Leacock, T. L. & Karpilovsky‐Aharon, M. (2009). Value for learning as a measure of educational software effectiveness. In E‐Learn 2009: Proceedings of the World Conference on E‐Learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare, & Higher Education, 2823‐2831. {Pre‐Print] 1 Value for Learning as a Measure of Educational Software Effectiveness Tracey L. Leacock tleacock@sfu.ca Faculty of Education Simon Fraser University Canada Margarita Karpilovsky-Aharon karpilov@sfu.ca Faculty of Education Simon Fraser University Canada Abstract: The use of educational software in formal learning contexts has become mainstream, yet there are still no clear methodologies for determining the value of such software to learners or of predicting whether learners will use the software effectively. This paper presents a conceptual overview of how several diverse fields of research can contribute to our theoretical understanding of what it means for educational technology to be both usable and useful. We draw on work in software usability and interaction design, which has already had significant impacts on the design of educational software. However, usability analyses fall far short of addressing questions of how software can support learning. If software is easy to use but does not add any value in helping the users to learn more effectively or more efficiently, it will not meet the goal of being educational software. In this paper, we look beyond ease of use to issues of Value for Learning (VfL). Introduction Educational software is becoming ubiquitous in grade schools, post-secondary institutions, and workplace settings. Proponents claim that using software to support learning can reduce instructional costs, give learners more control over the pace and direction of their learning, and lead to higher levels of motivation (Berke & Wiseman, 2003; Davenport, 2005; Jereb & Smitek, 2006). These claims will hold only if the educational software is of high quality (Nicolau, Nicolaidou, & Constantinou, 2005), but what does this mean? If the goal is to develop software that learners will use to improve their studying, learners must perceive the design as effective in helping them to achieve their leaning goals and perceive the software as valuable. If the educational software is perceived to be of low quality, learners will be less likely to use it effectively – almost ensuring that they won’t master the intended content or skills. As the lead author’s earlier work has shown (Leacock & Nesbit, 2007; Leacock, Richards, & Nesbit, 2004; Nesbit & Leacock, 2009), quality in digital learning environments is multi-faceted, and judgments of quality may involve many stakeholders. Building on this foundation, in the current work, we focus specifically on factors that influence learner decisions about when and how to use educational software to support learning. We will identify and discuss a broad range of theoretical perspectives that must be considered to understand students’ perceptions of how beneficial educational software is in helping them to achieve learning goals. This work will provide a theoretical basis for the concept of Value for Learning (VfL). Developing a methodology for assessing VfL will provide critical information for educational software designers and will be important in supporting learners in making better decisions about their study strategies. Key Terms