Does the software have stated learning objectives that are adhered to?
Ideally, valuable software would address objectives that help students master basic skills and foster high-level thinking skills. Check that reward systems are tied to learning events. Look for assessment summaries that clearly state which objectives students have yet to master. Software might provide additional practice on those concepts. Is the software motivating to students? Both teachers and students should preview software. As the novelty of using multimedia wears off, it becomes more important for software to contain motivation elements of the ARCS (attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction) model to maintain student interest. For example, the relevance of instruction may need to appear in the software as specific statements of the use of a skill or knowledge. Informing students of goals and objectives, and giving them frequent and early opportunities for success, can build confidence within the multimedia program. Embedded questions, scoring, self-checks, and practice
