This file contains Demonstration Tutorials created with Oyster™.
Double-click "Oyster Menu" to start.
The three tutorials (Algebra 1, Linda & Rufus, and Software Piracy) are
actually "scripts". Algebra 1 is simply a sample Algebra Tutorial.
Linda & Rufus is an introductory program used to give prospective
Law students an idea of what questions lawyers must deal with. Software
Piracy is an ever-evolving dialogue for those who believe they are
software pirates. To run these scripts, double-click "Oyster menu" and
select the tutorial you would like to run.
These samples are placed into the public domain by Hugh Gibbons, professor
of Law at Franklin Pierce Law Center, 2 White Street, Concord, NH 03301.
(603) 228-1541, ext.150. Actual uploading of the files was performed by
Stuart Fischbach (CIS #72245,1350; GEnie - STUFISCH) under the express
authorization of Professor Gibbons.
***Any posting of these files on other Bulletin Boards must be accompanied by this documentation***. Please contact Professor Gibbons at the address above
if you have any further questions.
About Oyster (by Stuart Fischbach)
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The theory behind Oyster™ is that teachers often need to provide students
with "Guided Analysis" - to lead the students through the proper analysis of
problems, while asking questions and noting responses.
Every year, at Franklin Pierce Law Center, incoming first-year law students
have their curriculum structured around a computerized "litigation" exercise
which is integrated into the first-semester law curriculum. Aspects of
civil procedure, torts, and contracts are all presented in a simulated case
for which the students are to act as the client's lawyer. In 1986, I
represented a client injured in a snowmobile accident. As we learned new
areas of the law (such as damages, in Torts), we would have a tutor during the
same week that would cover that area of law as it related to the simulated
litigation.
Orginally, these tutors were written as text files, with a Basic program
running on a Unix system (an Arete, to be exact). With the advent of Macintosh,
Professor Gibbons teamed with Education specialist Bernice McCarthy and
programmer Tom Kent to create a program capable of creating tutorial programs
on Macintosh. A program that would be easy to create exercised, and one that could be used to teach students how to create their own tutorial exercises.
Oyster™ is the result of this collaboration.
The Oyster Demo application has the full-functionality of the Oyster program,
with the save option removed. The Oyster Player is used in two ways: First,
it can be used to play "scripts" which are created with the Oyster application;
Second, the player can be "bound" to a script to create a stand-alone tutorial
application.
While I don't have the space to explain how to use Oyster, I believe it will
be fairly intuitive once you have run the tutorials.
I worked in software development before I came to FPLC to study law. I also
have owned a Macintosh since the day after it came out. With that background
in mind, I would like to say that I feel this is an extremely useful program
for educators wishing to create (EASILY create) tutorials to run on a Mac.
While the implementation is not finished, work is already underway on creating
a much improved version with greatly expanded capabilities.
If you find this program to be interesting, please call Hugh and let him know
