Evaluating Online Materials
Prior to developing our own online curriculum it is extremely
beneficial to have a look at what is already out there. This
can serve two purposes:
- Find internet sites which other educators reccommend and
- Potentially find an activity that you can use without creating
your own.
There are a number of sites which enable us to view examples of
online materials - particularly Hotlists and WebQuests. Care needs
to be taken though to evaluate the materials we find. Key questions
to consider are:
- Does it meet the needs of my students in relation to literacy
skills?
- Does it take into account the knowledge, understanding and
prior experience of the students in my class?
- Does the activity link into my curriculum program?
Criteria
in which to assess online teaching and learning activities.
The following are some guidelines
which could be considered when evaluating online activities.
In addition the site of BestWebQuests provides a detailed criteria used when evaluating WebQuests
for this site.
| Introduction |
Does the introduction provide an element of
interest to engage the students to explore further? |
| Use of the Web |
Is the web used to it's full potential?
Have a range of web sites been accessed? eg text, pictures,
webmovies, sound.
Does the link take the student directly to the page they
need to go to or are they still required to navigate through
different levels? |
| Question/Task |
Are the question or tasks appropriate to the age level?
Do the question/tasks link in with the aim of the different
formats? click here for format overview
What level are the questions at? eg knowledge/comprehension
or higher level thinking such as evaluation/analysis.
If the activity is a WebQuest does the question provide
for "open ended exploration"?
|
| Scaffolding |
If the activity is a Hotlist are the sites categorised
appropriately?
Is sufficient explanation provided to guide students so
they can complete the task successfully?
Are links made to resources such as online dictionaries,
or word documents to support the processing of information
(eg. data grids, tables)?
|
Conclusion |
Does the conclusion link back to the introduction? |
|
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