Utilizing the Evaluation Process in CD-ROM Development

In this study the researchersʹ goal was to integrate CD-ROM usage into the classroom as a substitute for the lack of hands-on training. Pew educators are trained in how to effectively manufacture a product or manage the process of CD-ROM production. Creating a problem-free CD-ROM required evaluation throughout the developmental stages. The purpose of this paper was to emphasize the need for evaluation and show how formative and summative evaluation principles can serve as appropriate guidelines in the CD-ROM development process. A formative evaluation helps assess accuracy, design, and usability. Reviews are conducted through the design phase to assess the objective(s), environment, and instructional materials. A formative evaluation is a method of judging the worth of a program while the program activities are forming or happening. A summative evaluation, conducted formally or informally, assesses whether the project has met the intended objective(s). As an evaluative tool normally conducted at the end of a course or project, it serves as a way for the decisionmakers to detemine if the project has met the objectiveʹs). Evaluations, both formative and summative, are critical components in developing educational products. However, continual evaluations and revisions must occur to keep the material current and meet the ever-changing needs of technologically based courses.