How I evaluate resources.

[GrahamRGibbs]

Thought I’d have a go at answering this question. It’s a topic close to my heart and we actually tried to address it in a HEA OER project we did a year or so ago. See Methods.hud.ac.uk

How do you decide when a resource is worth adopting?

In my view, in the end there is no substitute for watching, listening or reading the entire resource to make sure it is suitable. So what is needed is a strategy for finding just a small number of good leads which it is then worth looking at in detail. That’s one reason I like YouTube, because it enables me to do that relatively quickly. I also use other information. I use reputation. Do I know of the person who has made the video or do they link to a good website, university or blog? None of that will determine that the video is good, but at least I can begin to think it is worth looking at it in detail. I also find the channel system on YouTube very useful. Once I find a good video, I then look at others on the channel maintained by the creator of that video. They are often of similar quality.

What criteria did you use to evaluate this resource?

The criteria I use to evaluate the resource include relevance and accuracy. It has to fit in with what I need in my course and, in the case of something like research methods, it has to be correct. I’ve found some very misleading videos on sampling strategies on YouTube, for example.

Then I make sure it is not going to insult my students. There is some good material, accurate and relevant, but intended for school children – or at least A levels. I avoid that as I think my students might be put off.

I also worry about the content in a variety of ways. In the case of statistics teaching, sometimes the material is too mathematical – that’s not how I teach stats. In other cases it may be the subject matter of the examples that is a problem. If I can, I try to choose material that uses examples and topics that are close to the disciplines of my students – sociology, criminology and behavioural sciences.

What are the advantages and limitations of this resource?

One big advantage of resources is that students can use them again and again, or pause them and then start them when they want to. I think it might be worth explaining this to students. I remember, back in the 1980s when I showed videos to students I always encouraged them to take notes during the viewing. Otherwise they thought of it like going to the cinema and treated it like entertainment. I’m sure the same is true now of watching YouTube videos. And student note taking skills are even worse now than they were.

How could you incorporate this resource into your teaching?

I’ve  used some videos on how to use SPSS in lectures. I can explain the statistical ideas first, then show how it’s done in SPSS and then afterwards the students have a lab session where they can practice what they’ve seen. And if they need to they can watch the video again. I also use videos and some other OERs as supplementary material. Links to all these are in the VLE. Not many use this, but some have found revision material on mathematics useful to them – and of course they can do the catching up without embarrassing themselves in class.

How will this help your learners?

They get to hear other voices than mine. They can practice and learn in their own time, when they have time and as many times as they want. Those who prefer books have libraries. Those how like to be told and to practice have OERs.

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

The main limitation I’ve found is getting the students to spend the time to actually use the resources. That’s partly why I show some in lectures as they get to see them, and they get to experience my seal of approval.

 

 

 

 

[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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