Each module begins with a brief discussion of the topic, moves stepwise into experimental design, data collection and analysis, and a summary of the topic, and then provides a self-test that assesses knowledge. When a question is asked, there are several choices that can be dragged with a mouse to a box that ultimately holds the final answer. If the student makes the wrong choice, the program will explain why the student made the choice and gives a little prompting to rethink the answer. The instructions are well written, almost self-explanatory. My students had no problems following the directions, although some of the microscopic views of compounds were so similar that they had trouble identifying the correct compound (even with a legend to the side).

The manual that accompanies the CD-ROM provides an estimated time on task for each project, which my students seemed to meet. I worried that the data sheet that accompanied the module wasn't adequate to answer the questions and make the observations requested; however, the students felt that the sheet was both adequate and helpful. They also had no problems with the self-test, which asked the same types of questions in the same manner as in the module. The self-test can be taken without performing the tutorial and is not graded, although it also points out the students' mistakes in a clear, direct manner and will not let them proceed until they get the answer correct.

I also tried the radiochemistry module at home, with the same results. If a school did not have Geiger counters or even inexpensive counting equipment, the experiment could be simulated quite well using this module. The graphics and video clips were simple, clear, and helpful when viewed on a 16-color monitor with 800 x 600-pixel viewing area. Even on a 166-MHz Pentium II, I had no problems running the program. The accompanying Web site has the same material as the CD-ROM along with a correlation of each module to many of the popular general chemistry texts in use today.

Because it does not have a feature that can be used to grade an unknown or to check any work, the software could not be used to completely replace a particular lab. However, the title explains its purpose--to be used as a bridge to the lab. The low cost makes it an attractive supplement to a lab manual.

Now, are my students any better at writing net ionic equations than they were before? A little--but they'll still feel my wrath for some of the crazy equations that they turned in. Oh well... maybe as they use this CD-ROM again, they will be better prepared for other topics.

I thank my students, Laura Freeman, William Davis, and Lisa Burkhart, for taking part in the examination of the CD-ROM.