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Evaluating Web Tools and Apps to Support Didactic TeachingWe have identified that there are different kinds of learning objectives thatneed to be addressed in didactic teaching practice. These learning objectivesinclude:Knowledgebased learningUnderstandingbased learningApplicationbased learning focusing on what students should know e.g. factual,moral, social and natural knowledge focusing on what students should understand e.g.how osmosis or the electoral system works focusing on what students should be able to doe.g. use a scientific calculator, conduct anexperiment or a surveyTools:InternetWindows 8 AppsICT Skill Level Required:BeginnerWe need to consider what different resources/tools we would consider utilizingfor different didactic teaching objectives?But how do we know which resources e.g. websites, apps and tools, are goingto support students to reach the outcomes we intend? How can we ensure thatwe are offering opportunities for successful learning? Also are we supportingdifferent learning styles or approaches adopted by students?Supporting Resources:Evaluating a Research Site RubricEvaluating a Web Tool RubricEvaluating a App RubricAs with any textbook or classroom resource, evaluation is essential. Let’s take some time to investigate and use acouple of rubrics that can help you do exactly this.Page 1
Further Resources and IdeasEvaluating a Research Site Rubric0Check the author’scredentials andaffiliation. Is theauthor an expert inthe field?Does the resourcehave a reputableorganizationbehind it? (If youcan’t tell rightaway, strip the URLfrom the right sideuntil you get to ahome page.)Are the site’ssources ofinformationstated? Are photosclearly labelled andsources cited?How current is thesite?Page 21The author isprobably a student.Spelling and othererrors indicate thatthe author is not anexpert.The author isunnamed and/orno credentials aregiven.The page is hostedby an individual.Any of these: The home page isa K-12 site The home page isa student’s folderon an .edu site. The home page isan unknown .comor .orgNo sources or workscited is given.There is a generalstatement about thesource of theinformation, but nospecific works citedlist.There is noindication of whenthe site was createdor revised.The date given forthe site’s creation isover 3 years old andthere is no date ofrevision or update.23The author isnamed butcredentials andcontact informationis incomplete.The author’scredentials aregiven and indicatethat he/she is anexpert in the field.The authorprovides an emailaddress and/orcontactinformation.The home page issponsored by aknown um, oruniversityThere is a workscited list and/or abibliography forfurther information.The site has beencreated or updatedwithin the last 3years.A governmentdepartment oragency is thehome page.There is a workscited list and/or abibliography forfurtherinformation.Photos are labelledand cited.The site has beencreated orupdated withinthe last 6 months.If there is abibliography, thesources that arereferenced arecurrent.
What is thedomain in theURL?What is thepurpose of thesite? Is theinformationmostly fact oropinion?Check your totalmark against theadvice to the right,and decide on theapplicability of useof this site.The domain is .comor .edu but it isclearly the work ofstudents orindividuals withoutauthority.The purpose ispersonal.The domain is.com and there area lot of popupmenus and itemsfor sale or thedomain is.org and theorganization behindthe site isunrecognized.The purpose is to sellsomething, persuade,offer assistance, orgive a point of view.There may be somefactual information oruseful pictures butthe focus of the siteis to promotesomething.The domain is .edu,.com, .info, .net, or.org and has beenreviewed by areputable subjectdirectory such as TheInternet PublicLibrary, DeweyBrowse, Yahoo.comsubject directory, etc.Any of these: The domain is.gov The domain is.com, .info, .net,or .org and isposted by a wellknown, reputableorganization orcompany.The domain is .eduand t h e universityor college faculty,not students,maintain the siteThe purpose is tooffer factualinformation. Someopinion may beincluded.The purpose is tosupport scholarlyresearch withfactualinformation.0 to 6 pts7 to 10 pts11 to 14 pts15 to 18 ptsHighly questionablesource.Site is useful for ideasor casual projects.Do not cite as areference for aresearch paper oracademic project.Good source for aresearch paper oracademic project.Confirm with othersourcesExcellent source forresearch.Rubric Adapted from: Diane C. Beaman -- Library Media Specialist, Moultonborough Academy, Moultonborough, NHPage 3
Evaluating a Web Tool RubricIneffective Use 1 ptPossible Use 2 ptsMust Use 3 ptsInstructionalGoals metwith ToolInstructional goals might bemet by implementation ofWeb 2.0 Tool.Instructional goals are mostlymet by implementation ofWeb 2.0 Tool.Instructional goals are fullymet by implementation ofWeb 2.0 Tool.User-friendlydesignSite is difficult to navigate, littleor no help is provided, toolsand resources are difficult tomake use of.Site can be navigated withminimal difficulty, helpguides/tutorials are available,tools and resources can beimplemented.Site is easy to navigate, helpguides/tutorials available andclear, tools and features areconveniently located.ReliabilitySite is unpredictable, navigationbetween pages is inconsistent.Site is rarely down formaintenance, navigationbetween pages is slow butpredictable.Site is always available(especially at peak times of theday). Navigation betweenpages in quick.Free/PaidResourceLimited free resources, paidsubscription price isunreasonable for the benefit