Education Software Market
Submitted by maggie on Mon, 2007/05/14 - 6:59pm.
Educational Software Market
Susan Scott
January 16, 1996
The market for technology-based instructional materials is approximately $1 billion and growing1. K-12 instructional software continues to outpace growth in print materials-accelerating to a growth of more than 25% in 19952, Encouraged by high student engagement through the excitement of multimedia, and by recent reports of the effectiveness of technology in education, administrators, educators and parents are increasingly turning to multimedia-based instruction in the classroom1. In fact, during the 1997-98 school year, districts will shift their technology focus to the purchase of instructional software, rather than hardware.
Educational software materials purchased for use in schools fall into three broad categories. Comprehensive Courseware provides year-long instruction for multiple grade levels in all curriculum areas that both supports and extends the existing curriculum. The courseware is based on rigorous educational standards and includes a management system enabling teachers to plan and customize instruction as well as assess students and produce timely reports on their progress. The management system should easily launch and manage other vendors’ software, as well as integrate it into the sequence of instruction. Modular Software has a considerably lower price point than Comprehensive Courseware, covers a specific area of study, and includes a management system. Modular Software may also incorporate rigorous curriculum standards for itsi area of study.
Standalone or "Shrink-Wrapped" Software, usually found on retail shelves, covers a smaller curriculum area, operates independently, and generally does not come with a management system. Products of this type are typically designed to supplement core curriculum technology. The following types of products may also be integrated into or provide supplementary support for Comprehensive Courseware, Modular, and Standalone Software: productivity software such as word processors and spread sheets; on-line tools including calculators and graphing environments; information banks such as electronic encyclopedias and atlases; as well as "phenomenaria" encompassing simulations and "real-world" explorable environments.
Considering the numerous titles and types of instructional software available for purchase, how can schools and districts make choices that are both interesting to students and educationally sound? Researchi on the positive effects of multimedia educational technology (including computer-based networks and on-line participation) have, in general, shown increases in student achievement, the positive shaping of student self concept, attitudes toward learning, and student interactions with teachers and other student4. Research studies on the effectiveness of Comprehensive Courseware, which offers a core curriculum that is an integrated solution with an overall curriculum program, has been particularly noteworthy.
For example, the use of an "intelligent tutor," or expert system- individualized to specific content and able to provide feedback and interactive help at any point--differs significantly from simpler tutorial programs1. Such software meets several criteria for effective computer assisted instruction, according to educator Robert Slavin. These criteria include accommodating the heterogeneous needs of all students in a classroom and offering adequate academic learning time on task6. Research-based instructional software that can forecast individual and group achievement gains based on time-on-task offers the additional educational benefit of measurable, predictable results7. In many cases, students have more than doubled expected yearly gains as measured by standardized tests.
Software that adapts to each student's individual learning style, evaluating student responses and moving the student through the curriculum at an appropriate learning pace, has proved particularly effective according to a recent study8. Additionally, 93% of the teachers surveyed indicated that students using Comprehensive Courseware exhibit significant academic improvement over those students who do not. Finally, the on-site customer support and staff development programs provided by Comprehensive Courseware vendors to help teachers integrate classroom and technology-based instruction are critical to the success of the program9. In fact, recent findings suggest that districts should devote at least 25% of their technology budget to staff development, in contrast to the 8% now spent10.
1. Simba Information Inc., Wilton, CT, 1994
2. Quality Education Data (QED), Educational Software Effectiveness Study, Denver, CO. 1996
3. Software Publishers Association (SPA), Report on The Effectiveness of Technology in Schools, 95-'96 Washington, D.C.
4. Software Publishers Association
5. Wiburg, Karen, Ed. (1995). Integrated Learning Systems: What Does the Research Say? The Computing Teacher. (2), 7-10
6. Wiburg
7. Suppes, P. et. al. (1988). Probable Relation Between Functional Gain and Time. Needed for Math Concepts and Skills and Reader’s Workshop, Technical Notes on Curriculum and Evaluation. (1), 1-6.
8. QED
9. Wiburg
10. Siegel Jessica.(1995). The State of Teacher Training, Electronic Learning 14(8), 43-50.
Susan Scott, Account Manager
Computer Curriculum Corporation
7602 Astor Drive
Scottsdale, AZ 85260
602-596-1705
