Evaluating instructional software: A review and critique of current methods

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the key features of various methods that software evaluation organizations employ to evaluate instructional software. Who conducts the evaluations, the processes they use for doing so, and the software features they evaluate are among the topics that are discussed. Some of the problems associated with many of the evaluation methods are also described, as is an alternate method designed to overcome some of the identified problems. Special emphasis is placed on the role of students as participants in the evaluation process, and the benefits that may be derived from placing students in that role.