Module 5 helps in finding information but also in organizing

information making it easier to share with others.

Evaluating ICT Resources
Internet: Internet tools like Email, social networks,
Lesson 1: Characteristics of ICT Resources in Teaching newsgroups and video transmission have connected the
world like never before. Students can now communicate
How can you identify sound ICT resources for your
using emails and social networking groups that provide
lessons? How can you say that the technology you use suit
knowledge based information. Distance learning, online
to your lessons and to the types of learners you have in the learning is also enabled through the internet. Students can
classroom? Below are the roles of technology/ICT resources learn online and also talk to experts online. Notes,
towards teaching-learning process. readings, tutorials, assignments can be received by
students from anywhere. The Internet provides major
Remember this!
information in texts, audios, videos and graphics which can
be accessed by the individual. Online learning allows
“Smart technology”
students to interact with each other and faculty to interact
is the familiar terminology
with students.
that is widely being used in
every being’s life.
Classroom Learning: With the introduction of ICT
Smartphones, tablets,
in education, classroom learning is one attribute that
gadgets, smart televisions,
makes learning experiential and experimental to
etc., are the products of smart technology that have made
students. Students can listen to the instructor or teacher,
human life smarter, easier and accessible. Smart
receive visual cues through PowerPoint images, handouts
technology has not only enhanced the way of living but
or whiteboard lists and participate actively. This helps in
also became an integrated part of everyone’s life.
immediate interaction and students have opportunities to
The Information and Communication technology to be
ask questions and participate in live discussions. This
precise has become a driving force behind economic
school communication software module further benefits in
growth and a developmental tool as well.
building and maintaining personal and professional
relationships as classrooms offer greater personal contact
ICT is an extended term for Information
with other students and teachers.
technology which is a technological source to make
information available at the right time, right place in the
Video conferencing: This is yet another medium of
right form to the right user. Earlier, one had to wait for the
communication wherein students can communicate with
newspapers to get the information across the world. Now
other students or instructors online. It enables students
with the smarter technology, information can be accessed
to become active participants in their own learning. Video
from anywhere using smartphones and gadgets. All this is
Conferencing is a powerful communication tool that has
made possible with the help of Information and
the potential to change the way we deliver information to
Communication Technology. Information technology has
students.  It is just one of the today’s integrative
been influencing our lives in the recent years in the fields
technologies that empower students to prepare for a
of education, healthcare, and business. Going an extra
better future.
mile, Information and communication technology in
schools has had a major impact.
Here are few characteristics that make ICT in education a
prominent school communication tool.
Information and communication technology in
 It offers the wide variety of services.
schools can be used as a school communication tool to
 It is reliable and provides interactive learning
improve student learning and better teaching techniques.
experiences.
With the advancement of technology in education, schools
 It is flexible and provides comfortable learning.
adopt school communication software to transmit, store,
 It motivates students to learn.
share or exchange information. In this technological era,
 It facilitates communication and promotes
ICT in education has compelled many schools to get
creativity.
accustomed to smart technology. This school
 It also provides access to the digital library where
communication software uses computers, the internet, and
information can be retrieved and stored beyond
multimedia as the medium of communication.
textbooks.
Computer-based learning: Computer-based
The use of ICT in education adds value to teaching
learning is one of the modules of school communication
and learning, by enhancing the effectiveness of learning.
tool that helps students to enhance their learning skills
It added a dimension to learning that was not previously
through computer aided education. It imparts computer
available. After the inception of ICT in schools, students
knowledge in students and enables them to obtain large
found learning in a technology-enhanced environment
amounts of information from various websites. After two
more stimulating and engaging than in a traditional
decades of introducing computers to schools, education
classroom environment.
has been revolutionized ever since then. It reduces time
spent on mechanical tasks such as rewriting, producing
MyClassboard is yet another school communication
graphs and increases the scope of searching. It not only
tool that bridges the gap between teachers, parents, and

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students by using its school messenger module. Parents 3. Technology upgrades learners’ higher-order-
and teachers can interact with each other using this thinking skills: critical thinking, problem solving and
module emphasizing on transparency between the duo. creativity.
Become a partner with us and build the communication
between your teachers and parents with effectiveness and
ease.
Lesson 2: Assessment Tools for Selecting Relevant and
Roles of Technology for Teaching
Appropriate Digital and Non-Digital Resources
According to Stosic (2015), educational technology has
three domains: Description of the different sections and criteria

