Notes for Week #7: Storyboards I
Roger B. Blumberg, CS92/ED89, 227 CIT
http://www.cs.brown.edu/courses/cs092/2000/cs92.rbb8.html
Evaluation Criteria for Educational Software?
Examples of Educational Software
Project Storyboards I
For next week
We begin on Tuesday with a rough attempt to articulate criteria
for evaluating commercial examples of educational software as well
as CS92 projects. The goal of the exercise was not so much to figure
out a checklist that would allow us to pronounce a piece of software
"good" or "bad", but rather to make a list of aspects of the software
that we think are important to notice.
A brief brainstorming session, in class, yielded the following:
- Assessment Strategy: (How) is learning and/or the user's
experience with the software assessed?
- Engagement: Is the program engaging to the appropriate
audience of users, and what makes it so/not?
- Computer-based value: (How) does the program makes use
of capabilities unique to, or at least indicative of, the medium?
- Session Versatility: (How) does the program allow users
to have sessions of variable lengths?, with variable paths and
contents?
- Learning Curve: How steep is the learning curve for
the program and how (clearly) are directions/instructions
articulated to the user?
- Adaptability: How adaptable is the program to different
user (cap)abilities?
- Classroom Compatibility: How compatible is the program
with different educational settings (e.g. the classroom)?
- Repeatability: Can the user repeatedly use the program
without loss of educational value, pleasure, engagement, etc.?
- Content Quality: Is the content accurate, precise,
authoritative, audience appropriate, etc.?
- Media Dependence: To what extent is the program
made capable and/or limited by its multimedia requirements?
We'll try out a few examples of educational software, each of
which display different design/educational
strategies/philosophies:
- Math Blaster Mystery (ages 10+), by Davidson and Associates (1991)
- Dr. Seuss' ABC (ages 3-7), by Living Books, Random House (1995)
- Thinkin' Things 2 (ages 6-12), by Edmark (1994)
- Where in the U.S.A. is Carmen Sandiego? (ages 9+), by Broderbund (1998)
- Decisions, Decisions: Building A Nation, (grades 5-12), by Tom Snyder Productions (1997)
After each programs we'll use the criteria we articulated to
briefly discuss its qualities, and modify the criteria list if
necessary.
Thursday
We'll begin the storyboard process with presentations from
the following groups:
Project pages should reflect the current status of the project
by the end of this week (i.e. tomorrow). Storyboards, or at
least storyboard outlines should become part of the project
page shortly after your team has presented. The storyboard
schedule for next week is: Kindergarten Math at VGES and the
Mt. Pleasant Project (Tuesday); and Aspects of Perception and
Mass Media, both from Brown (Thursday). Then it's Spring Break!!
