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/


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Collaborative Tools

-
Image
  Online Collaborative Tools Online collaboration tools are software that allow participants to work together remotely. The tools enable teams to work together where ever they are, communicating effortlessly and quickly (Adobe, 2023).  My Personal collaborative space is GOOGLE Docs. It is a collaboration tool that allows teams to create a document online and work collaborative on it simultaneously or at a time convenient to the members. Its features are similar to the Microsoft Word that makes it easy to navigate and use. An Introduction Video of GOOGLE Docs __________________________________________________________________________________ How to use Google Docs  (From Google Support) Google Docs is an online word processor that lets you create and format documents and work with other people. Step 1: Create a document To create a new document:On your computer, open the Docs home screen at docs.google.com . In the top left, under "Start a new document," click Blank .You can al
Read more

Online Facilitation Models and Facilitation Tools

-
Image
Facilitation Model   An Introductory Video of the Gilly Salmon Model A facilitation model provides a roadmap for facilitating meeting, webinar, training etc. The model helps facilitators to guide participants through the process toward “agreed-upon outcomes” (The Grove Consultants International, 2023). The model becomes effective in the online space when creating a strong learning community which is “crucial for fostering engagement, collaboration, and support among students”. In general models exist for the facilitation of online courses (Ally, 2004; Moule, 2007: 37-50 as cited in Mbati & Minnaar, 2015). Examples of some of the more notable models according to Australian Flexible Learning Framework, 2003 are: Salmon’s Five Stage Moderation Model, Collison, Elbaum, Haavind and Tinker’s Facilitation model, Paulsen’s Function model, and Hootstein’s ‘Four Pairs of Shoes’ Model.
Read more