Software Evaluation

Prologue: 

“As information and communication technologies become more and more pervasive, expectations for educational computing are becoming greater and greater”.
Squires (1999, p.463)

Evaluation of Young Einstein Mathematics software

Abstract: This paper implements the evaluation tool designed in assignment one and to evaluate Young Einstein Mathematics software and its usefulness to the primary schools in Australia in general and Victoria in particular. An evaluation tool/instrument no matter how impressive is as effective as its implementation; therefore precautions were taken to maintain validity, ethics, objectivity etc., during execution of the questionnaire and data analysis. This paper also critically examines the evaluation tool designed in assignment one, and suggests recommendations for further improvement in the instrument. This study reveals that the software Young Einstein Mathematics as an average software and suggests areas for further improvement in this e-learning design.

CRITICAL EVALUATION OF THE TOOL AND ITS SCOPE FOR DEVELOPMENT

It is appropriate we dedicate the first part of our paper to discuss short falls of the model and instrument designed in assignment one as this paper is a follow up of that evaluation tool. A serious concern of this model is that it does not take into account the findings of the teacher’s observation of students’ trial of the software, thereby overlooking accounting of qualitative data and students’ view points. Keeping this in mind a schedule for teachers during students’ trial session is taken into account and is added to the final evaluation process in determining the usability of the software (see highlighted section of revised model below). The model includes a schedule for the teacher instead of a questionnaire for students because of the limited cognitive and critical level thinking of primarily school students (especially, up to grade 4/5) in completing the questionnaire; and their feedback and analysis of the software, which may not constructively impact on the usefulness of the e-design. The designer of this tool is also aware of the fact that this revised model can further be criticized for having the teacher to mediate for the students in addressing their opinions instead of allocating exclusive questionnaires for students, as the latter approach can as well be criticized for its length, complexity in evaluation and tabulation process, besides the issues raised above of the validity of an approach that expects lower primary school students to evaluate software through questionnaires.