b.
Evaluating the Resources Used
The
facilities available in MS Works are not ideal for this work,
because of the need to switch from database to spreadsheet modules
in order to calculate averages and draw graphs. However, it provided
a helpful environment for the main processes of creating the database
structure, entering the data and specifying searches.
A
more professional database package such as Access would have all
the facilities required, but would be more difficult for pupils
to work with, especially if they were not familiar with it in
advance. A spreadsheet package such as Excel may also be able
to handle all the required techniques without changing the data,
and this could be an effective option. The most effective environment
for database work in pupils' curriculum is likely to be one of
the specialist educational packages such as Pinpoint or GRASS.
The
following range of questions may be applied to ICT based learning
resources:
- How
much resource-specific learning does the teacher have to do
to make the resource work in the classroom, and is it worth
it in terms of time and effort spent and saved?
- How
easy is it for pupils to 'see through' the resource to the subject
specific learning the teacher wants 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, and can the teacher
adapt it once she is familiar with the resource?
- How
well does the resource integrate with other resources and teaching
methodologies she uses as a matter of course?
You
should apply these questions to all ICT based resources you use,
and especially in this case study the web sites and the CD. 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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