Evaluating and Choosing Software for Your Adult Literacy or ESOL program
Hints on Evaluating and Choosing Software
Evaluation Criteria
Software Recommendations
Hints on Evaluating and Choosing Software
With the ever-growing number of choices of educational software for adult education populations, the task of choosing software can be a nerve-wracking one, no matter what your organization’s budget. The Literacy Assistance Center often receives calls asking for recommendations for software. We respond by asking that you consider the following:
- Student population
- Instructional goals
- Time available to try out software
- Time and resources available for staff development
- Tech support available
- Long-terms goals of software purchase
Many experts recommend not only getting recommendations from other educators, but also reviewing software with teachers and students in the setting in which it will be used before purchasing it. We recommend getting together a team of teachers to review samples of the software. Criteria for selection include:
- Cost
- Technical specifications
- Student needs
- Amount of staff development available and needed to make effective use of the software
In addition, you have to allocate staff development time and resources to help teachers develop ways to integrate software into their instruction. Fundamental in all of this, of course, is that you first consider educational goals.
Evaluation Criteria
- The Software Trap
This article first appeared in the July 1999 issue of eSchool News. It is a chapter from How Teachers Learn Technology Best (McKenzie, 1999). In his engaging style, McKenzie encourages us to think first about curriculum, learning, teaching, and exploration before we set off to make any choices about hardware or software. - Software Evaluation
This site is from the Northwest Regional Educational Lab, the Northwest Educational Technology Consortium. It includes the “Seven Steps to Responsible Software Selection.” - Software Evaluation
A one-page listing of some questions and criteria for software selection from a student project at Rice University called Computer Assisted Language Learning - Making the Right Choice
Evaluating Computer Software and Hardware for Adult Literacy Instruction, Christopher E. Hopey & Jennifer A. Elmore (November 1995) outlines a process for evaluating and selecting software and hardware, provides information regarding appropriate software titles, presents examples of software evaluation criteria, and highlights purchasing practices that can make scarce technology dollars go further. - Evaluating Educational Software . . . to meet State & National Standards: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Includes some guiding questions, a chart and checklist, and links to a host of software review sites and databases. - California Learning Resource Network
The California Learning Resource Netowrk provides educators with a “one-stop” resource for critical information needed for the selection of supplemental electronic learning resources. - Software Evaluation Criteria from the Virginia Community College System
Includes some basic considerations for selection, a checklist you can print out and use, a CD-ROM evaluation checklist, and website evaluation tools and checklist.Software Recommendations
Now that you are clear about criteria and the steps to selecting software, you may want to look at the following sites to begin your selection and review process.
- Project Software
Project Software provides for the field testing and evaluation of educational software by adult students and teachers to identify programs that are effective and that enhance learning. Its mission is to provide information, resources, and training to educators who are interested in software programs and other technologies that may enrich the curriculum in their adult literacy, pre-GED, GED, and workplace classes. - Adult Education Software List
A detailed list of adult educational software programs for use in adult literacy, pre-GED, GED, and workplace education classes.
September 21, 2001
Compiled by Marguerite Lukes