When testing a beta version of
Bridge Coach at the Swanmore Middle School, Ryde, Isle of Wight,
my test group consisted of year six students who had been
through an introductory MiniBridge course of 10 sessions in
curriculum time in year five. Their teacher who had played some
Bridge, followed up by projecting a Bridge Baron programme
occasionally to get them interested in "proper bridge". When
ever they finished their Maths class early and their work was
satisfactorily done they were allowed to deal the cards and play
a hand.
A change of staff and the fact that year six is a "SATS" exam
year, meant that their bridge playing was greatly curtailed.
I showed them how to play a hand on the "Smart Board". I f
they played the first nine cards in the exact sequence they
could beat the computer. Because of a technical hitch with a
shortcut on the IT computers, and further general instruction on
the use of the programme there was a fifteen minute delay before
they played the hand. Out of 28 participants I personally saw
six play the cards correctly.
The next day I repeated the procedure without the technical
hitch, with bright year 7 and 8 kids at another school, and none
succeeded. They had not had any Bridge experience.
The ability of the Swanmore kids to organize memory for
Bridge play would almost certainly transfer to other situations.
