Most engines will reduce a position to a numeric score. Positive is good for white, negative is good for black. Usually measured in pawn units, so if you win two pawns the value will be close to +/- 2 everything else being equal. If you have other positional advantages, or an imminent fork coming, the score will reflect that too though.
If you're white and the engine proposes a move with a value that's significantly higher than the value you get from your move, your move wasn't as good as the proposed one.
I use shredder chess on my iPhone and I noticed that it has an analysis mode. I'm a beginner so I'm sure this would be helpful.
I don't understand though all the information it gives you -
i.e. Value +0.23 what does this mean?
I presume the other notation are other moves that could be made?
How do you tell from looking at analysis information whether the moves you made were good or bad?