page@ulowell.UUCP (11/18/86)
[] A GAME CALLED NOGGIN Is there anyone interested in FORTH & EDUCATION & MATHEMATICS? Well, I need some help. Last year I wrote an educational game in Forth for the Commodore 64. It is called NOGGIN and it is, roughly, a mathematical pinball game: the game allows you to play with and meditate upon the properties of numbers while scoring points and winning free games. There are three versions of the game: one for elementary schools (it deals with multiplication, division, addition, etc.); another for highschools (logs, bases other than decimal); and a third for math types (distribution of primes and composites, modular arithmatic, prime divisors, stuff). At the moment, the game is being used by numerous school districts in Vancouver; in alternate schools; in a hospital for work with the learning disabled; and as a research tool at universities (memory and learning disabilities). As educational software it is somewhat revolutionary because (1) it is a GAME that teaches (i.e., it's fun) and (2) it's free (I'm giving it away (I charge $5 for postage and handling)). NOGGIN NEEDS HELP I'm sending this message because the game needs help. I want to put Noggin on other computers, however, because it is free I haven't the cash to hire people to do it and because there are so many types of computers, I haven't the time or inclination to do it myself. The game is written in Forth thus if anyone would like to make a version for their own computer (and this is altruism because all programming is hard work and time consuming), please send me a note over the network. We'll talk. (It would be great to get it up and running on the Amiga.) If you prefer languages other than Forth (APL, C, COBOL), you are welcome to make versions in those languages for any machine imaginable (IBM 370 , Dec Vax, Atari 400). In other words, if you have pent-up programming energy and need a project, here it is. All I ask is that your version of Noggin retain the spirit of the original (you give it away for free). Finally, anyone with access to a Commodore-64 who is interested in a copy of the game (I'll mail you all three versions), send a letter containing your return address and $5 (postage and handling, cost of floppy) to: Jon Steeves, 7310 Imperial St., Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada, V5E 1N7 You can reach me through the net at: Jon_Steeves%sfu.mailnet@mit-multics.arpa (for mailnet, ARPA, and Internet) userjons@sfu (bitnet) ...!seismo!ubc-vision!sfu.mailnet!jon_steeves (UUCP)