Discusses issues concerning the formative evaluation process in instructional design models. Distinctions between formative and summative evaluation are described; expert evaluation and student evaluation techniques are explained; the status of formative evaluation is examined; and connoisseurship as evaluation is considered, including the…

Presents an instructional development model that incorporates formative evaluation techniques, and explores the possible application of the model in developing computer-assisted instruction courseware. Advantages and disadvantages of this approach are identified and implications for research on formative evaluation are discussed. (31 references)…

A review of the research literature on systematic instructional design indicates that few empirically supported guidelines exist for testing materials under development and for improving materials on the basis of feedback from potential learners. In an analysis of 17 textbooks on instructional design, eight specific aspects to be considered in…

Describes and compares formative evaluation approaches: expert review, developmental testing, three-stage model, learner verification and revision, and general approach to formative evaluation. Discussion of differences among approaches related to duration of try-out/revision cycle and recommendations for effective acquisition of data are…

Examines the role of students in the formative evaluation of instructional materials and reviews research on criteria for selecting students for the evaluation process. Studies that investigated the following criteria are described: (1) level of verbalization; (2) aptitude; and (3) cognitive styles field-dependent and field-independent. (18…

The emergence and purpose of formative evaluation as a tool for curriculum developers is described. It is pointed out that formative evaluation seeks to establish the merit of instructional materials during their development, to modify and improve the design of instructional materials, and to establish their worth so they may be adapted for use in…

This reappraisal of the situation of instructional television (ITV) in education begins by defining the field, providing background information, describing the various roles that ITV can fill, and discussing the structure of ITV as a profession. Various aspects of ITV use are then discussed in the context of: (1) national use statistics on ITV…

A review of the literature on systematic instructional design suggests that few empirically tested guidelines exist for testing and revising materials during the development stages. The revision process can broadly be based on one of two distinct strategies, internal review or developmental testing. Internal review strategies include referring…

Traces the use of formative evaluation from World War I training films up to the detailed models and microcomputer technology currently employed. The influences of research techniques, psychometrics, and mass communications theory on evaluation methodologies are discussed, and advances such as the Program Analyzer are described. Extensive…