This rubric evaluates software based on 9 criteria: content, design, functionality, instructional design, interactivity, assessment, usability, technology, and accessibility. Software receives higher scores for providing accurate, reliable content aligned to standards. It also scores well for intuitive navigation, multimedia enhancements, feedback and support for learners, and easy integration into classroom activities. The rubric assesses whether the software engages students and allows teachers to track progress.

1. Software Evaluation Rubric
Title: Grade Level:
Publisher/copyright date: Operating system(s):
Unsatisfactory - 1 Needs Improvement - 2 Good - 3 Exemplary - 4 SCOR
E
• Information is inaccurate, • Information is not always • Information is accurate and • Information is accurate,
incomplete or outdated accurate, complete or most is complete and current complete, and current
current
• Facts do not come from • Facts come from • Facts usually come from • Facts come from reliable
reliable sources or sources questionable sources reliable sources which are sources which are clearly
are not identified clearly identified identified
• Little or no overall context • Content is not related to • Content is usually related to • Content and context are
for information larger context larger context consistent with the theme
• Purpose is unclear • Content lacks sense of • General purpose is • All information relates to
(a)
purpose or central theme identified the stated purpose and
learning goals
• Content focuses entirely • Content focuses on • Content provides some • Content moves learners
on fundamental concepts, fundamental concepts and activities which encourage beyond the basics and
rote memory, or recitation of rarely engages students in higher levels of thinking; encourages higher levels of
facts; no provision for higher levels of thinking; students are frequently asked thinking; students are
moving students to higher students are rarely asked to to apply what they have engaged in applying what
levels of thinking by applying apply what they learn learned they learn
what is learned
• National and/or state • National and/or state • National and/or state • National and state
standards are not accessible standards are not located standards are sometimes standards are accessible
within the product and there within the product but some available and may be linked within the product and may
are no apparent links to the relation to standards is to lessons be easily linked to lessons
learning activities apparent
• No prerequisite • Lists some prerequisite • Outlines prerequisite • Lists all prerequisite skills
knowledge requirements are knowledge necessary for knowledge necessary for
(b)
given success success
• No real world examples • Uses some real world • Uses many real world • Uses all real world
are given examples to make the examples to make the examples to make the
instruction relevant for the instruction relevant for the instruction relevant for the
learner learner learner
• Complies with some • Complies with most • Complies with all subject
subject based guidelines subject based guidelines based guidelines

2. • Graphics are absent, • Graphics minimally • Graphics are intended to • Graphics are well
poorly placed, or fail to support learning assist learning designed and rendered to
assist learning enhance learning
• Background and text are • Background and text • Background and text are • Background and text are
not compatible and text is are frequently incompatible usually pleasing, compatible pleasing, compatible and
difficult to read and text is often difficult to and legible easy to read
read
• Graphics are • Graphics are not always • Most graphics are • Graphics are consistent,
inconsistent, inappropriate, consistent or appropriate consistent and appropriate in appropriate and designed to
(c)
and do not enhance learning design optimize learning
• Poor use of color • Colors are used • Colors are used in a • Colors are used in an
somewhat ineffectively somewhat effective way effective way
• Gratuitous animation • Animation rarely • Animation often • Animation always
with no relation to learning complements learning complements learning complements learning
goals
• Multimedia is • Multimedia seems • Multimedia is sometimes • Multimedia appears to be
superfluous and often gets unrelated to purpose and unrelated to purpose and directly related to stated
in the way of purpose and learning goals learning goals purpose and learning goals
learning goals
• Layout is confusing • Layout is not intuitive • Layout is clear but learners • Layout is clear and
sometimes need help to find intuitive; learners can
necessary features always find what they need
• Learners cannot • Layout is difficult to • learners can usually • It is easy to navigate
navigate through the navigate navigate through the through the information to
information to find what they information to find what they find necessary features
(d)
need need
• Layout is illogical and • Layout is frequently • Layout is logical in most • Layout is logical
unpredictable illogical cases, but sometimes
confusing
• Layout is inconsistent • Layout is frequently • Layout is frequently • Layout is consistent on all
inconsistent consistent, but occasionally pages
confusing
• Links do not work • Not all links work • Most links work properly • All links work properly
properly properly
• Specific browser needed • Pages work in only one • Most pages work in most • Pages work in most
(e)
to view pages, but no browser , but directions and browsers common browsers:
directions are available for links are provided so users Netscape and Internet
users to download can download appropriate Explorer
appropriate browser browser

