Guidelines for Selecting Computer Software 4/9/2019 Presenter: Karla E. Jones

Evaluating Computer Software Instructional Design Software Design Other Criteria Instructional Design Well research? Is is based on sound learning theory Does it promote skills important for 21st century learners? Challenging? Can students create their own pathways to learning Adaptive Culturally aware Appropriate awards Software Design Age appropriate graphics Multimedia elements that promote learning Ease of use by students Technically sound Other Criteria Pricing Technical Support 4/9/2019 Presenter: Karla E. Jones

Presenter: Karla E. Jones Content Instructional Objectives Purpose of the software Lessons and instructions should be sequenced Instructional Objectives, Purpose, and Sequence The content should match the curriculum The objectives should be clearly stated Think about what subject you are teaching and if the skills within the subject match the software 4/9/2019 Presenter: Karla E. Jones

Presenter: Karla E. Jones Instruction Should follow sound educational techniques and principles Positive reinforcement Time spent learning Performance summaries Sound techniques and principles There should be frequent feedback for the skills being taught Positive reinforcement The feedback should be effective for both correct and incorrect responses Time spent learning The amount of learning should justify the time spent by learners Performance summaries Should contain time on task and the results of any assessment Learning paths and response patterns Ex: Phonics Alive Ex: Orchard Software 4/9/2019 Presenter: Karla E. Jones

Presenter: Karla E. Jones Student “Life of the learner” Prerequisite skills and learner characteristics should be clearly indicated Text and audio should be present at a reading level appropriate for users Life of the Leaner The software should include examples that are relevant to the learner Prerequisite Skills These should be clearly indicated You don’t want to start your students on a program that they are not ready for 4/9/2019 Presenter: Karla E. Jones

Presenter: Karla E. Jones Operation User friendly Manual Changes to presentation, sequence, or selection of lessons should be explained clearly User friendly On screen instructions should be simple, clear, and concise. Manual The manual should contain all of the on screen instructions, but with more detail You shouldn’t have to pick up the manual every time you use the software Sidebar – some teachers think that good software requires minimum computer skills from the learner. This is not so. Good computer skills is essential to using software. It saves time. More time can be spent on content instead of teaching students how to open and close a program. This goes back to the prerequisite skills. Changes to Presentation This should be illustrated in through menu instructions or in the manual 4/9/2019 Presenter: Karla E. Jones

Presenter: Karla E. Jones Design Color, graphics, animation, and sound Text Commands All of these should maintain the students interest without being distracted. EX: Web Pages. Teach students the layout of a typical web page It’s kind of like teaching a child to read. When a student looks at a book for the first time. They don’t know what spaces are and that they separate words and that a punctuation mark is the end of that particular statement. These things must be taught before a child even attempt to read a sentence, even if they can decode words. Text should be clear. This is accomplished by using the right size, color, and screen Students should know how to use commands. Ex: ESC They should know when to type and when to click their mouse. 4/9/2019 Presenter: Karla E. Jones

Presenter: Karla E. Jones Package Should be easy to integrate into the curriculum Lesson plans, grouping arrangements, student workbooks, follow-up activities, and projects Flexibility Lesson plans, grouping, arrangements, student workbooks The importance of these items vary from course to course The needs of the students may be different. You may need a package of software that allows students to move about easily and as they wish. Other times, you may need software that is more structured So flexibility is important 4/9/2019 Presenter: Karla E. Jones

Presenter: Karla E. Jones Other Factors Do a little research by asking other teachers, parents, and students about their favorite software Ask for a demo Select items that bring fun and learning together Decision-making, creating, communicating, and using thinking skills Several levels of difficulty Hardware components Do research, ask for a demo Never buy software without testing it first. Some demos are flawed. Ask for a satisfaction guarantee. I attended a software presentation with for our district. The audience was technology facilitators and the C and I Department…… 4/9/2019 Presenter: Karla E. Jones

Presenter: Karla E. Jones References http://www.computerlearning.org/articles/SelectSW.htm http://www.tcnj.edu/~technj/spr97/selection.html http://www.netc.org/earlyconnections/kindergarten/software.html http://www.ataccess.org/resources/atk12/selectsoft.html http://teacher.scholastic.com/professional/teachtech/selectsoftware.htm http://www.math.purdue.edu/highSchool/technology/references-softwareCheck.html http://www.htctu.fhda.edu/publicat/ld/intro.pdf 4/9/2019 Presenter: Karla E. Jones