StudyX Study Software
We like computerized study software in our house. My son is definitely a visual learner, so we try to use the computer frequently to engage and excite him about learning.
I had an opportunity to try out the StudyX Study Software with my son (7 years old) this past week.
StudyX touts itself as a versatile computer software that makes learning fast and fun for kids. StudyX utilizes a question/answer format to help kids learn facts in all of the common school subjects – math, language, social studies, science and more.
StudyX comes pre-loaded with questions in the various disciplines (as well as vocabulary words) and allows kids to do the questions and answers, run practice tests, use or print flash cards, and more. The software keeps track of the child’s progress as they move through subject matter.
StudyX is a downloadable program, and the installation went off without any problems at all. But when we launched the software I was greeted with a pop-up box that totally confused me. I had no idea if I was supposed to enter my own questions or utilize StudyX’s.
When I chose to use StudyX’s questions, I had a hard time figuring out how to load them (mind you, I worked in technology for 7 years before doing this mom thing). Once I finally chose a subject (science) and got the questions loaded, another window appeared.
It was asking a vocabulary question about some type of soil mixture. Whoa! This was way over my 2nd grader’s head. I have no idea what grade level this question was for – nor was I ever able to find a way to set a preference to show material that was suitable for a second grader.
Frustrated by science, I went over to math and elected to try some addition and subtraction facts. This went a bit better. A little game option popped up and my son was presented with basic addition problems. He had to enter the answer, click OK and the game would tell him via a dialog box whether he was correct or not.
He thought it was fun, for about 3 minutes. But because there was no animation, no sound, no interactive elements, he quickly tired of it.
I explored some of the “games” that came along with StudyX and I was disappointed there, too. The game graphics and movement seemed circa 1982. There was no way that the games would hold my son’s interest.
I did think that the “auto-pilot” feature of StudyX was clever. It allows questions to popup while your child is doing other activities on the computer. So they are forced to take a break from what they’re doing and answer a quiz question. I thought that was kind of neat – but again, I couldn’t figure out how to set the appropriate academic level.
Perhaps for a high school student, StudyX might be okay. Perhaps older children don’t require as much “fun’ while studying. But StudyX says that its program is for kids of all ages.
Overall, I think StudyX falls short of what it promises. The system is not flexible and open enough to customize for a child, it lacks the interactivity and graphics that today’s children expect, and the interface is old-looking and extremely unfriendly to navigate. 15 years ago, this product might have been revolutionary, but today, it feels like a dinosaur.
And for the price of $39.99, I can get an educational Wii or DS game that will provide my child a more engaging experience.
If you want to check StudyX out for yourself, you can do a 30 day free trial download over at CNet.
