Evaluating educational multimedia in the context of use

Researchers at the NASA Classroom of the Future have been using the design experiment framework to conduct evaluations of multimedia curricula. This method stands in contrast to more traditional, controlled experimental methods of evaluating curricular reforms. The methodology presented here is integrated with Walter Doyle's [1983] notion of using academic tasks to describe how classroom activities impact student learning. We will report the results from a design experiment with a multimedia program developed at the NASA Classroom of the Future, and we will examine the methodologies that were used in the evaluation.