How I evaluate resources.

[GraphDesProject]

Graham,

Some good points that I didn’t think of – ie another voice! Learners seem to feel reassured when they hear a “real professional” say the stuff that their tutor is saying every day! Also, the point about videos and going to the cinema made me laugh when I remembered back to then!! I’m not so sure they still feel that as they are a bit blase about YouTube. However, only yesteday I had a f2f Televison class and the motivation highlight of the sesion was when we informally showed a new film trailer….

Sancha

[AliSheph]

Interesting discussion, Graham and Sancha – I do find the other voice has impact on my students.

I looked at some of the Khan Academy videos in my subject discipline (accounting).  I struggle to find good stuff on Youtube – often rather American for my internationally diverse students (but very few of whom are American/Canadian!)

How do you decide when a resource is worth adopting?

I find this quite hard to break down into a thought process – I look at it all the way through, see if it’s consistent with the concepts I will have introduced before and after I want to use it, see if it’s clear etc.  There are quite a lot of ways of doing introductory accounting in particular – layouts etc, so I wouldn’t want to use anything that would confuse more than help.

I like clarity in the visual aids as well, gradual buildup (as this is my style).  The English used is important too, as many of my students don’t have English as my first language – so too many colloquialisms are a definite no!

What criteria did you use to evaluate this resource?

I used the ones above to evaluate a video on the difference between economic and accounting profit.

What are the advantages and limitations of this resource?

Advantages – relatively short, simple illustration

Disadvantages – potentially too simple!  I thought there were better ways to illustrate the concept.  The video was accompanied by a coloured pen on black background – not sure about accessibility of this (I would tend to go with dark text on a white background).  Rather repetitive.

How could you incorporate this resource into your teaching?

Probably as either a ‘lecture break’ from me talking, or as a supplementary VLE resource either before or after lecture on the topic.

How will this help your learners?

Will clarify basics of this concept.

Are there any limitations to the use of this resource for your learners?

Yes – see above.

[ElizabethECharl]

Graham and Sancha – the point about ‘another/other voice’ imparting the same information is a well made one, and all too true.  The need to review the whole and to pick up on any points or views expressed that might need to be (re)contextualised in light of where the class is and the thrust of the lesson is also one of the criterias I use to decide whether a resource is suitable for inclusion.

[JoanneTyssen]

I completely agree. Sometimes it doesnt matter how much you tell learners something, they need to hear it from someone else before they believe it. What they don’t seem to acknowledge sometimes is that tutors are more often than not also industry professionals. However, in the field of Sport, I have found YouTube very useful and with a doubt worth adopted. However the rule of thumb I use when evaluating it is by reviewing the views it has had when embedded into the VLE and also if the examples within the video are brought up in group discussions within class debates. I think I’m lucky in the fact that sport students are quite comfortable in telling you if they think something is useful or not!

[Jillian Pawlyn]

Hi Graham, Sancha, Ali, Elizabeth and Joanne,

I agree with many of the points made in each of your posts, my addition is here on my blog 

The greatest challenge is having sufficient time to review the resources. In the past I have hag a go at doing something ‘adequate’my self because I haven’t had the time to really seek out and then review adequately what is already available for reuse.

[Author]

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