I) Software Inventory/Assessment

Of these titles, how many are available in your building as

___ single copies

___ multiple copies (3-4)

___ five packs

___ lab packs

___ site licensed

___ networkable

Estimate how many titles serve which grade levels in your school

___ K

___ 1

___ 2

___ 3

___ 4

___ 5

___ 6

___ 7

___ 8

___ 9

___ 10

___ 11

___ 12

Estimate how many software titles in your collection have a short life - students aren't really interested or teachers don't seem to use. Identify how many titles experience repeated use.

___ not used often

___ used repeatedly

How many titles in your collection truly meet accepted criteria of excellence?
Criteria such as:

• instructional effectiveness 
• sustainable motivation 
• highly interactive presentation 
• compelling subject matter 
• attractive graphics 
• layers of variety and challenge 
• ease of use 
• ease of management 
• ample feedback 
• a thinking-skills orientation

____ drill & practice

____ application software (i.e., word processor, data base, presentation)

____ problem solving software

____ software for creativity

____ simulation software

____ programming software (i.e, Logo)

____ hypermedia authoring (i.e., Hyperstudio)

____ teacher tools (i.e., gradebook)

____ other

• How outdated is your software library? Do a quick estimate: how many programs are dated before 1988? How many after 1988, and how many after 1995? 
• Reflect as a technology committee on where you are on your software library, where you would like to be. What changes do you envision for your software purchasing?

INTEGRATION ACROSS THE CURRICULUM - POTENTIAL

• Which subject areas are most supported by yo ur software titles? 
• Which subjects are least supported by your software titles? 
• Estimate how many software titles fit closely with curriculum units and topics. 
• Estimate how many titles don't seem to fit closely to your school's curriculum or philosophy.

Where is software generally located in your school?

____ in a central location

____ in classrooms

____ distributed in various areas

• How many software titles can actually be counted in an average classroom? 
• Are core software (i.e., word processing, graphics, software, printing utilities, and other essentials) available in each classroom?

• Is there a process for staff to check out software for use in the classroom? 
• Do teachers take advantage of software checkout? 
• Do the checkout procedures really work? How many pieces of software typically "walk away?" 
• Is software returned in a timely manner after it has been checked out? 
• Do the same teachers seem to monopolize the best and newest software? 
• Do these teachers have most of the available software checked out? 
• Are there staff members who hold tight control over the software in your building? 
• Are there some teachers who are discouraged from using the software?

• Are teachers aware of software currently available for use in the building? 
• How do teachers find out about software that is new to the building? 
• Do you have a list of software in your building? 
• Is the list current? 
• Do teachers know about this list and use it?

II) Software Standards and Evaluation

• instructional effectiveness 
• sustainable motivation 
• highly interactive presentation 
• compelling subject matter 
• attractive graphics 
• layers of variety and challenge 
• ease of use 
• ease of management 
• ample feedback 
• a thinking-skills orientation

(Does the box accurately represent the software?)

1. Clearly stated educational objectives and age appropriateness.

2. Described specific learning skills addressed by software content

3. Used true screen shots to illustrate content features

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B) Ease of Use

4. Skills needed to operate the program are in developmental range of the child

5. Children can use the program independently after the first use

6. Accessing key menus is straightforward

7. Reading ability is not prerequisite to using the program

8. Graphics make sense to the intended user

9. Printing routines are simple

10. It is easy to get in or out of any activity at any point

11. Getting to the first menu is quick and easy

12. Controls are responsive to the touch

13. Written materials are helpful

14. Program instructions can be reviewed on the screen, if necessary

15. Children know if they make mistake

16. Icons are large and easy to select with a moving cursor

17. Installation procedure is straightforward and easy to do

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C) Childproof

18. Survives the "pound on the keyboard" test

19. Offers quick, clear, obviousresponse to a child's action

20. The child has control over the rate of display

21. The child has control over exiting at any time

22. The child has control over the order of the display

23. Title screen sequence is brief or can be bypassed

24. When a child holds a key down, only one input is sent to the computer

25. Files not intended for children are safe

26. Children understand feedback, e.g., they know when they've made a mistake

27. This program would operate smoothly and bug-free in a classroom setting

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D) Educational

28. The program offers a good presentation of one or more content areas

29. The graphics do not detract from the program's educational intentions

30. Feedback employs meaningful graphic and sound capabilities

31. Speech is used

32. The presentation is novel with each use

33. Offers a nice challenge range (this program will grow with the child)

34. Feedback reinforces content (embedded reinforcements are used)

35. Program elements match direct experiences

36. Content is free from gender bias

37. Content is free from ethnic bias

38. A child's ideas can be incorporated into the program

39. The program comes with strategies to extend the learning

40. There is a sufficient amount of content

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E) Entertaining

41. The program is enjoyable to use

42. Graphics are meaningful and enjoyed by children

43. This program is appealing to a wide audience

44. Children return to this program time after time

45. Random generation techniques are employed in the design

46. Speech and sounds are meaningful to children

47. Challenge level is fluid, or a child can select from a range of difficulty levels

48. The program is responsive to a child's actions

49. The theme of the program is meaningful to children

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F) Design Features

50. The program has speech capacity

51. Has printing capacity

52. Keeps records of child's work

53. "Branches" automatically: challenge level is fluid

54. A child's ideas can be incorporated into the program design in some way

55. Sound can be toggled or adjusted

56. Feedback is customized in some way to the individual child

57. Program keeps a history of the child's use over a period of time

58. Teacher/parent options are easy to find and use

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G) Value

59. Considering the factors rated above and the average retail price of software ($44.00), rate this program's overall value (1-10) considering the current softwaremarket. Consider also any extra hardware attachments required to get full potential of the programming, e.g., a sound card, CD-ROM, etc.

Use of this form will aid an ongoing effort to evaluate educational and education related software at NAU. The results of this evaluation program will be made available onthe web.