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…

Arguing that software evaluation is crucial to the quality of courseware available in a school, this paper begins by discussing reasons why microcomputers are making such a tremendous impact on education, and notes that, although the quality of software has improved over the years, the challenge for teachers to integrate computing into 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…

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…

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

A discussion of the evaluation of computer courseware looks at its history, the kinds of instruments developed for the purpose of evaluation, and evaluation trends. The first chapter presents three types of evaluation models: (1) those centered on educational objectives, (2) those centered on the use or value of a program, and (3) those…

This self-training package is designed to help microcomputer users select appropriate and efficient educational software packages by using a software evaluation system. It is mainly designed for school teachers and parents. The system consists of a Criteria Rating Form (CRF) and a personal evaluation. The CRF--a five-point scale from excellent to…

This annual guide provides information on recommended software programs and multimedia applications for K-12 use. An introductory section describes the evaluation process and lists the highest-rated programs for 1998-99. The program entries are organized by the following subject areas: the arts, early childhood, health, language arts, mathematics,…

This collection of essays focuses on various aspects of research and instruction related to developmental education. The collection includes: (1) "Evaluating Instructional Software for Developmental Education," by Curtis Miles, which includes information on types of microcomputer software, developmental student characteristics,…

The fifth in a series, this report reviews Apple microcomputer courseware--and some IBM computer courseware--authorized by Alberta Education from June 1985 to March 1986. It provides detailed evaluations of 97 authorized programs in business education (11), business education/math (1), computer literacy (4), computer literacy/math/problem solving…

Because the field of home economics has long been dominated by females, concern has often been expressed that many of the audiovisual materials available for use in home economics classes are also female dominated; in an age when both males and females have equal access to home economics classes, this is a major concern. In addition, with the…

The sixth in a series, this report reviews microcomputer courseware authorized by the Alberta Department of Education from April 1986 through December 1986. (Although earlier publications in this series were cumulative, this edition and the fifth edition contain only new or revised reports.) This edition provides detailed evaluations of 39…

The seventh in a series, this report reviews microcomputer software authorized by the Alberta (Canada) Department of Education from January 1987 through December 1987. This edition provides detailed evaluations of 23 authorized programs for teaching business education, mathematics, the sciences, language arts, music, problem solving, and French.…

The eighth in a series, this report reviews microcomputer software authorized by the Alberta (Canada) Department of Education from January 1988 through December 1988. This edition provides detailed evaluations of 40 authorized programs for teaching business education, computer literacy, databases, file management, French, information retrieval,…