Surveys existing checklists and investigates the extent to which they enable the expression of useful assessments for software selection. Problems and limitations are noted, with an emphasis on predominantly technical attributes of packages at the expense of consideration of broader classroom environments and activities, learning processes, and…

Compares evaluative assumptions built into published sets of guidelines for microcomputer software evaluation with those derived from three small United Kingdom case studies of microcomputer usage in reading/language classes. The case studies provide data on teacher and student reaction to five computer programs used by 9- to 13-year-olds. (MBR)