Has anyone heard of/used this program (full name: Captain’s Log Complete Computerized Mental Gym), a cognitive training program.
I found info. at www.mindfitness.com/smart/caplog.htm and at www.braintrain.com.
I am looking at PACE and was curious about similar programs. A psychoed. trainer/specialist near me uses this program. The sites have no research info., just testimonials.
Jan L.
Re: Captain's Log Mental Gym
It’s the problem people have with Earobics, which has very good reviews. At a certain point you have to keep the kid’s attention. Too bad these programs aren’t nearly as good or engaging as some of the games the kids would play for years. (There’s been an excellent review for some dance game for direcitionality. May stand a chance since it really IS a game. :-))
—des
Re: Captain's Log Mental Gym
[quote=”Anonymous”]
I am looking at PACE and was curious about similar programs. A psychoed. trainer/specialist near me uses this program. The sites have no research info., just testimonials.
Jan L.[/quote]
Testimonials are totally unreliable. If there is no research, don’t waste your money.
I recommend downloading a trial of their new modules to check it out.
Years ago I got a demo of Captain’s Log and it was so tediously boring I did not pursue it. A program that cannot maintain a child’s interest is a waste of time. Note that the old modules are DOS, so you can imagine the level of technology at the time they were developed.
It may be that the new modules are much better. However, I would buy it only on the basis of the new modules, if you like them. I doubt that the old modules would have any practical value, except perhaps for autistic children who like repetitive computer work.
Personally, I think there are inherent difficulties with trying to use computers for cognitive training, especially with children. Engagement of the child’s attention is really a pre-requisite of effective training. A human trainer can spontaneously adjust exercises, change to a different exercise, modify the challenge level for the child, and just plain cheer-lead, all in order to keep the child attentive and engaged.
Human nature being what it is, most children will not be able to maintain a high level of attentive engagement with computerized exercises. For this reason, I would think Audiblox would be much more effective than Captain’s Log. I am willing to be persuaded differently if parents who try CL report success. I just haven’t seen this in several years of surfing the net. Audiblox and PACE, on the other hand, have gotten many positive reviews from parents who have tried them.
Nancy