1. Technology as a tutor. Together with the teacher, Product identification

technology can support the teacher to teach
another person or technology when programmed This section identifies and presents a digital
by the teacher can be a tutor on its own. The educational resource. In this part, we provide general
teacher will simply switch on or switch off radio information about the product. We indicate the name or
programs, television programs or play DVDs, or title of the product and we identify the name of the
CDs that contain educational programs. There are authors or those responsible for the production. This
on-line tutorial educational programs, too. section also identifies the target audience and specifies
whether the objectives or targeted skills are shown.
2. Technology as a teaching tool. Like a tutor,
technology is a teaching tool, but can never replace 1. Academic quality aspect. The objective of this
a teacher. This is like the handyman, which is just section is to evaluate the quality of information
there to be reached. Like any other tool, it is being presented in the digital learning resource. Indeed,
used to facilitate and lighten the work of the the quality of information presented is an essential
teacher. It will be good if the teacher can also component of the experience the learners will be
create or develop technology tools that are needed living by checking the product. There are two
in the classroom. essential criteria to define the concept of quality
applied to information:
3. Technology as a learning tool. While the teacher
utilizes technology as the tool for teaching, likewise I. Information reliability. Information reliability lies
it is an effective tool for learning. As a learning in credibility and accuracy. To evaluate this
tool, it makes learning easy and effective. It can criterion, we start questioning whether the
produce learning outcomes that call for information is reliable, accurate and error-free. Is
technology-assisted teaching. As a learning tool, it this accuracy sustainable over time? Is information
is very interesting that even the elderly use these security guaranteed? Is there any correspondence
tools for learning for life. between the perceived reliability and the actual
reliability of information?
II. Information relevance. This criterion is related to
A. For Teachers and Teaching the effectiveness of information. We wonder if the
information transmitted will trigger desirable
1. Technology provides enormous support to the behaviors for the learner Is the information
teacher as the facilitator of learning. workable and usable?
2. Technology has modernized the teaching-learning
environment.
3. Technology improves teaching-learning process These two elements (reliability and relevance)
and ways of teaching. of academic quality are highly interdependent: the
4. Technology opens new fields in educational mechanisms implemented to ensure information reliability
research. will obviously affect its relevance if the perceived reliability
5. Technology as to the competence of teachers and is good.
inculcates scientific outlook.
6. Technology supports teacher professional 2. Pedagogical quality aspect. The
development. evaluation of pedagogical quality is
of paramount importance. To
enhance learning and enable the
B. For Learners and Learning learner to construct his/her
1. Support learners to learn how to learn on their knowledge, a digital learning
own. resource must refer to a
2. Technology enhances learners’ communication differentiated pedagogy, active and
skills through social interactions. learner-centered which promotes
the development of skills.

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The evaluation of the instructional design of the resource The resource uses a variety of approaches
involves an examination of its goals, objectives, teaching (behaviorism, cognitivism,
strategies, and assessment provisions. This section constructivism, socio-constructivism)
examines therefore the various facets of the educational and is flexible in its application (e.g.,
dimension brought by the digital learning resource. encourages teacher intervention, student
contributions, cooperative learning,
The main criteria that will face each product discovery learning, collaborative teaching).
during the evaluation are: Materials and suggested activities encourage
the use of a variety of learning styles and
Pedagogical formulation strategies (e.g., concrete, abstract, oral,
Pedagogical formulation represents a concern of written, multi-sensory, opportunities for
comprehension by learners who use digital educational extension, inclusion of explicit aids for
resources for learning. This formulation is retention).
characterized by the quality of simplification of content,
explanation of acronyms, glossary provided, the presence  The resource promotes student
of summaries or abstracts as well as the use of diagrams, engagement:
figures and illustrations. Focusing techniques and cueing
Pedagogical construction devices, such as variations in typeface,
boxes, underlining, and spacing are included.
Pedagogical construction evaluates whether the structure The resource incorporates aids to
of the digital learning resource promotes its use in a accessibility (advance organizers,
pedagogical context through the presence of appropriate summaries).Questions should encourage
interactivity, logic of organization, ease of orientation (e.g. reflection. Questions and activities within
summary, site plan), ease of browsing (back-forward, back the resource should attract attention and
to home page, scroll box) and readability of pages (internal increase understanding.
summary, back buttons).
The methodology promotes active learning:
Pedagogical strategies

