ABSTRACT
Adaptive and personalized learning environments have come a long way since their introduction a couple of decades ago. Research in this area has matured to a level that commercial implementations have started to emerge. To promote their wider use, careful and systematic scrutiny of these environments becomes an important issue. While there are a number of evaluation methods available, there is no single method that can effectively validate an adaptive and personalized learning environment as a whole. Different evaluation methods serve different purpose. Some evaluate certain system functionality while others look at certain aspect of the environment. Some methods are useful at early formative stages when the environment is still in design and development stage whereas others are geared for the time of its use. Given the variety and diversity of these methods, it is not easy for educators to identify which methods are appropriate in their context. Therefore understanding of these different methods is crucial to be able to select appropriate method for the intended purpose.
