Characteristics of new information technologies have implications for their evaluation. The instability of most technologies, and their novelty for most users, calls into question the value of experimental summative studies. Their interactive character challenges the traditional formative paradigm. Case studies and field experiments can help to…

The first of five sections in this paper describes the role of the Agency for Instructional Technology (AIT) in the formation of consortia for the development of curricula and the production of learning materials using electronic technologies in the United States and Canada. The processes of instructional design and formative evaluation adopted by…