Whilst i believe, student engagement, relevance and context to be priorities in evaluating resources, there is more to consider and "the need for effective evaluation of educational course ware is as necessary today as it was when computers were first introduced into higher education" (British Journal, p.894).
The use of these technologies in training is well engraved currently whether the courses be web supplemented, web dependent or fully online. I think online resources can certainly be over used just like any other type of resource but i also believe there is more demand for this platform to be used so us as "educational technologists" need to be aware of this changing demand and be able to deliver quality products that promote learning as best as possible in our own contexts.
Another consideration that needs to be taken into account however is the current trend of lowering LLN levels which includes online learning skills. Whilst we make efforts to move forward with educational resources we need to be mindful that we don't widen the gap of those being unable to use/access the resources.
Relying on electronic media can have its downside if things aren't working for you. This can be accentuated when linked to large computer systems in colleges as well. As the use of this type of format increases "technical support staff will be required to manage electronic learning environments and content management systems, audio visual staff will be needed to develop templates and complex technical resources" (Mayes, 2003).
Whilst context is also very important when evaluating any resource, the results from my evaluation can be used as a guide for the appropriateness of the resource to the given teaching context i have previously mentioned. The results are as follows:
- AL Lighting website (resource 9)
- Narva website (resource 5)
- Hella website (resource 4)
- TeacherTube video (resource 8)
- How to change video (resource 1)
- LED podcast (resource 6)
- Dailymotion vodcast (resource 2)
- AA1 website (resource 11)
- Report (resource 3)
- Wiring diagrams (resource 12)
- Wapedia wiki (resource 7)
- Message board (resource 10)
In summary i believe that the use of online resources gives far more positive than negative contributions to education but evaluation needs to be integral in the decision making and implementation process. Constant review of the resources is very important as well as the resources may change with time and without notification.
References
Hosie, P., & Schibeci, R. (2005). Checklist and context-bound evaluations of online learning in higher education. British Journal of Educational Technology, 36(5), 881 - 895.
Mayes, T. (2003). Introduction to Part 1 of Reusing Online Resources: Vision and Theoretical Perspectives. Journal of Interactive Media in Education, 2003 (1) Special Issue on Reusing Online Resources.