Software Evaluation

Product Name: Tommy the Time Turtle
Manufacturer: Kidsmart
Grade Level: P-4th
Subject Area: Math
Type of Program
Drill and Practice / Simulation / Problem Solving
Tutorial / Educational Game / Teacher Management
Other / Explain Other:
Hardware
Operating System: Windows95/98/NT/2000/ME/XP Macintosh 6.08 or higher
Memory: Windows 16 Meg Macintosh 4 Meg
Hardware: CPU, Monitor, Keyboard, Mouse, Sound Card for audio portion
Program Content / Check
  1. Are the objectives met?

  1. Is the vocabulary appropriate for the grade level and subject?

  1. Is the material presented accurate (did you find any errors in facts)?

  1. Is the material free of bias or stereotypes?

  1. Is the software motivational?

  1. Are the skills used appropriate for the grade level indicated?

Instructional Features

/ Check
1. Is the software learner paces of self-paced?
2. Is there proper reinforcement or correction for correct or incorrect
answers?
3. Is there a scorekeeper?
4. Is it easy to follow (sequencing)?
Program Appearance / Check
1. Are there distracting sounds or visuals? / No
2. Evaluate the animation, sound, and graphics. / Excellent
3. Cluttered screen versus well arranged appearance. / Well arranged
4. Is the material clearly presented?
Ease of Use /

Check

1. Are the directions simple?
2. Are there on screen helps if you get stuck?
3. Is there a hard copy manual?
4. Can students use this software independently?
Overall Rating / Excellent
Evaluation Narrative
Tommy the Time Turtle is an excellent resource to use in the classroom. It helps students to drill and practice making different times on a virtual clock. The graphics are superb. Tommy the Turtle is animated and talks students through every step of the exercise and cheers them on when they are right. This is very motivational to the students. The students can work at their own pace and if they make an error twice in a row, Tommy shows them the correct answer. At the end of the exercise, he lets the students know how many they correctly answered and if they are ready to move to the next level. The material is very clearly presented and well arranged. The directions are very easy to follow and the students can use this program independently. The software meets the objectives for time on the grade levels indicated and can be modified for your specific grade level. I give this software a rating of excellent!!