An Australian produced educational multimedia program
on CD-ROM for Windows

The 12 minute audio visual movie, "Medieval Exploration", shows the ancient civilisations that grew up around the Mediterranean Sea, the fall of the Roman Empire and onset of the Early Middle Ages, early explorations of Irish monks, Viking emergence and expansion, Eric the Red, Leif Ericson and Vinland, Viking decline, The Crusades, spice trade and the search begins for a sea route to Asia.

The Library has a wealth of resource material that includes text, photos, graphics and audio programs. In the library, the movie size is reduced and plays in the upper left corner of the screen. As the movie plays the library is continually updated to display the text, photos and graphics which pertain to that section of the movie.

The Library also contains five People of the World audio programs of approximately 25 minutes each. These titles are: The Egyptians, The Ancient Greeks, The Romans, The Arabs, and The Vikings.

The student progresses through the Review by clicking on the correct answer to each question as it is presented. If an incorrect answer is clicked, the program replays the section of the movie from which the correct answer can be determined, then re-presents the question to the student.

Guides contains a comprehensive Teachers Guide, About This Program Guide and Review Sheet. All of which can be accessed from the CD-ROM or printed out as hard copies.

Activities contains an outline of 10 follow-up activities which can be used as a basis for student projects, or as a guide to further learning. Medieval Exploration also comes with pre-viewing suggestions which directs the student's attention to the essential elements of the unit.

Objectives:

After using this multimedia program students should be able to:

• describe simply the causes and nature of the early Middle Ages;
  

• explain why the discoveries and achievements of the ancient world were so often lost or forgotten during the early Middle Ages;

• describe briefly the journeys and motives of the Irish explorer-monks;
  

• describe is some detail the journeys and motives of the Viking raiders and discoverers;

• draw and describe such vessels as the Irish coracle and the Viking dragonship;

• comment on the religious beliefs of the Vikings;

• explain briefly why such Viking discoveries as Vinland were abandoned and forgotten;

• state simply reasons for the end of the early Middle Ages and the start of a new Age of Discovery;

• make suggestions as to the qualities of personality of the major characters;

• have some understanding of the similarities and differences between life then and now.