by Mitch Kittenplan, New York State Technology Educators Association
NYSTEA, May 1997
For those of us involved in teaching electricity/electronics, we always seem to be looking for new and better ways to teach circuit design. Electric circuit training systems are a lot like people, they come in all shapes and sizes. They're also a lot like people from the standpoint that some are a lot of fun, and some are... well, not much fun at all. Joining the crowd of electric circuit training systems is a new software program offered by Modern School Supplies called Crocodile Clips. Trust me, this one IS lots of fun. As a matter of fact, this might be as much fun as students can have learning circuit design.
The features are easy to use, and as the package advertises, "the only limit is your imagination!" The User-friendly software includes features such as animation to help understanding by revealing invisible concepts, operation of on-screen switches and sliders with a touch of the mouse, an oscilloscope trace to reveal pulsating voltages, circuit testing by dropping probes onto the wires, and an on-line help facility based on the 110-page User Guide. Students are able to create their own systems inluding pollution detectors, temperature sensors, car alarms and more. The highlight of the program though is the little crocodile sitting in the tool box. Drag him onto the circuit, click on the mouse and voila, the selected wires disappear. I found myself creating circuits just so I could use the croc to remove them, piece by piece. Every lab pack even includes photocopiable worksheets.
For teaching circuit design in school, this one is a must try.