Overview

I keep searching for new tools which can be customized to present children with interactive computer games which support the current unit of study.  One that I have begun to use extensively is Trivia Quiz Shell by Bot Productions.  The Bot Productions web site describes the free Trivia Quiz Shell in this way:

I intend to make available my Bible Quiz (.TQS) scripts as I prepare them for each unit of study for the LifeWay Christian Resources Family Bible Series curriculum for 3rd and 4th Graders.  Since in the Family Bible Series all ages study the same scripture passage, these scripts should be usable in other age groups as well.

The new Tic-Tac-Toe game is a custom script I developed using the TQS customization features.  My kids seem to really enjoy team competition (boys vs. girls, although I try not to overdo that division).  I had tried some other Tic-Tac-Toe games, all of which had various limitations.  This version uses the identical XML question format as the existing TQS multiple-choice question category, but rewards a correct answer with the choice of an X or O on the Tic-Tac-Toe grid.  The questions and answers are randomized, and the font colors are derived from the TQS global settings.  I often use it in class as a review after the story, although early arrivers gravitate to it as well.

Bot Productions has released Version 2.5 of Trivia Quiz Shell, available as a free download. It has some great new features, the most obvious of which is sound support. In this version, each correct or incorrect answer can be supported with a special sound file. To use scripts, you must download TQS version 2.5 from http://www.botproductions.com/tqs/tqs.html. The download is free, and you must install it using the procedure described in the zip file (and outlined below).  If you are upgrading from a previous version of TQS, you must first remove the old version by running the "Uninstall TQS.bat" batch file in your TQS program folder.

TQS provides a menu navigation system and supports multiple choice questions, hangman, and matching activities.  I have used the curriculum unit questions to populate each of these activities for each Sunday in the unit.  A screen shot of the menu page for the January, 2001 unit is provided.

Two years' experience indicates that the children respond very well to this tool.  Early arrivers were able to understand the navigation immediately, and took turns going through the questions and helping one another with the answers.  Surprisingly, the "hangman" game seemed to be the most popular.  We even had some second grade children come by to join in the fun, and they had no problem with the game itself (although they needed some help reading the words).

Getting Started

Here's what you need to do to try TQS in your setting:

Writing Your Own

The TQS script is written in XML, and is not terribly difficult to modify.  Version 2.5 of Trivia Quiz Shell has helped by adding much-improved trouble-shooting hints.  Still, my advice is to make a copy of one of my scripts and modify a small portion at a time, saving copies frequently so you can go back to a working version if something breaks.

To write your own, I strongly suggest that you visit the Trivia Quiz Shell page at Bot Productions.  Full documentation and an excellent tutorial are available there.  If you seriously want to write your own scripts, I urge you to work through the tutorial so you will gain a good understanding of the capabilities of the product.

If you come up with some good scripts, I would much appreciate receiving a copy (email to tjcook@earthlink.net).  Let me know if you are willing to have me add them to this page so others an use them.

Graphics

TQS has good support for graphics to illustrate the questions.  The images I include in the script file ZIP come from the following sources:

For additional graphics sources, see Media Resources on The Sunday School Page.