Olivier Hû

A method for evaluating multimedia learning software

We submit a method (EMPI: Evaluation of Multimedia, Pedagogical and Interactive software) to evaluate multimedia software used in an educational context. Our purpose is to help users (teachers or students) to decide in front of the large choice of software actually proposed. We structured a list of evaluation criteria, grouped through six approaches: the general feeling, the technical quality, the usability, the scenario, the multimedia documents, and the didactical aspects. A global questionnaire joins all these modules. We are also designing software that could make the method easier to use and more powerful. We present the list of the criteria we selected and organised, along with some examples of questions, and a brief description of the method and the linked software.

A Tool for Evaluation Using Dynamic Navigation in a Set of Questions

When we use guidelines or questionnaires to evaluate software, some problems can appear: the number of questions increases and thus the duration of an evaluation becomes too long; sometimes evaluation becomes too subjective to be relevant; the choice of questions becomes complex, and so on. To try to solve these problems, in educational context, we have conceived a method (called EMPI: Evaluation of Multimedia Pedagogical and Interactive software) that dynamically builds an evaluation: precision and depth of analysis, choice and weight of questions, are done during the evaluation. We present in this paper, how the evaluator is free to explore questions and to adapt the base to his case. We also explain how he is guided, helped and confronted to his own subjectivity with an aim of building the most relevant evaluation. At the end, we present our validations and experiments done with a prototype that instruments most of characteristics of EMPI method.

Considerating Subjectivity in Softwares Evaluation

Software evaluation is a hard problem: utilisability, robustness, graphics quality as many aspects to considerate for a global vision of the software quality. In traditional evaluation methods, influence of users general feelings is ignored. In our context, the teachwares evaluation before use, subjectivity is particularly relevant: the motivation, the empathy, for example, are key elements of all training processes. In other words, a good evaluation should provide an objective evaluation of the software and the perception that the user had of this teachware. We proposed a method (called EMPI), for an evaluation help of multimedia teachwares, proposing this duality. This method is proposed to teachers to help them in to certificate or to choose a teachware. Mainly based on a hierarchical questionnaire with variable depth, this method allow evaluator to capitalise his subjective opinion and to mark instinctively any aspect of the teachware, in parallel with the questionnaire itself.