CEP 811 Share & Evaluate learning Material from MERLOT

I picked an activity called Google~Guide. I have been looking for a lesson on Google features and thought this looked interesting. The tutorial was http://courses.cvcc.vccs.edu/IST_Hoisington/searchmodule.htm

When I got into it though, I found that it was not really interactive unless you count active links you could click on.

So, in my opinion it is not a tutorial that I would use for my class other than as a possible resource for what is available.


Quality of Content:
1. Does the software present valid (correct) concepts, models, and skills? The content contained valid concepts, models and skills for searching the Internet using Google.
2. Does the software present educationally significant concepts, models, and skills for the discipline? The content had educationally significant concepts, models and skills but you really had to click on everything and open up other pages to see it

Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching-Learning Tool:
1. What stage(s) in the learning process/cycle could the materials be used? The material would be used during the explanation and demonstration process of learning to search Google. I believe you could also use it during the practice and applying if you went and looked at just that section or used some of the “cheat sheets” for queries.
2. What is(are) the learning objective(s)? What should students be able to do after successfully learning with the materials? The learning objective was stated to “use Google’s capabilities, features, and services”. Students should be more familiar with what Google can do after the tutorial.
3. What are the characteristics of the target learner(s) The characteristics of the target learner would be someone who is very interested in the subject and who is a high level reader.
4. Does the interactive/media-rich presentation of material improve faculty and students' abilities to teach and learn the materials? There were a lot of pictures but not a lot of interactive presentations in the material.
5. Can the use of the software be readily integrated into current curriculum and pedagogy within the discipline? I think the teacher would have to assign a particular part instead of just letting students jump in, there are too many areas where it gives options (if you know the material skip ahead, if not open this link and read…)
6. Can the software be used in a variety of ways to achieve teaching and learning goals? I think the only way would be to read it and try some of the directions out in Google)
7. Are the teaching-learning goals easy to identify? The teaching-learning goals were not listed anywhere that I could find.
8. Can good learning assignments for using the software application be written easily? If you just picked one section I think it could be used at a learning resource.


Ease of Use:
1. Are the labels, buttons, menus, text, and general layout of the computer interface consistent and visually distinct? I found it very difficult to find the information I was looking for after the initial page.  There were many links that all led to other topics and more information but not back where you were.
2. Does the user get trapped in the material? There is a lot of information presented all at once and not much guidance in the order in which you could tackle it so I personally was trapped!
3. Can the user get lost easily in the material? Very easily lost. I didn’t know what I had looked at and it was not sequential.
4. Does the module provide feedback about the system status and the user's responses? There was no way of responding or practicing outside of having a Google browser open.
5. Does the module provide appropriate flexibility in its use? It would be flexible in that it has a lot of material contained in the module.
6. Does the learning material require a lot of documentation, technical support, and/or instruction for most students to successfully use the software? There really is not an order or any rules to using the module, you could jump in or out of any section.
7. Does the material present information in ways that are familiar for students? It is set up something like a book with an index on the left and the text on the right.
8. Does the material present information in ways that would be attractive to students? I don’t think students would enjoy this module as it would take a lot of reading and there is no guidance or feedback and the only pictures are of google and its tools.