Evaluating Effectiveness of Online Resources

 

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Online Resources

The advancement of technology has changed the landscape of education. No longer is teaching and learning confined to brick and mortar or “chalk and talk” but has revolutionised ‘Over the Net”.  E-learning or Online learning has become increasingly the popular means of teaching and learning and was known to be possible, especially, during the Covid-19 pandemic. The technology also made it possible to access learning resources online. According to Omekwu, Okoye and Ezeani (2009) resources are comprised of databases, books, journals, and multimedia materials.  Consequently, resources that are “stored, transmitted and accessed over a Local Area Network (LAN) Wide Area Network (WAN), intranet and internet” are called online resources. Purposefully, learning resources are to encourage active learning, develop learners’ skills, values, and attitudes. Additionally, they are used for research to enhance or add to the body of knowledge.

 As a result, the effectiveness of these resources become essential and would therefore require an evaluation. From the number of criteria that can be employed to evaluate online resources, the five most featured are as follows.

#	Features	Questions to Guide the Evaluation
1	Credibility:	§  Is the source reputable? Is it published by a respected organization or individual with expertise in online facilitation? §  Does the source provide references or cite other credible sources?
2	Relevance:	§  Does the resource relate to the specific topic of online facilitation that you're interested in? §  Does it provide practical advice or strategies that you can apply to your own practice?
3	Accuracy:	§  Is the information provided in the resource accurate and reliable? §  Does it align with other credible sources you have found?
4	Timeliness:	§  Is the resource current? This is particularly important for online facilitation, as technology and best practices can change rapidly.
5	Objectivity:	§  Does the resource present an unbiased perspective, or is it promoting a specific product, service, or viewpoint?

Resources

1. Omekwu, C. O., Okoye, M. O., & Ezeani, C. N. (2009). Introduction to the use of the library and study skills.
2. Paperpile. (2023). What are credible sources? https://paperpile.com/g/what-are-credible-sources/
3. Photo by Monstera: https://www.pexels.com/photo/clever-black-girl-solving-math-task-5063576/
4. Photo by Katerina Holmes: https://www.pexels.com/photo/ethnic-girl-using-laptop-while-learning-lesson-online-with-teacher-5905711/
5. Tatham, K. (2023, July 25). Evaluate available resources on online facilitation. BECOMING AN INDEPENDENT ONLINE. https://kereentatham321.blogspot.com/2023/07/evaluate-available-resources-on-online.html?m=1
6. The Climate Dictionary. (2016, September 27). 3 best internet resources on climate change. The Climate Dictionary | simple explanations of climate change words and solutions. https://www.climatedictionary.com/3-best-internet-resources-on-climate-change/