Recommended Software

Children’s Software Evaluation Instrument

The following score sheet was designed in 1998 by educators who wanted to come up with a rubric of sorts for interactive media. For each software I review I will give you a brief review of how it ranks according to the software evaluation instrument. I will then show you the actual rubric that I used to grade the software so that you could see how I came to the conclusion for the grade it received.

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Title	The Magic School Bus Explores Inside the Earth
Publisher	Microsoft
OS	Windows
Subject(s)	Science
Ages	6-10
Pros	Program offers over 8 different games, 6 reports and 4 expirements. This will keep children busy with meaningful learning activities for a long time. Content offers an interesting insight on how to view what our earth is made of. The school bus leads children on an interactive field trip through earth's core. Highly interesting.
Cons	The program's main flaw is that it is out of date. It was manufactured in over 10 years ago in 1996 and many of the graphics and flow stutter when compared to more modern software.
Value	4/5 You can most likely find the software for real cheap now.

I. Ease of Use: Can a child use it with minimal help?

	A	S	N	NA
1	X				Skills needed to operate the program are in range of the child
2	X				Children can use the program independently after the first use
3		X			Accessing key menus is straightforward
4		X			Reading ability is not prerequisite to using the program
5	X				Graphics make sense to the intended user
6			X		Printing routines are simple
7		X			It is easy to get in or out of any activity at any point
8			X		Getting to the first menu is quick and easy
9			X		Controls are responsive to the touch
10	X				Written materials are helpful
11	X				Instructions can be reviewed on the screen, if necessary
12		X			Children know if they make a mistake
13	X				Icons are large and easy to select with a moving cursor
14	X				Installation procedure is straightforward and easy to do

II. Childproof: Designed with “child-reality” in mind?

	A	S	N	NA
1				X	Survives the "pound on the keyboard" test
2		X			Offers quick, clear, obvious response to a child’s action
3		X			The child has control over the rate of display
4		X			The child has control over exiting at any time
5		X			The child has control over the order of the display
6	X				Title screen sequence is brief or can be bypassed
7	X				When a child holds a key down, only one input is sent to the computer
8	X				Files not intended for children are safe
9	X				Children know when they've made a mistake
10		X			This program would operate smoothly in a home or classroom setting

III. Educational: What can child learn from software?

	A	S	N	NA
1		X			Offers a good presentation of one or more content areas
2		X			Graphics do not detract from the program's educational intentions
3	X				Feedback employs meaningful graphic and sound capabilities
4	X				Speech is used
5		X			The presentation is novel with each use
6	X				Feedback reinforces content (embedded reinforcements are used)
7	X				Program elements match direct experiences
8		X			Content is free from gender bias
9		X			Good challenge range (this program will grow with the child)
10	X				Content is free from ethnic bias
11		X			A child's ideas can be incorporated into the program
12			X		The program comes with strategies to extend the learning
13	X				There is a sufficient amount of content

IV. Entertaining: Is the program fun?

	A	S	N	NA
1	X				The program is enjoyable to use
2	X				Graphics are meaningful and enjoyed by children
3		X			This program is appealing to a wide audience
4				X	Children return to this program time after time
5		X			Random generation techniques are employed in the design
6	X				Speech and sounds are meaningful to children
7	X				Challenge is fluid, or a child can select own level.
8		X			The program is responsive to a child's actions
9		X			The theme of the program is meaningful to children

V. Design Features: How “smart” is the program?

	A	S	N	NA
1	X				The program has speech capacity
2	X				Has printing capacity
3		X			Keeps records of child's work
4				X	"Branches" automatically: challenge level is fluid
5		X			A child's ideas can be incorporated into the program.
6			X		Sound can be toggled or adjusted
7		X			Feedback is customized in some way to the individual child
8	X				Program keeps a history of the child's use over a period of time
9		X			Teacher/parent options are easy to find and use