Software Evaluation Checklist
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This rubric evaluates software based on 9 criteria: content, design, functionality, instructional design, interactivity, assessment, usability, technology, and accessibility. Software receives higher scores for providing accurate, reliable content aligned to standards. It also scores well for intuitive navigation, multimedia enhancements, feedback and support for learners, and easy integration into classroom activities. The rubric assesses whether the software engages students and allows teachers to track progress.
Software Evaluation Checklist
- 1. Software Evaluation Rubric Title: Grade Level: Publisher/copyright date: Operating system(s): Unsatisfactory - 1 Needs Improvement - 2 Good - 3 Exemplary - 4 SCOR E • Information is inaccurate, • Information is not always • Information is accurate and • Information is accurate, incomplete or outdated accurate, complete or most is complete and current complete, and current current • Facts do not come from • Facts come from • Facts usually come from • Facts come from reliable reliable sources or sources questionable sources reliable sources which are sources which are clearly are not identified clearly identified identified • Little or no overall context • Content is not related to • Content is usually related to • Content and context are for information larger context larger context consistent with the theme • Purpose is unclear • Content lacks sense of • General purpose is • All information relates to (a) purpose or central theme identified the stated purpose and learning goals • Content focuses entirely • Content focuses on • Content provides some • Content moves learners on fundamental concepts, fundamental concepts and activities which encourage beyond the basics and rote memory, or recitation of rarely engages students in higher levels of thinking; encourages higher levels of facts; no provision for higher levels of thinking; students are frequently asked thinking; students are moving students to higher students are rarely asked to to apply what they have engaged in applying what levels of thinking by applying apply what they learn learned they learn what is learned • National and/or state • National and/or state • National and/or state • National and state standards are not accessible standards are not located standards are sometimes standards are accessible within the product and there within the product but some available and may be linked within the product and may are no apparent links to the relation to standards is to lessons be easily linked to lessons learning activities apparent • No prerequisite • Lists some prerequisite • Outlines prerequisite • Lists all prerequisite skills knowledge requirements are knowledge necessary for knowledge necessary for (b) given success success • No real world examples • Uses some real world • Uses many real world • Uses all real world are given examples to make the examples to make the examples to make the instruction relevant for the instruction relevant for the instruction relevant for the learner learner learner • Complies with some • Complies with most • Complies with all subject subject based guidelines subject based guidelines based guidelines
- 2. • Graphics are absent, • Graphics minimally • Graphics are intended to • Graphics are well poorly placed, or fail to support learning assist learning designed and rendered to assist learning enhance learning • Background and text are • Background and text • Background and text are • Background and text are not compatible and text is are frequently incompatible usually pleasing, compatible pleasing, compatible and difficult to read and text is often difficult to and legible easy to read read • Graphics are • Graphics are not always • Most graphics are • Graphics are consistent, inconsistent, inappropriate, consistent or appropriate consistent and appropriate in appropriate and designed to (c) and do not enhance learning design optimize learning • Poor use of color • Colors are used • Colors are used in a • Colors are used in an somewhat ineffectively somewhat effective way effective way • Gratuitous animation • Animation rarely • Animation often • Animation always with no relation to learning complements learning complements learning complements learning goals • Multimedia is • Multimedia seems • Multimedia is sometimes • Multimedia appears to be superfluous and often gets unrelated to purpose and unrelated to purpose and directly related to stated in the way of purpose and learning goals learning goals purpose and learning goals learning goals • Layout is confusing • Layout is not intuitive • Layout is clear but learners • Layout is clear and sometimes need help to find intuitive; learners can necessary features always find what they need • Learners cannot • Layout is difficult to • learners can usually • It is easy to navigate navigate through the navigate navigate through the through the information to information to find what they information to find what they find necessary features (d) need need • Layout is illogical and • Layout is frequently • Layout is logical in most • Layout is logical unpredictable illogical cases, but sometimes confusing • Layout is inconsistent • Layout is frequently • Layout is frequently • Layout is consistent on all inconsistent consistent, but occasionally pages confusing • Links do not work • Not all links work • Most links work properly • All links work properly properly properly • Specific browser needed • Pages work in only one • Most pages work in most • Pages work in most (e) to view pages, but no browser , but directions and browsers common browsers: directions are available for links are provided so users Netscape and Internet users to download can download appropriate Explorer appropriate browser browser
