Analysis and Evaluation of Classroom Educational Software
By: Ruth Paine
Who selects the educational software that you use in your classroom? Whoever makes this decision has many things to consider when it comes to enhancing student learning through the use of educational software. Please remember that the best place to start is with your school technology advisor. He/she has the knowledge to help you get started on the right track. There may be specific procedures in place that need to be adhered to when considering software purchases.
Before you can select one specific educational software program, you must be aware of the different categories of educational software. You also need to consider these factors:
* What do you want your students to gain as a result of using this software?
* What mode of instruction is most appropriate? Do you want software that uses drill and practice, or do you need software that develops higher order thinking skills?
* Does the specific software meet your criteria?
Three Categories of Educational Software
Educational software can be divided into three broad categories. These categories include integrated learning systems, curriculum-oriented programs, and tool software. The following describes the three different categories in-depth.
1. Integrated learning systems
Several skills are covered with these types of software programs. Some of them help teachers build thematic units that correlate to their specific curriculum. These programs tend to be very comprehensive and are more expensive than curriculum-oriented programs or tool software. Most integrated learning systems are packages of networked hardware and software that provide instructional content as well as assessment and management tools. The student is given an assessment that is designed to be both prescriptive and diagnostic. The results of the assessment are used to determine the level at which the student should begin the program.
These types of systems are the type of educational software that will be installed in a lab setting and implemented school-wide. They are not the type of software that classroom teachers will be looking at to purchase for their individual classroom.
The next two categories of educational software are the main two types that most classroom teachers will be looking to purchase and use in their classrooms.
2. Curriculum-oriented programs
These programs are the most common kinds of software packages that are currently available. In today's market, there are literally thousands of titles that have been developed for every discipline in education. This can make choosing the best ones a major challenge if you are not sure of your specific needs and how this software should be integrated into your curriculum. Another challenge is that very little training is usually available for these types of software packages.
3. Tool software
This type of software is cross-disciplinary and is not limited to a specific curriculum. It is an effective tool for students to use when creating multimedia projects. In this case, a topic is chosen, and each student is responsible for researching a specific aspect of the topic. This type of software is used to tie all reports together into a webbed platform. Another type of tool software is MS PowerPoint. This particular software tends to be more linear in its presentation, and it does not offer a webbed option.
Integrated packages are also available that offer a word processor, a database, and a spreadsheet, which can work together to create a different kind of student project. Paint programs and presentation software are often included in these types of packages.
Factors to Consider
We have described the three main categories of educational software, but there are several other factors that you must consider.
When selecting educational software, you must first ask yourself what you want your students to gain as a result of using the software. You must also determine the mode of instruction (how the student uses the software). Decide if you want the students to simply use recall and memorization, or if you want them to perform simulations or problem solving. This will help you determine if you need to purchase “drill and practice” software or if software to develop higher order thinking skills is more appropriate.
Identify Software Titles That Meet Your Criteria
Now that you have identified the type of software and activity or instructional mode you need, it is time to identify some software titles that meet your criteria.
The next step in the educational software selection process is to see what other people have to say about the software. After you have selected a few software titles, you can go online read the corresponding published software reviews. Of course, you will receive your best information from educators who are unbiased and have no direct connection to the product.
Before purchasing your software, it is always a good idea to test it out first. Fortunately, most software vendors have demo versions that are available either online or as demo CDs. You can also sometimes contact the local distributor to set up a preview. This is another area that you should thoroughly discuss with your school's technology advisor. You want to make sure that you have the supporting hardware required and that you are following school guidelines and procedures before you go to the effort of acquiring a demo or preview. Some vendors will allow you to download a trial version of a piece of software. Each company will have their own rules and policies to which you will need to adhere.
Ruth Paine is the district distance learning specialist for Clay County District Schools in Florida .
Product Roundup
Podium from RM Educational Software
Podium, from RM Educational Software, is a PC-based software application designed specifically to integrate podcasting into the classroom and curriculum. It is easy to use, and the possibilities of podcasting are endless. With the click of a mouse, teachers can create a podcast, publish and promote all from the same interface. Podium is available as a single user license or a site license.
www.rmeducation.com
SourceAid
SourceAid.com offers complete resources for any teacher or student looking to create bibliographic references. The SourceAid.com Web site is a free resource visited by tens of thousands of students per day looking to create their bibliography. For the school looking to integrate SourceAid into the curriculum completely, there is a paid customized version of software known as Citation Builder Campus License. This gives all students at a school full access to all of Citation Builders features, including formatting for footnotes, endnotes and in-text citations, stored online projects, a fully customized interface and much more.
www.sourceaid.com
StudyDog
StudyDog is a leading, fast-growing, reading product for Pre-K through 2nd grade. Each child gets an online diagnostic test and, based on the results, an individualized reading program is created. Each student gets a year's worth of richly animated reading lessons in a video game style. The reading curriculum is rigorous and is aligned with the National Reading Panel's criteria and state standards. StudyDog is a great solution for a diverse classroom. StudyDog was the winner of the 2006 Computer World Laureate Award for academic excellence.
