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Humanities Software Evaluation

Jazz: A Multimedia History

Copyright Date

1992

Publisher

Description

Enables user to view jazz performances and learn about jazz rhythm and style: features 30 minutes of video footage, including segments with Louis Armstrong, Ben Webster, and Lester Young. It is based on Lewis Porter's 1993 book Jazz: From its Origins to the Present.

Disciplines

Humanities, Music, History

Type of Program

x Single            |     x Mac
  One of a Series   |       IBM

Suitable for:

Individual Instruction, Pairs, Small Groups

Vendor

Compton's New Media

Cost

$69.95

Instructional Characteristics

Instructional Techniques

  Game
  Tutorial
  Simulation
x Informational
  Problem Solving

Documentation Available (Y=yes, N=No, NA= Not Applicable)

N  Student worksheets/Supplentary Material required
N  Student worksheets/Supplentary Material provided
N  Reference Manuals Required

Quality 1 (low) to 5 (high)

3  Content Characteristics
2  Instructional Characteristics
2  Technical Characteristics

Recommendations

I would neither use nor recommend this program

Comments

The excerpts are too short to be valuable for use in music or humanities classes. The quality of the sound is poor, even for recently recorded artists. When compared to the jazz segment on the multimedia encyclopedia Encarta, Encarta is far superior in the quality of the sound, the depth of coverage, and the selections chosen.