- 3. • Multimedia resources do • Multimedia resources • Multimedia resources work • All multimedia resources not work work some of the time most of the time work at all times • Web site is often down or • Web site is unreliable or • Users are able to access • Users are able to access unreliable; software software is hard to install web site or install software web site or install software installation often results in properly with minimal effort with ease aborted efforts or conflicts • Clear and complete directions are available for access or installation • Pictures and icons do not • Few pictures and icons • Most pictures and icons • Hyperlinks have ALT tags have ALT tags have ALT tags have ALT tags for rollover to assist sight- impaired learners • Paragraphs and sections • Some paragraphs and • Most paragraphs and • Paragraphs and sections have unclear and inaccurate sections have clear and sections have clear and have clear and accurate informative headings accurate informative accurate informative headings informative headings headings • Clear and clean fonts are • Clear and clean fonts • Clear and clean fonts are • Clear and clean fonts are (f) not used are used consistently some used consistently most of the used consistently of the time time • Content is not culturally • Some content is • Content includes some • Content is culturally diverse culturally diverse culturally diverse features diverse • Content does not • Some content • Most content • Product accommodates accommodate unique accommodates unique accommodates unique unique learning styles and learning styles and various learning styles and various learning styles and various various ability levels ability levels ability levels ability levels • Does not require • Sometimes requires • Usually requires learners to • Always requires learners learners to become actively learners to become actively become actively engaged to become actively engaged engaged engaged in order to learn • Text and documents do • Text and documents • Text and documents • Text and documents (g) not employ multimedia sometimes employ usually employ multimedia always employ multimedia enhancements to make multimedia enhancements to enhancements to make enhancements to make learning interactive make learning interactive learning interactive learning interactive • Does not provide • Provides minimal • Provides some feedback • Provides appropriate feedback throughout the feedback throughout the throughout the instruction feedback throughout the instruction instruction instruction • Does not motivate the • Rarely motivates learner• Often motivates the learner • Keenly motivates the learner to continue learning to continue learning and learner to continue learning master concepts and master concepts
- 4. • Program provides little or • Program offers limited • Program offers various • Program offers help at no help to the teacher or the options for help forms of help for the student any stage student but may not be quickly accessible • Tech support is • Program offers online • Program often provides • Provides various ways to inadequate or unreliable support only ways to reach tech support reach technical support • Program does not offer • Student support • Program provides student • Program provides support materials or outside materials are limited and do with additional websites which students with additional (h) means of reinforcement not relate directly to the relate to the lesson resources such as web lesson sites, bibliographies, etc. which are suitable to lesson • Teachers and students • Teachers and students • Teachers and students can • Teachers and students are not able to track can sometimes track a frequently track a student's can easily track a student's progress student's progress through progress through feedback or progress through feedback feedback or other other documentation or other documentation documentation • Assessment is • Assessment is • Assessment is usually • Assessment methods are inappropriate or unavailable inappropriate or unrelated to challenging and appropriate challenging, appropriate, and does not produce an learning goals and rarely enough to engage learners and suited to learning goals accurate account of student engages learners (i) learning • It is not clear how to • Teachers must develop • Teachers can assess • Teachers can easily assess the learning in this their own assessments students' progress using assess students' progress product established methods of by evaluating the outcomes assessment provided within the product • Reading level is not • Reading level is often • Reading level is appropriate• Reading level is appropriate for target too difficult or too easy for for target audience, but some appropriate for target audience target audience portions may be too easy or audience too difficult • Product is not suitable • Many features are • Most features are suitable • Product is suitable for the (j) for the age and grade level unsuitable for the age and for the age and grade level age and grade level grade level • Directions are • Directions are • Most directions are clear, • Directions are clear and inadequate and incomplete sometimes unclear or but some are ambiguous or complete enough for ambiguous confusing students to perform required tasks • Learners are unable to • Learners can save at • Learners can save at some • Learners can save at save at regular intervals some point but can not re- point and can usually re-enter regular intervals and re- (k) enter the instruction without the instruction easily enter the instruction at any difficulty point
- 5. • Cannot be integrated into • Some aspects of the • Most aspects of the • All aspects of the classroom activities software can be integrated software can be integrated software can be easily into classroom activities into classroom activities integrated into classroom activities • It is unclear how this • Few lessons can be • The program includes • The program features program would be used with used in a variety of suggestions for use in whole activities for use in whole students; contains no classroom settings; Includes class instruction, individual, or class instruction, individual, guidelines or suggestions for few suggestions for altering group learning experiences or group learning alternative classroom instruction for whole class, experiences settings individual, or group experiences Total Points Scale 40-45 = Exemplary 35-39 = Good 30-34 = Satisfactory <30 = Unacceptable