Ralf Maslowski

Formative Evaluation in Educational Computing Research and Development

AbstractFormative evaluation is a very powerful technique for developing high-quality educational software. The goal of this article is to explain the function of formative evaluation and the evaluation techniques that can be used in the various stages of educational computing research and development. It is our hope that it will help developers (1) create better and more effective educational software and (2) use resources in the development process more productively.

The potential of formative evaluation in program design models.

This contribution discusses the nature and role of formative evaluation in educational design and development. It consists of two sections. In the first section the role of evaluation in educational design, and the importance of conducting evaluations during design and development practices is discussed. Furthermore, limitations of formative evaluation for improving educational programs are identified. In the second section, the nature of formative evaluation in four models for educational design, i.e. the planning-by-objectives model, the prototyping model, the deliberative model and the artistic model, is examined in detail.