This criterion evaluates the teaching The methodology promotes critical thinking,
strategies adopted. Developing an research skills, problem solving, group decision making,
appropriate instructional strategy lies in etc. Students assume increased responsibility for learning.
designing and organizing learning activities For the decision-making actions, the number of decision
options should vary according to student needs.
based on techniques, methods, approaches
and diverse educational models to handle
 The resource encourages group interaction:
different learning styles.
The resource uses group-based learning methods
Teaching strategies should be based on such as crossability groups and co-operative learning.
active teaching approaches (constructivism,
socio-constructivism) to build meaningful  The resource encourages student creativity:
and motivating situations for learners and
engage them actively in learning. Use of the resource encourages students to
develop unique interpretations or solutions.
The main sub criteria that will face each
product during the evaluation of pedagogical  Pedagogy is innovative:
strategies are:
The resource demonstrates a fresh approach.
Imagery, layout, presentation, pace, topics, suggested
 Instructional goals and learner objectives
activities, and instructional design all serve to promote
are clearly stated:
student interest in the content.
Is the overall purpose of the resource
concisely stated, if appropriate, with specific Assessment methods
The assessment methods are tools implemented for
objectives stated for specific components?
evaluation, teaching monitoring and learners support,
Based on their experience, evaluators must
such as exercises and tests. This criterion aims to evaluate
judge whether the resource would fulfill its
the assessment practices used. It also helps to ensure
intended purpose and meet the learning whether the assessment is promoted or opposes the
objectives. emergence of learning.
 The resource is suitable for a wide range
of learning/teaching styles:

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3.Didactic quality aspect. Didactics focuses on the central cognitive load, multimedia learning and information
role of learning activities, disciplinary content and visualization.
epistemology (the nature of knowledge to be taught).
Browsing
This section examines the didactic quality of pedagogical
digital resources in education. We can define two key The product design must facilitate browsing. While
criteria to evaluate the quality of this digital resource: manipulating the resource, the learner should be able to
find a plan, an index or a detailed table of contents. The
Veracity of learning activities .To enable the suggested choices should be clear and the groupings
learner to manipulate the presented digital learning within the menus should be consistent.
resource, the activities proposed in the product must be Technological ingenuity
appropriate. These activities must refer to real problems
that could possibly face the learner outside the Multimedia techniques aim to combine and exploit the
classroom. capacities of new technologies in education to enhance
knowledge transfer and assimilation of knowledge by
Content of the educational tool . The single most learners.
salient aspect of quality in many discussions of educational
materials is quality of content. Sanger M.J. and Greenbowe During product development, the
T.J. (1999) demonstrated that biases and errors can easily designer should use multimedia techniques
slip into educational materials and cause problems for in favor of information and education such
students. The content quality criteria asks reviewers to as animations, flashing text, animated
consider the veracity and accuracy of learning resource, in images and multiple windows.
addition to assessing whether the product provides a
balanced presentation of ideas and contains an
appropriate level of detail. Lesson 3: Revisiting of PB Learning Plan: Integration of the
Use of Digital and Non-Digital Resources and Assessment
Further, to achieve the learning objectives, the content Tools in the LP Procedure
of digital learning resource must be in line with the
objectives and target audience. Knowledge conveyed must
undergo changes without minimizing, deviating or affecting
the concept. Problem-based Learning/Project-Based Learning

 Problem-based learning is a pedagogical method in

which students working as a team to solve
4.Technical quality aspect. The technical quality of a
complicated, ill-structured problems rooted in the
digital learning resource is paramount. In fact, it is not
real world.
acceptable that the learner will not be able to achieve an
educational activity because of usage problems.  The role of the teacher is that of a manager and a
facilitator (this approach is student-centered).
As was the case with the educational criteria, we  The teacher must consider the students ability to
must also evaluate the relevance of the technical work collaboratively, be self directed, and to think
requirements and recommendations in regard to usage critically (and be prepared to teach these skills
area and distinctiveness. All the requirements must be during the learning experience).
evaluated in light of the resource used, as not all  Proponents of Problem-based learning point to
requirements and recommendations are relevant for all research that shows it promotes critical thinking
resources. skills, communication skills, and cooperation.

