You can view the Microworlds only in an ActiveX enabled browser, such as Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 or later, and you must be using one of the Windows 32-bit operating systems (anything later than Windows 3.1). Also, your Java Virtual Machine should be fairly recent. You might like to press the F11 key when you dismiss this window to view the paper in full screen mode.

Our use of ActiveX controls to support the Microworlds reflects a design decision that, after two years experimentation with "pure" Java, we felt compelled to make. Since our aim was to provide a point-and-click authoring environment that gave authors as much freedom as possible to implement their ideas, and, at the same time, to make the product of their work technologically transparent to students, we found that we needed the full attention of a single compliant and mature operating system. The Microsoft Windows operating system is the canvas on which we have chosen to paint.

If you are ready to continue, please download the Personal MathwrightWeb ActiveX Control (2.6 M) now, by clicking the "atom" below. You may run the program once it is downloaded, or select "Run from the current location" to install the Control on your computer.

You should then check that the Security Settings in your Microsoft Internet Explorer browser under Tools, Internet Options, Security for the Internet, Custom Level have:

• "Run ActiveX Controls and Plugins" set either to enable or prompt.
• "Initialize and Script ActiveX Controls not marked as safe" set either to enable or prompt.