www.studydog.com
SchoolDude's TripDirect
Teachers can streamline the field trip workflow process from request and approval to vehicle and driver scheduling with TripDirect from SchoolDude . The Web-native system enables requesters to submit field trip requests and check request status online. Requests are automatically routed to approval managers, who can easily coordinate trip requirements with support resources, like technology, transportation and food service, through automated e-mails. TripDirect also easily indicates driver and vehicle availability for efficient and equitable scheduling. The system tracks trip-related costs as well as trip details.
www.schooldude.com
BrainTrain
If students aren't paying attention, how can they learn? BrainTrain's powerful, computerized “Mental Gym” can help students develop the basic skills they need before academic learning can take place: attention, reasoning, working memory, listening skills, self-control, and more. Neuroscientific research shows that mental “fitness” improves with regular brain workouts. BrainTrain's software systems—Captain's Log, SoundSmart, SmartDriver, and SmartMind—can have dramatic results for students with ADD/ADHD, learning and developmental disabilities, brain injuries, autism, and other cognitive difficulties. BrainTrain's cognitive training software is interactive, carefully systematized and customizable.
www.braintrain.com
Yeardisk
Yeardisk Creator is a powerful digital yearbook authoring tool. With it, a school can produce a professional, multimedia yearbook on CD or DVD, including all videos, audio files, PowerPoint presentations, documents and much more. The Yeardisk Creator software suite consists of three simple, easy-to-use, purpose-built applications designed to give excellent results. Users can bring photos to life with Yeardisk Profile Builder or build optimized slideshows with Yeardisk Slideshow Builder. Yeardisk allows users to bring an entire project together, customizing the way they want it. Users control every aspect of a project, from design to layout, content to creation.
www.yeardisk.com
LearningWare
LearningWare is dedicated to making learning fun and effective through its powerful game show, quiz and survey software templates. These fun and interactive programs can be customized for any subject. LearningWare's products are instructor friendly and designed to increase information retention, energize course curriculum, and create a successful learning environment. The popular software includes Gameshow Pro, Gameshow Pro Web, AllPlay, Quiz Factory and Quiz Rocket. These programs offer ultimate flexibility to gauge content retention, review instruction materials, preview learning concepts and energize the classroom. The most popular program, Gameshow Pro, includes six different Hollywood-style game show formats to completely engage every student and to accommodate any content.
www.learningware.com/demos
NetSupport School 9
With the release of NetSupport School 9 from NetSupport, teachers can now lead a computer-based class with tighter control over what appears on student screens and how much content gets sent to school printers. Building on 12 years as a leading classroom instruction and monitoring solution, NetSupport School 9 includes features that reduce operational costs, improve student monitoring, and provide even greater security for both the students and their data. Version 9 also gives teachers the ability to impose Safe Search settings, regardless of settings on individual computers, as well as to enable or disable audio output for the entire class.
www.netsupportschool.com
FastDirect
With FastDirect, all of your school management software, plus all of your teacher tools, are available online. Access and work on them anywhere you have an Internet connection. Parent access to information is natural and easy. School databases/directories, grade books/report cards, tuition management, lunch program management, attendance, Internet bulletin boards/calendars, secure messaging, health records, and much more are included in a service hosted on the Internet. The service also includes complete setup (even of grade books and report cards), training, and unlimited technical support for all users. The Web-based software is tailored for Christian schools and is priced on a per-student basis.
www.fastdir.com
Critical Thinking
Building Thinking Skills software from Critical Thinking is a brain-boosting, arcade-style, underground rescue adventure that develops thinking and communication skills. Based on the award-winning books, the software develops vocabulary, reading, mathematical reasoning, and analytical skills. This exceptional skill set provides a solid foundation for academic excellence and success in life. Features include 10 levels, 38 different screens, 92 activity types, more than 800 questions, and spoken and graphic instructions. Two titles are available for grades 2-3 and 4-6.
www.criticalthinking.com
CQuest Assessment Software
Cogent Computing Corporation has announced two new innovative options that are designed with the smaller-size educational institution in mind. CQPC and CQHome will allow you to create and administer tutorials and tests. CQuest Assessment products help measure progress and increases test scores and retention. Powerful and multi-media capable, this easy-to-use software enables rapid question banking and test generation. Practice tests and tutorials may be set to give students immediate feedback. Use code CSP2007 when ordering and receive a 20% discount off your software purchase.
www.cquestsoftware.com
The Administrative Observer Professional
The new Administrative Observer Professional software from Preferred Educational Software gives school officials a powerful tool for school improvement. It is companion software to The Administrative Observer standard edition, which has long been used by principals to document classroom visits. This software can analyze completed observation files and generate summary reports or graphs describing overall functioning and central tendencies in schools. Importantly, it does this in terms of what administrators saw during classroom observation. School officials responsible for school improvement plans, staff development, and personnel recommendations will be well served by this new tool.
www.pes-sports.com
