There are many different models and theories on
how to evaluate technology for use in education. Please find two articles about
evaluating technology that are related to your field or subject matter/grade
level. Post the links to the articles and a brief summary of each article. In
your summary, please include your impressions of the article including how
practical you feel the models or theories presented are for a practitioner in
your field.
Technology Evaluation
Article #1
A Framework for Evaluating the Quality of Multimedia Learning
Resources
The article A Framework for
Evaluating the Quality of Multimedia Learning Resources by Leacock and Nesbit presents the
Learning Object Review Instrument (LORI). The goal of LORI is to
"balance assessment validity with efficiency of the evaluation
process" (p.44). LORI is used specifically for multimedia learning and is
a heuristic quality rating tool for digital learning resources and was developed by the E-Learning Research and Assessment Network. The authors believe evaluation instruments are needed for
smaller digital resources because of the lack of research in psychology and
education in ready-made learning objects on the Web.
LORI's dimensions are made up of nine items
which consist of; learning goal alignment, feedback and adaptation, motivation,
presentation design. interaction usability, accessibility, reusability, and
standards compliance.
Table 1. Items in LORI 1.5 (Nesbit, Belfer, &
Leacock, 2004).
Item Brief Description
Content quality Veracity, accuracy, balanced presentation of ideas, and
appropriate level of detail
Learning goal alignment Alignment among learning goals, activities, assessments, and learner characteristics
Learning goal alignment Alignment among learning goals, activities, assessments, and learner characteristics
Feedback and adaptation Adaptive content or feedback driven by differential learner input
or learner modeling
Motivation Ability to motivate and interest an identified population of
learners
Presentation design Design of visual and auditory information for enhanced learning
and efficient mental processing
Interaction usability Ease of navigation, predictability of the user interface, and the
quality of the interface help features
Accessibility Design of controls and presentation formats to accommodate
disabled and mobile
learners
Reusability Ability to use in varying learning contexts and with learners from
different backgrounds
Standards compliance Adherence to international standards and specifications
LORI was created to help
reviewers to quickly assess the strengths and weaknesses of the resources
learning objectives. LORI consists of a 5- point rubric for each of the nine
items to help educators quickly evaluate and decided if the resource will meet
their educational needs. I believe this is a sound framework for evaluating
multimedia learning resources, although I feel security should be added in the
items.
Leacock, T. L., &
Nesbit, J. C. (2007). A Framework for Evaluating the Quality of Multimedia
Learning Resources.Educational Technology & Society, 10 (2), 44-59.
Technology Evaluation
Article #2
Understanding Technology Literacy: A Framework for Evaluating
Educational Technology Integration
By Randall S. Davies
Brigham Young
University
This article
by Randall Davies is written to outline a framework to
understand and assess the technology literacy of teachers and students. It
discusses the federal legislation in the United States that mandates that
technology be integrated into the curriculum because learning in enhanced
through the use of technology. Technology must be evaluated for the use in the
classroom. The article states the importance of critically analyzing the
technology to be used in the classroom. The technology literacy of the students
needs to be taken into account because if the student has difficulty with the
technology, the focus will not be on the student learning the content. The
article makes a point in stating, “It is a common fallacy to suppose that because
students are growing up in a technological age they are somehow instinctively
capable of using technology to learn what is expected of them in school (Davies).” It does not matter how great the
technology tool is if the students can’t understand how to use it. The importance
of this article is; evaluate the student’s technology literacy prior to
choosing the technology the students will use independently. If the students
don’t understand the technology tool the teacher wants to implement, the
teacher should determine if the tool is worth taking the time to teach the
students the technology tool.
The article stressed the
use of TPAK and the lack of TPAK when educators use
technology to save time. I found this article helpful because when evaluating
technologies for the classroom it is important that the students are not spending
more time learning the technology than they are learning the concepts the
technology is being used for.
EBSCOhost Link
Davies, R. (2011).
Understanding Technology Literacy: A Framework for Evaluating Educational
Technology Integration.Techtrends: Linking Research & Practice To Improve Learning, 55(5),
45-52. doi:10.1007/s11528-011-0527-3
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