REVIEWS commented favorably on the three-dimensional perspective afforded by the presentation of the ball-and-stick pictures of molecules. In general, even students who had not used computers to any significant extent found the program easy to use and the manual ta be effective. The most significant problems occurred in making a print copy of the program's graphic output. It is necessary to save the image to a data disk, reboot witha disk containing a graphics dump utility, and then load and print the image. While this isnotdifficult, it doesintroducea distraction which detracts significantly from the otherwise smooth flow of the program itself. Had it been possible t o print from within the program, student reaction would have been almost unanimously positive, both with respect to the general quality of the program and with respect to its value in learning about conformatians. Kirk McMichael Washington State University Pullman, WA 99164
Synthetic Adventure FredD. WiNlarns. Educational Adventures. P.O. Box 667,Houghton. MI 49931 Hardware: Apple II family: 128K preferred. Also available for IBM PC. Components: 1 disk and instruction booklet Level and Sublect: Organic chemistry Cost: $45.00
Summary Ratlngs: Category Ease of Use: Subject Maffer Content Pedagogic Value:
Student Reaction:
Good Good God Good
Review The program is described in the aceompanying booklet as an adventure game which utilizes synthetic organic chemistry to overcome B series of problems or obstacles encountered in the game. The author of the software hopes that by experiencing the game, students become more aware of the significance of their classroom experience. I t seems to me that the game actually attempts to involve the student in a thinking process that is rather unique t o organic chemistry-that combination of inductive and deductive reasoning called organic synthesis. The audience it aims a t is students, typically sophomores in college, either beginning or completing their first course in oreanic ~.~ chemistrv. L'ponbooting'the disk and answering a few preliminary questions, the player of the game starts the adventure in a hydrocarbon village on the planet of Organo and proceeds t o move from one location t o the next by typing in directions like "go north". Along the journey the player picks up materials,
A300
Journal of Chemical Education
usually organic molecules, performs reactions with them, and uses the products to overcame obstacles in the way. Often products from one reaction are used as starting materials for another. The adventurer must proceed through over 50 locations until he or she arrives a t the origin of life forms on the planet and the end of the game. Because of the large number of locations one needs t o make a map of the planet on paper to keep track of not only where one has been hut also where one has set materials down that may be needed later in the game. It is quite easy to kill oneself accidentally, hut the game allows the adventurer another life and a chance to keep playing if one answers a given question in nonsynthetie organic ehemistry correctly. If the question is not answered correctly the game ends and, unless this or a previous game has been saved, one must start over a t the beginning. The three-page instruction booklet that accompanies the software is divided into two sections. The first part is directed toward the student and contains detailed instructions for playing the game as well as much helpful advice. It is strongly recommended that this he read before using the program heeause only basic instructions for playing are avsilahle in the software. The second part of the booklet is to he used a t the discretion of the teacher and contains hints, including reactions, for overcoming obstacles. Most students who play the game would probably need a t least some of these hints a i d perhaps some additional ones, especially if they are just beginning to learn organic chemistry. Once one has an understanding of how the game works, it is fairly easy to play this adventure game, even for those with no experience with adventure games or computers. The game possesses a good vocabulary, and t h e use of abbreviations certainly meeds uu the temoo. The urocedures used anohject in his or her inventory andeventually finds out that this can be overcome only by setting everything in the inventory down and then picking up all the objects except that which he or she had intended to put down originally. I have used the game primarily as part of the laboratory component of a two-term sequence in organic chemistry. I t was used a t the very beginning of this sequence, and five of the lab experiments performed by the students were easily arranged to provide either direct or indirect information about reactions that are used in the adventure game. A student was given some credit toward his or her lah grade for undertaking the adventure and overeomingohstacles. A number of hints were periodically given throughout the term. Student reaction to the game was mixed, with the better students taking to the game avidly. Those who completed the adventure spent approximately 30 to 40 hours playing it and reported the program was an enjoyable and an educationally rewardine,. exoerience. For their laree investment in time the). felt that they did hctter on synthetr~prd>lems on organic tests As one student said, "The program was extremely helpful in establishing the appropriate mind-set for synthesis." The major strength of the software is derived from its adventure-game format,
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which is addictiw once one successfully handles the initial m e or twoohstacles. Civen both personal experience and student reaction, i t isn't hard t o get hooked on the game because one eagerly anticipates the challenge of the next obstacle. Also, the use of humor and surprising responses in the game adds further enticement. This makes for avery enjoyable way for one tolearn bow organic synthesis works. However, for this format to be effective, a relatively large amount of time must he spent playing the game. Spendingonly one or two hours on the game is relatively worthless educationally, although i t probably stimulates one to want to know more about organic chemistry. Indeed, the very format that makes i t so addictive and useful to some students orovides lust the opposite experience for others. For studentswhudm't like this type ofgame,or like it but becume easily frumatcd in over. coming blocks or learning the game's vocahulary, playing the game seems to he a waste of time. Often these individuals are average or poorer students who may benefit from the software hut feel their time is better spent, justifiably so, studying organic chcmistry through more trnditionnl routes. Thesyntheses used during the adventure are fairly representative of those reactions in a beginning organic course of either a oneor two-term sequence. Those reactions include reduction, oxidation, hydrolysis, esterification, nucleophilic and electrophilic substitution, and free-radical substitution. Indeed, students reported remembering same particular reaction heeause of the game. For example, the periodic entry of "HNU and his pack of chlorine" on the scene seemed to help students recall conditions for free-radical substitution. I sugyert that, i i a follow-up disk is being planned, it should use the same adventure-game format but with reactions emphasizing carboncarbon bond formation like the Grignard reaction and the Aldol condensation. In conclusion, this is a beneficial program for good students and is best used early in the first term of organic, after a few reactions have been covered in class. By carefully considering what hints to give and when to give them in relation to the time needed to play the game effectively, a teacher can help provide the organic neophyte with a good sense of the problem ofuryanirsynthe. sis. Alternately, i t seems that the program may he used with success a t the end of an organic course as an integral problem and review for average students. An advantage of this approach is that students could play the pame more on their own. Indeed.. one avrd student uho was the first ro complete theadventure near the heginning of t h n~r ~ t term vfuryanic felt upon completion of ftnal termofthe sequence that he could now complete the quest with no hints! Paul L. Weber Briar Cliff College 3303 Rebecca St. Sioux City. iA 51 104 Marvels of t h e Molecule Lionel Salem. VCH: New York, NY, 1987.xii 88 pp. 14.7 X 21.7 cm.
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The responsible popularization of chemistry is one of the most important tasks fac-
