The following heuristic is based on

the design criteria used in Scardemalia et. al.

You might use it as a guide for your

software critiques

1. Does it make knowledge–construction activities overt?

2. Does it maintain attention to cognitive goal?

3. Does it treat knowledge gaps in a positive way?

4. Does it provide process–relevant feedback?

5. Does it encourage learning strategies other than rehearsal?

6. Does it encourage multiple passes through information?

7. Does it support varied ways for students to organize their knowledge?

8. Does it encourage maximum use and examination of existing knowledge?

9. Does it provide opportunities for reflectivity and individual learning styles?

10. Does it facilitate the transfer of knowledge across contexts?

11. Does it give students more responsibility for contributing to each other’s learning?

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