Crocodile Clips
Simple Simulation Software
TEEM review of Crocodile Technology 3D
Terry Hewitt writing for Teachers Evaluating Educational Multimedia
February 2007
Summary
An elegant, intuitive and inexpensive solution to resourcing a complex, expensive area of the Design Technology Curriculum. The developers have a light touch and a gentle sense of humour (blowing a fuse several times gave us great pleasure without costing me a penny). It saves time, money and the fuss of packing away components. It reduces the risk of loss, damage and expensive mistakes. Those of us with limited resources, especially in terms of expensive control apparatus, will benefit greatly from this package. The program moves students gently and smoothly from the simple to the sophisticated. A super resource.
Description
The Crocodile Technology 3D CD-ROM is designed to support teaching systems and control elements of the Design Technology Curriculum. This 3D modelling software covers electronic design, PCB simulation, mechanisms and PIC programming and enables students to build a buggy with a range of mechanisms and electronic components before moving on to more sophisticated control with the 'Picaxe' buggy. Tutorials and examples help develop understanding of basic electronics, advanced circuitry and logic.
A wide range of mechanical components, electromechanisms (motors, microswitches, generators) and electronic components 'snap together', can be rotated and examined in three dimensions. This makes it easy for students of all abilities to understand and modify designs. Through electronic simulations they can add inputs, outputs and mechanisms to a 3D virtual circuit board whilst PCB design software runs in the background automatically placing and routing components ready for export of the finished design. The software includes a virtual digital multimeter for testing and a graph tool. This CD-ROM is a great support for delivering a range of Design Technology and ICT-related topics.
Supporting Documentation
This title aims to create a virtual workshop where ideas can be developed quickly, easily and cheaply. Students create and test designs before building them. Designed for independent use Crocodile Technology can be used in a variety of ways. For example, the tutorials can be used for starters, plenary or quick revision sessions. As a main resource for a lesson or sequence of lessons its ease of use is likely to ensure student involvement with the task and success. It supports students in designing, experimenting and testing ideas.
Curriculum Relevance
National Curriculum for Key Stage 3
- Developing, planning and communicating ideas
- Take into account costs when selecting materials, components
- Use ICT to explore, develop, model and communicate design proposals
- Take account of working characteristics of components when deciding how and when to use them
- Join and combine components accurately to achieve functional results
- Evaluate design ideas as they develop and modify proposals
- Knowledge and understanding of systems and control
- Recognise inputs, process and output
- About mechanical, electrical and electronic control systems including switches and sensors and how mechanical systems can be joined together to create different kinds of movement
- How to use electronics, microprocessors and computers to control systems
- How to use ict to design subsystems and systems.
National Curriculum for Key Stage 4
- Evaluating processes and products - devise and apply test to check quality of their work during development.
- How control systems can be designed, used and connected
- How feedback is incorporated into systems
- How to analyse the performance of systems
- Design and make assignments which include activities related to the application of systems and control
The learning outcomes supported are:
- pupils use a wide range of appropriate sources of information to develop ideas
- they check their work as it develops
- they make models to explore and test their design thinking
- they investigate form, function and production processes before communicating ideas
- they seek out information to help their design thinking.
Analysis of Contents
Crocodile Technology 3D is essentially a modular 'virtual experiment' platform which covers many aspects of Design Technology courses in Key Stages 3 and 4 - mechanics, control, electronics, etc. The concept is simple: drag-and-drop components onto a working area, connect them and watch them do things. Exercises range from the simple battery, fuse, bulb or crank and gear wheel to complicated ready-made logic systems. The concepts covered are entirely appropriate for the target age range. Activities are pitched at the right level and differentiation is built in. The vocabulary begins in such simplicity that it is easy for students to get started and build towards the more complex terms that our subject demands.
An addition to a 'family' of products, it utilises an increasingly familiar interface, is straightforward to use, provides instant feedback (switch on too many light bulbs in a circuit and the fuse will blow) and allows individuals to work at their own speed through a comprehensive range of topics. From the teacher's point of view the fact that no equipment needs to be set up, no damage is done to equipment and there is the ability to print off a 'bill of parts' are clear advantages.
The software relies on, and is supported by high quality images. (Although, naturally, it copes more readily with electronic components than the memory hungry movement of mechanical components). Nevertheless it possesses an impressive ability to, for example, change the number of teeth on a gear wheel or the diameter of a flywheel.
Differentiation
The program is very easy to use. Tutorials begin with how to re-size and then rotate an image and move gently, progressively and smoothly on to more and more complex and challenging activities - retaining the ability to go back to recap, revise or simply rest and play. The familiar interface and drag and drop nature of the program will build on common basic skills. The CD-ROM facilitates equal opportunity for students, especially those who might have difficulty manipulating small components.