This case study examined the educational software evaluation processes of pre-service teachers who attended either expertise-based training (XBT) or traditional training in conjunction with a Software-Evaluation checklist. Forty-three mathematics teacher candidates and three experts participated in the study. All participants evaluated educational…

The structures within which software evaluation is carried out vary widely. Three broad types of evaluation methodologies offer models that capitalize on important aspects of evaluation: (1) product review; (2) checklist procedure; and (3) user observation. Structures and methodologies for software evaluation have evolved together and have…

Examination of methods used by two software review services in evaluating microcomputer courseware--EPIE (Educational Products Information Exchange) and MicroSIFT (Microcomputer Software and Information for Teachers)--found low correlations between their recommendations for 82 programs. This lack of agreement casts doubts on the usefulness of…

Discusses how PRINT, a Turbo Pascal computer program, can assist communication researchers who spend the majority of their time dealing with textual material. Provides an overview of the program's ability to display files in a single or double format, convert files from WordStar file to normal ASCII, and provide information when prompted or at the…

Discusses the evaluation of instructional computer software. Groups who evaluate software are described, including EPIE (Educational Products Information Exchange); the evaluation process is discussed, including formal and informal software reviews; criteria for software evaluation are considered; and the importance of participation in the review…

Describes a computer software review procedure centering around a form that considers the use of the computer software in the early-childhood classroom and aids educators in selecting software that is age- and individually appropriate. The form emphasizes reviewing the software's potential for encouraging student engagement and enhancing skills in…

Focuses on the first of three stages of the path evaluation procedure for instructional software, performing the preliminary evaluation. The three main steps involved in preliminary evaluation are (1) a program is chosen for evaluation; (2) information is exchanged with the faculty developer; and (3) the instructional designer reviews the software…

This collection of reprints from The Computing Teacher contains 11 articles on the selection, evaluation, and organization of software published between August 1983 and March 1986, as well as more than 20 reviews of educational software packages published between December 1982 and June 1986. The articles are: (1) "The New Wave of Educational…

The author discusses issues that should be considered in choosing appropriate software for a specific instructional use. (CH)

Comparison of various evaluation forms and reviews used to evaluate instructional software focuses on the criteria used in their assessments, and the usefulness and appropriateness of these criteria for making instructional decisions. Highlights include forms developed by national organizations, and reviews and awards appearing in scholarly…

World Wide Web browsers are compared by speed, setup, hypertext transport protocol (HTTP) handling, management of file transfer protocol (FTP), telnet, gopher, and wide area information server (WAIS); bookmark options; and communication functions. Netscape has the most features, the fastest retrieval, sophisticated bookmark capabilities. (JMV)

Evaluation of CUES, a computer program designed to improve the essay writing of English-as-a Second-Language students, measured student opinions on the effectiveness of the program. The research included the employment of both formal and informal evaluation measures, providing a balanced assessment of computer-assisted language learning software.…

Practical programming is one of the basic skills pursued in computer science education. On programming courses, the coursework consists of programming assignments that need to be assessed from different points of view. Since the submitted assignments are executable programs with a formal structure, some features can be assessed automatically. The…