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Activity 5: Choosing software to review

Identify 3 products to review: 2 hrs
Write impressions of product: 2 hrs
Read general impressions: 1 hr

 

5 hrs



 

You should now be aware of a range of possible criteria, categories and approaches for reviewing educational software. You should have a clear sense of the issues and questions that you should be asking yourself about educational software. You are now ready to choose a few software products.

The next three activities are linked.

In Activity 5 you will identify and then “scan” or briefly read about several products to find ones that you would like to review.

In Activity 6, you will use the criteria you have developed to analyse and formally review two different software products

You then have a choice between Activity 7 – using one of the software products with your class and reviewing it and Activity 8 – developing software review guidelines for your school.

These steps will help you put into practice the theory you have learnt in the first half of the module.

Now review these things to think about when evaluating software:

Activity
  1. Identify two or three educational software products to review. You should not simply read about software on the Internet - you must physically use it.

    You may find these products:

  • At your school - where you already have software, which you wish to review

  • In a local library or educator resource centre (many now keep copies of software)

  • As a demonstration version provided by a supplier on the Internet

  • From friends or colleagues who have copies of the product and are prepared to lend you a demonstration version
  1. Spend some time trying to find out what is available for your grade and subject area. Make a list of possible options and then narrow this down to 2-3 that you know you will be able to review.

  2. Find out what you can about your 2-3 products and write down your first impressions of the product. What do you think the educational purpose is of your software products? Use the First Impressions template. Once complete, save it using the name First_impressions.

  3. Once you have completed this process and you have first impressions of a short list of software, send the document called First_impressions as an attachment in a message to your tutor (using the subject heading "First Impressions").
List of resources
 


NEXT

Once you have completed this activity, click here to move to Activity 6- Reviewing two software products.

 
Choosing and Evaluating Educational Software
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