ChemTutor Excalibur is designed to tutor students enrolled in a high school or basic college physics course. This educational science software by Interactive Learning, Inc. is not designed to be a full, stand-alone course in chemistry (despite packaging that states it could be), but rather it's a tool to help students practice for multiple-choice tests as well as supplement and review what they learn elsewhere.
ChemTutor Excalibur looks like a multiple choice test, but a test with feedback and hints and instruction all built in. Basically, the application works like this: On the chapter selection screen you can choose from 20 broad chapter topics. Once you choose a topic, you'll see a multiple-choice question for that topic. You may attempt to answer it or else click on "Learn" to see a brief tutorial on the concept the question covers. If the correct answer to the question still eludes you, a click on the "Explanation" button brings up information on solving that specific problem. Almost all of the tutorial information is text-based. At any point along the way, you can also see your test results—the number of questions you've answered and which ones you've answered correctly.
The major teaching tools in this educational science software are multiple choice questions and text-based explanations. While there are a few simple charts or graphics in some of the explanations, the application lacks other types of teaching tools for different learning styles. This is unfortunate, but understandable. Indeed, the purpose of ChemTutor Excalibur is not necessarily to teach new concepts. It is a practice tool, a tutoring tool to reinforce what students have already learned (say, from a high school course or textbook). It also allows students to practice answering multiple-choice test questions and to see what concepts they might not have completely understood.
We did appreciate the additional resources available as part of the application. On each screen students will see navigation buttons to take them to a periodic table or other oft-used references. Because these reference materials are so easily available, students won't waste time trying to find little bits of information in their notes or textbook.
ChemTutor Excalibur covers a wide variety of topics, including:
- Basic Atomic Structure
- Chemical Nomenclature
- Chemical Reactions & Equations
- More Calculation
- Stoichiometry
- Atomic Theory
- Periodic Trends
- The Elements
- Bonding & Molecular Geometry
- Gases
- Interparticle Forces & Phase Changes
- Solution Chemistry
- Thermodynamics
- Reaction Kinetics
- Chemical Equilibria
- Acid/Base Chemistry
- Oxidation/Reduction Reactions
- Electrochemistry
- Nuclear Chemistry
- Organic Chemistry
For each topic there are about 20 to 25 randomly generated multiple-choice questions, though one had only 13 and a few had as many as 35. Each question also has a tutorial and explanation available to instruct students as they find the answer.
ChemTutor Excalibur is simple to install, and once installed, it is not difficult to use. Clearly labeled buttons at the bottom of the screen take you where you need to go. Pull-down menus at the top also help you navigate, as do corresponding icons on a toolbar at the top of the page. The interface is functional enough, but it's not slick or pretty—in fact it's kind of clunky and has a dated feel. While none of this interferes with its actual educational value, it would be nice to see a bell or whistle added in.
We did have one small issue with this educational science software that does interfere with its functionality to some degree. Every single feedback box has to be acknowledged by hitting its OK button before you can do anything else. It would seem more intuitive for the application to assume the "wrong answer" feedback had been seen, and then allow the user to move on to the next action he wanted to take—like getting further instruction on the topic. It's not a huge problem, but clicking OK on every box did get tiresome after awhile.
Interactive Learning has an email and phone number for technical support listed on their website.
Because ChemTutor Excalibur's content is mostly text-based and centers around helping students answers various multiple-choice questions, this educational science software seems best suited for students currently taking high school or basic college chemistry course. This is not a stand-alone chemistry course; rather it's a tool to help students identify concepts they might not have understood and to supplement their course instruction. ChemTutor Excalibur might also be helpful to anyone needing to review chemistry they've already learned—like prepping for an AP or college entrance exam.