3. • Multimedia resources do • Multimedia resources • Multimedia resources work • All multimedia resources
not work work some of the time most of the time work at all times
• Web site is often down or • Web site is unreliable or • Users are able to access • Users are able to access
unreliable; software software is hard to install web site or install software web site or install software
installation often results in properly with minimal effort with ease
aborted efforts or conflicts
• Clear and complete
directions are available for
access or installation
• Pictures and icons do not • Few pictures and icons • Most pictures and icons • Hyperlinks have ALT tags
have ALT tags have ALT tags have ALT tags for rollover to assist sight-
impaired learners
• Paragraphs and sections • Some paragraphs and • Most paragraphs and • Paragraphs and sections
have unclear and inaccurate sections have clear and sections have clear and have clear and accurate
informative headings accurate informative accurate informative headings informative headings
headings
• Clear and clean fonts are • Clear and clean fonts • Clear and clean fonts are • Clear and clean fonts are
(f)
not used are used consistently some used consistently most of the used consistently
of the time time
• Content is not culturally • Some content is • Content includes some • Content is culturally
diverse culturally diverse culturally diverse features diverse
• Content does not • Some content • Most content • Product accommodates
accommodate unique accommodates unique accommodates unique unique learning styles and
learning styles and various learning styles and various learning styles and various various ability levels
ability levels ability levels ability levels
• Does not require • Sometimes requires • Usually requires learners to • Always requires learners
learners to become actively learners to become actively become actively engaged to become actively engaged
engaged engaged in order to learn
• Text and documents do • Text and documents • Text and documents • Text and documents
(g)
not employ multimedia sometimes employ usually employ multimedia always employ multimedia
enhancements to make multimedia enhancements to enhancements to make enhancements to make
learning interactive make learning interactive learning interactive learning interactive
• Does not provide • Provides minimal • Provides some feedback • Provides appropriate
feedback throughout the feedback throughout the throughout the instruction feedback throughout the
instruction instruction instruction
• Does not motivate the • Rarely motivates learner• Often motivates the learner • Keenly motivates the
learner to continue learning to continue learning and learner to continue learning
master concepts and master concepts

4. • Program provides little or • Program offers limited • Program offers various • Program offers help at
no help to the teacher or the options for help forms of help for the student any stage
student but may not be quickly
accessible
• Tech support is • Program offers online • Program often provides • Provides various ways to
inadequate or unreliable support only ways to reach tech support reach technical support
• Program does not offer • Student support • Program provides student • Program provides
support materials or outside materials are limited and do with additional websites which students with additional
(h)
means of reinforcement not relate directly to the relate to the lesson resources such as web
lesson sites, bibliographies, etc.
which are suitable to lesson
• Teachers and students • Teachers and students • Teachers and students can • Teachers and students
are not able to track can sometimes track a frequently track a student's can easily track a student's
progress student's progress through progress through feedback or progress through feedback
feedback or other other documentation or other documentation
documentation
• Assessment is • Assessment is • Assessment is usually • Assessment methods are
inappropriate or unavailable inappropriate or unrelated to challenging and appropriate challenging, appropriate,
and does not produce an learning goals and rarely enough to engage learners and suited to learning goals
accurate account of student engages learners
(i)
learning
• It is not clear how to • Teachers must develop • Teachers can assess • Teachers can easily
assess the learning in this their own assessments students' progress using assess students' progress
product established methods of by evaluating the outcomes
assessment provided within the product
• Reading level is not • Reading level is often • Reading level is appropriate• Reading level is
appropriate for target too difficult or too easy for for target audience, but some appropriate for target
audience target audience portions may be too easy or audience
too difficult
• Product is not suitable • Many features are • Most features are suitable • Product is suitable for the
(j)
for the age and grade level unsuitable for the age and for the age and grade level age and grade level
grade level
• Directions are • Directions are • Most directions are clear, • Directions are clear and
inadequate and incomplete sometimes unclear or but some are ambiguous or complete enough for
ambiguous confusing students to perform
required tasks
• Learners are unable to • Learners can save at • Learners can save at some • Learners can save at
save at regular intervals some point but can not re- point and can usually re-enter regular intervals and re-
(k)
enter the instruction without the instruction easily enter the instruction at any
difficulty point

5. • Cannot be integrated into • Some aspects of the • Most aspects of the • All aspects of the
classroom activities software can be integrated software can be integrated software can be easily
into classroom activities into classroom activities integrated into classroom
activities
• It is unclear how this • Few lessons can be • The program includes • The program features
program would be used with used in a variety of suggestions for use in whole activities for use in whole
students; contains no classroom settings; Includes class instruction, individual, or class instruction, individual,
guidelines or suggestions for few suggestions for altering group learning experiences or group learning
alternative classroom instruction for whole class, experiences
settings individual, or group
experiences
Total Points
Scale 40-45 = Exemplary 35-39 = Good 30-34 = Satisfactory <30 = Unacceptable