Presented here are several resources to help ESL teachers, administrators, and curriculum directors and/or designers assess educational software before its implementation into the classroom. It is noted that these guidelines are meant as precisely that, a guide, and should be adapted to the particular situation.
 

Does the software have stated learning objectives that are adhered to?

Ideally, valuable software would address objectives that help students master basic skills and foster high-level thinking skills. Check that reward systems are tied to learning events. Look for assessment summaries that clearly state which objectives students have yet to master. Software might provide additional practice on those concepts.

Is the software motivating to students?

Both teachers and students should preview software. As the novelty of using multimedia wears off, it becomes more important for software to contain motivation elements of the ARCS (attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction) model to maintain student interest. For example, the relevance of instruction may need to appear in the software as specific statements of the use of a skill or knowledge. Informing students of goals and objectives, and giving them frequent and early opportunities for success, can build confidence within the multimedia program. Embedded questions, scoring, self-checks, and practice questions are good methods for increasing confidence.

Does the software allow for individualized instruction?

Individualized instruction supports the two most important conditions for active mental engagement: the intensity of motivation to learn and the quality of the instructional support for learning. Unlike standardized approaches to learning that hold time constant and allow achievement to vary, customized instructional processes permit students to work on standards until they are met. Look for extensive help features so that students can work independently with software. Cognitive help features might include tutorials, hints, sample problems, reference libraries, on-screen calculators, and glossaries. Help might also include search capabilities and clearly visible, easily retrievable instructions on how to use the software and how to recover from errors. Software that has more than one entry level and more than one level of difficulty permits students to work on only those content modules they need and those at their skill level, whether it is practicing basic skills or developing critical-thinking skills at an applications level.

Does the software suggest paths to improve and have the ability to automatically adjust for student needs?

Students can develop independent and reflective thinking and learning skills if software incorporates scaffolding features. Look for guiding, coaching, and modeling messages such as 'Stop reminding me' or 'Show me an example'. It might contain scaffolding that is like training wheels on a bicycle. For example, defaults would enable novice learners to use only the simplest tools available. More advanced features would be revealed as learners gain experience. Learners would control turning on or off more advanced features that were previously hidden with computer assistance in decision making.

Does the software provide clear examples of skills that it is designed to develop?

Check how software helps learners build conceptual understanding of problem-solving processes. Is there a balance between drill and practice, computation, factual recall, and open-ended problem-solving processes that explore higher-level concepts? Applications also might include screens that summarize the major aspects presented about a topic before moving on to a new topic.

Does the software provide some repetition to assist in retention?

Retention is enhanced if concepts and core processes contained in standards are chunked together for mastery with specific facts and skills clustered under those larger ideas. Multimedia can provide two ways for learners to rehearse information. For a simple rote repetition, text is accompanied by a voice-over repeating the text to be learned. Information can be rehearsed more elaborately if learners can enter alphanumeric responses to exercises that require them to apply knowledge in an appropriate context.

Do problems make reference to real-life applications?

To increase transfer, knowledge should be anchored in realistic contexts and settings.

Does the software accommodate more than one solution method?

Teachers should judge the merit of this option based on whether their students are novice or advanced learners. There is a high probability with multiple representations that at least one of them will be misunderstood. This could hamper an overall understanding of the material, particularly for novice students. Only advanced learners with a high level of domain knowledge and metacognitive competence may benefit from multiple representations.

Is feedback tutorial in nature, or does feedback just indicate responses are right or wrong?

Feedback should provide occasional motivational messages, as well as information about the correctness and/or appropriateness of a response. It should be on the same screen with the question and student response to reduce the memory load on students, should provide hints, ask students to try again if answers are incorrect, and  be tailored to the response. User should not be trapped in a failure trap, however. After two attempts, the program should provide the correct response and indicate why an answer was wrong. Rewards for a correct response, such as praise, should be appropriate for the activity.

Are help and audio features under user control?

Help and audio should be under learner control. Audio should be linked to the learning activities, not just provide an unrelated musical background for the sake of having sound. Audio can explain menu choices, which can be highlighted as explained. Audio can be interrupted when learners make a selection. Audio that supports text should match the text exactly so that learners may identify unfamiliar words. Learners should be able to pause or repeat audio.

Additional Considerations

Software should contain a teacher management system that permits teachers to modify it to meet individual needs, match software with curriculum, keep track of student progress, and identify studentsí areas of weakness and strength. An extensive database of problems will provide long-term value and ensure that students encounter a different set of problems on a repeated use of the software. Teachers want software to have a security system so that student errors are not disruptive and that also prevents student access to teacher-only information. Students should be able to change answers before the software program grades assessments, they should be able to review questions that were missed and save data. Visuals and icons should be culturally sensitive, age appropriate, and match the audienceís cognitive perspective. Text and visuals should complement each other, offering different yet related information to promote learning.

Taken and adapted from Deubel, Patricia. ìSelecting Curriculum-Based Software.î Learning and Leading with Technology. 29.5 (2002). p. 10-16.

(Note that the guidelines given here have been shortened to the basics for conciseness and readability. For examples and further explanations, please see the original source.)