b.
Evaluating the Resources Used
It
is easier and more flexible to apply an evaluation to resources
than it is to apply one to lessons. You will have in mind what
you want resources to do, and the resources themselves often tell
you something about what you can expect of them. However, there
is danger in both of these positions.
Firstly,
you should always be aware of how individual and subjective your
own expectations of ICT based learning resources are likely to
be. Secondly, you should be aware that ICT resources are often
'sold' as doing more than they can really be expected to do in
a real classroom situation. It is a possibility that ICT resources
might be less easy to use than expected, sometimes providing less
in terms of providing focused learning than expected. It is usually
only after the first phase of ICT use that the teacher will become
critically aware of the benefits and shortcomings of the resources
as methods of delivering information and sharing ideas. For example,
when using word processor software to present materials, and especially
the integration of images into resources, it was easier to evaluate
resources because the teacher had created them himself.
As
a form of guide, here is a suggested range of questions to be
applied to ICT based learning resources:
- How
much resource-specific learning do I as a teacher have to do
to make the resource work in the classroom? Is it worth it in
terms of time and effort spent and saved?
- How
easy is it for students to 'see through' the resource to the
subject-specific learning I want them to experience?
- How
technically and practically robust and stable is the resource
when being used repeatedly under different circumstances and
by different learners?
- How
generally applicable is the resource-content? Can it be adapted
once the teacher is familiar with the resource?
- How
well does the resource integrate with other resources and teaching
methodologies the teacher uses on a daily basis?
You
should apply these questions to all ICT based resources you use,
and especially for the case study, the web sites and CD-ROMs.
As you become more familiar with asking the questions, you will
of course become more effective in your use of resources, and
they will in turn begin to pay you back more quickly for the effort
you put into them.
 c.
Adapting the Resources for Different Learners or Work
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