The technical quality measures the resource

elaboration from the perspective: Things the Teacher Should Consider

Design  What resources are available to students (e.g.

subject experts, technology, books)?
The content and organization of the visual product  What will the student produce at the end? How
should promote appropriate use of colors, interactivity, will they represent their learning?
graphic quality and pleasing aesthetic for the selected
 What skills will students need to have in order to
images and illustrations.
successfully work in groups?
The visual appearance and sounds presented by  How will students be assessed?
digital learning resources, particularly as they relate to  What roles will students have when they are
information design, affect the resource’s aesthetic and working in groups?
pedagogical impact. Decisions about presentation design  What common questions will students ask?
should be informed by instructional and cognitive
psychology, especially the theories and principles of
Roles

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  When students use technology as a tool to become unfocused and tangential arguing that
communicate with others, they take on an active underdeveloped lessons can result in the wasting
role vs. a passive role of transmitting the of precious class time. No one teaching method has
information by a teacher, a book, or broadcast. The been proven more effective than another.
student is constantly making choices on how to  Opponents suggest that narratives and
obtain, display, or manipulate information. presentation of anecdotal evidence included in
 Technology makes it possible for students to think lecture-style instruction can convey the same
actively about the choices they make and execute. knowledge in less class time. Given that
Every student has the opportunity to get involved disadvantaged students generally have fewer
either individually or as a group. opportunities to learn academic content outside of
 Instructor role in Project Based Learning is that of a school, wasted class time due to an unfocused
facilitator. They do not relinquish control of the lesson presents a particular problem. Instructors
collaborative classroom or student learning but can be deluded into thinking that as long as a
rather develop an atmosphere of shared student is engaged and doing, they are learning.
responsibility.  Ultimately, it is cognitive activity that determines
 The Instructor must structure the proposed the success of a lesson. If the project does not
question/issue so as to direct the student’s remain on task and content driven the student will
learning toward content-based materials. The not be successful in learning the material. The
instructor must regulate student success with lesson will be ineffective. A source of difficulty for
intermittent, transitional goals to ensure student teachers includes, “Keeping these complex projects
projects remain focused and students have a deep on track while attending to students’ individual
understanding of the concepts being investigated. learning needs requires artful teaching, as well as
 The students are held accountable to these goals industrial-strength project management. ” Like any
through ongoing feedback and assessments. The approach, Project Based Learning is only beneficial
ongoing assessment and feedback are essential to when applied successfully.
ensure the student stays within the scope of the
driving question and the core standards the project Module Summary
is trying to unpack.
 According to Andrew Miller of the Buck Institute of Congratulations on completing the last lesson for Module
Education, formative assessments are used “in 5: Evaluating ICT Resources. Here are some of the
order to be transparent to parents and students, important points covered in this module:
you need to be able to track and monitor ongoing
 The roles of technology for teaching include:
formative assessments, that show work toward
that standard.” 1)Technology as a tutor; 2) Technology as a
 The instructor uses these assessments to guide the teaching tool; and 3) Technology as a learning tool.
inquiry based learning process and ensure the  The following are the advantages of technology for
students have learned the required content. Once teachers and teaching:
the project is finished, the instructor evaluates the  Technology provides enormous support to
finished product and learning that it demonstrates the teacher as the facilitator of learning.
 Technology has modernized the teaching-
Outcomes learning environment.
 Technology improves teaching-learning
 Students learn to work in a community, thereby process and ways of teaching.
taking on social responsibilities. Some of the most  Technology opens new fields in
significant contributions of problem-based educational research.
learning have been in schools languishing in  Technology ass to the competence of
poverty stricken areas; when students take teachers and inculcates scientific outlook.
responsibility, or ownership, for their learning,  Technology supports teacher professional
their self-esteem soars. It also helps to create development.
better work habits and attitudes toward learning.  The following are the advantages of technology for
Although students do work in groups, they also learners and learning:
become more independent because they are  Support learners to learn how to learn on
receiving little instruction from the teacher. With their own.
Problem-based learning students also learn skills  Technology enhances learners’
that are essential in higher education. The students communication skills through social
learn more than just finding answers, interactions.
 Problem-based learning allows them to expand  Technology upgrades learners’ higher-
their minds and think beyond what they normally order-thinking skills: critical thinking,
would. Students have to find answers to questions problem solving and creativity.
and combine them using critically thinking skills to  The assessment criteria for selecting ICT resources
come up with answers. include: 1) Academic quality aspect; 2) Pedagogical
 Opponents of Project Based Learning warn against quality aspect; 3) Didactic quality aspect; and 4)
negative outcomes primarily in projects that Technical quality aspect.

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