This discussion of formative evaluation as part of the instructional design process focuses on developmental testing and expert review. A review of the literature helps define each approach, research on formative evaluation is reviewed, and 37 references are provided. (LRW)

This chapter presents Hutchinson's Metamethodology, which is a methodology for building methodologies. The methodology is composed of a set of rules and procedures that, when followed and applied to any problem area, will result in a systematic set of procedures for dealing with that problem area. The following major processes of the methodology…

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…

Documents early efforts of the four units of Electronic Text Consortium as they investigated uses of electronic text in higher education. The University of Wisconsin Extension's creation and implementation of electronic text products are described, and the practical issues illuminated by this project are discussed. (MBR)

Describes a project at Bell Laboratories which sought a compromise between ideal formative evaluation procedures and more feasible procedures necessitated by restrictions on time and resources. Local-trial and field-trial stages of a phased approach are discussed, as well as the benefits of field-tests. (EAO)

When new educational technology is put into actual use, new ways of using the technology and new ways of organizing instruction can emerge. A critical feature of formative research conducted in actual settings is that the organization of instruction can change as the educational environment appropriates the technology to its own goals. Thus, the…

It is argued that the three basic issues that have typically been the concern of formative evaluation (comprehensibility, appeal, and usefulness) tell us very little about the role that an instructional product can play in the ongoing environment of the classroom. The focus in this paper is on the field test, i.e., on research situated within the…

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…

This paper reports on the development, design, and initial field testing of a narrative simulation, "'This Just Is!' Jeff's Story," that focused on homophobia and adolescent suicide. The initial field test was conducted with two user groups--a graduate class of professionals in the field of higher education student development, and a…