulty levels. Each activity is presented at two difficulty levels, selected from the opening screen of that activity. Within an activity, if appropriate, difficulty increases as questions are completed successfully.

Assistance with reading instructions.  There are many students who are readily able to complete the mathematical elements of tasks yet whose reading is poor. This is easily overcome by working closely with such a student while the first few examples are covered so that they understand what is required.

All material is copyright of SUMS Online Ltd 2007.

SUMS Online Ltd, 11, Hatters Lane, Chipping Sodbury,
 Bristol BS37 6AA UK    Reg. No. 04421978
+44 (0)1454 853539 www.sums.co.uk