ofthe tools.Most of the tools are free,desired tools require paidsubscription although othercomparable sites might beavailable.Desired tools are available forfree, or fee is reasonable andworth the advantage of thetools.Tour/ScreenshotAvailableEssential information is notprovided, registrationrequired to evaluate if site isworthwhile.Feature list, screenshotsavailable but lackinginformation.Full feature list, screenshots,samples, and tour availablebefore account registration isrequired.ExternalLinksLinks do not seem to work orhold relevance to the topic.All links are working butrelevance is not apparent.All links to pages are inworking order and relevant tomaterial.ContactInformationNo contact information isprovided.Contact information is availablebut not complete.Complete information on howto contact owner/company isavailable and easy to find.MaintainedSite is out-of-date, and manyparts of site are not functional.Site is in working order,although there may be a lapsein time since last update,update information isunavailable, or not current.Site is well maintained, recentlyupdated, and information iscurrent and up-to-date.AwardsSite apparently has little or norecognition outside ofowner/company.Site claims to have receivedawards although information isvague.Site has received multipleawards (specifically educationalawards). Information regardingawards is available on the site.From: iRubric http://www.rcampus.com/rubricshowc.cfm?code N5XA4A&sp yes&Page 4
Evaluating an App Rubric43The app’s focus isrelated to thepurpose for the appand mostlyappropriate for thestudent21RelevanceThe app’s focus has astrong connection tothe purpose for theapp and appropriatefor the studentLimited connection tothe purpose for theapp and may not beappropriate for thestudentDoes not connect tothe purpose for theapp and notappropriate for thestudentCustomizationApp offers someApp offers completeflexibility to alterflexibility to altercontent andcontent and settingssettings to meetto meet student needsstudent needsApp offers limitedflexibility to adjustcontent andsettings to meetstudent needsApp offers noflexibility to meetstudent needsFeedbackStudent is providedspecific feedbackStudent is providedfeedbackStudent is providedlimited feedbackStudent is notprovided feedbackThinking SkillsApp encourages theuse of higher orderthinking skillsincluding creating,evaluating, andanalyzingApp facilitates the useof higher orderthinking skillsincluding evaluating,analyzing, andapplyingApp facilitates the useof mostly lower orderthinking skills likeunderstanding andrememberingApp is limited to theuse of lower orderthinking skills likeunderstanding andrememberingUsabilityStudent can launchand operate the appindependentlyStudent needs tohave a teacher showor model how tooperate the appStudent needs to becued each time theapp is usedApp is difficult tooperate or crashesfrequentlyEngagementStudent is highlymotivated to use theappStudent uses the appas directed by theteacherStudent perceivesapp as “moreschoolwork” and maybe off-task whendirected to use theappStudent avoids theuse of the app andmight complain whenits use is requiredSharingSpecific performancesummary or studentproduct is saved inapp and can beexported to theteacher or for anaudiencePerformance data orstudent product isavailable in app butexporting is limitedand may require ascreenshotLimited performancedata or studentproduct is notaccessibleNo performancesummary or studentproduct is savedFrom: Tony Vincent – Learning in Hand ucational-apps.htmlPage 5
Evaluating an App Checklist Use of app is relevant to the purpose and student needs Help or tutorial is available in the app Content is appropriate for the student Information is error-free, factual, and reliable Content can be exported, copied, or printed App’s settings and/or content can be customized Customized content can be transferred to other devices History is kept of student use of the app Design of app is functional and visually stimulating Student can exit app at any time without losing progress Works with accessibility options like VoiceOver and Speak Selection App is free of charge No in-app purchases are necessary for intended use of app App loads quickly and does not crash App contains no advertising App has been updated in the last 6 months App promotes creativity and imagination App provides opportunities to use higher order thinking skills App promotes collaboration and idea sharing App provides useful feedbackTotal s The more checks, the better the app is for educationFrom: Tony Vincent – Learning in Hand ucational-apps.htmlPage 6
Educator ScenarioActivity:Step 1Take some time to read through the rubricsStep 2Working in pairs discuss the applicability to use in your classroom, consider the question:Will this site, app or tool help me to support the learningoutcomes I am focusing on in this unit of work?Step 3In pairs choose a new site, app or tool to evaluateStep 4Independently evaluate your chosen resource using the appropriate rubricsStep 5Compare and discuss your conclusions with your partnerFramework AlignmentCourse: How do Technology and Pedagogy Mix?Unit of Study: TL.3.a Exploring Digital Technologies to Support Didactic TeachingTopic 2: Selecting the Right ICT Resources to Support Didactic Teaching PracticesPage 7
couple of rubrics that can help you do exactly this. Application Tools: based learning Internet Windows 8 Apps Beginner Supporting Resources: Evaluating a Research Site Rubric Evaluating a Web Tool Rubric Evaluating a App Rubric Knowledge-based learning focusing on what students should know e.g. factual, moral, social and natural knowledge
