For CEP 811 we were asked to evaluate a learning material on Merlot. I chose to evaluate a fraction website "Who Wants Pizza? A Fraction Activity" using he same criteria that Merlot uses to evaluate their resources.
Quality of Content:
1. Does the software present valid concepts, models, and skills?
Yes, the website offers valid information, models, and examples.
2. Does the software present educationally significant concepts, models, and skills for the discipline?
Yes, all the the concepts presented on the website are educationally significant and relate directly to fractions.
Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching-Learning Tool:
1. What stage(s) in the learning process/cycle could the materials be used?
1. Explanation or description of the topic/stating the problem?
There is a short explanation in the introduction section of what fractions are, but it does not go into great detail. For example, it does not explain the numerator and denominator.
2. Demonstration of the curriculum/exploration of the problem
An example or two is given, prior to the student independent work.
3. Practice using the curriculum/analysis of the outcomes from solving the problem
The website offers multiple choice questions for the students to practice as well as some interactive problems to help understand equivalent fractions. For practice, the students are given problems of a similar manner to complete (i.e. all the fractions are displayed in a bar form).
4. Applying the curriculum to "new" problems/application of the outcomes to other problems
Not really. At the beginning of some sections a question about sharing pizza is posed. It is not answered, or asked again. These questions could be looked at as applying their knowledge to different types of problems, but they are not really higher order thinking questions.
2. What is (are) the learning objective(s)? What should students be able to do after successfully learning with the materials?
The learning objectives are the different components of fractions; equivalent fractions, adding fractions, and multiplying fractions. After successfully completing the entire website, the students should have a basic understanding of fractions, be able to find equivalent fractions, add fractions and multiply fractions.
3. What are the characteristics of the target learner(s)?
The author stated that this website is for grade school and middle school. I would say upper elementary. The website is not descriptive enough for someone who is just learning about fractions, but it serves as a good reminder for students who may need a refresher about fractions.
4. Does the interactive/media-rich presentation of material improve faculty and students' abilities to teach and learn the materials?
The teacher has the opportunity to complete all the practices in a whole group manner allowing for students to individually offer answers. I believe that a teacher may use this site as a review, but probably not to introduce the concept of fractions.
5. Can the use of the software be readily integrated into current curriculum and pedagogy within the discipline?
The website most likely will relate directly to curriculum. However, it may not be possible to teach all the concepts in one session.
6. Can the software be used in a variety of ways to achieve teaching and learning goals?
The website is not very flexible. It lends itself to a whole group, small group or individual setting. Due to the nature of the problems, it really cannot be used other than in a teaching-learning setting.
7. Are the teaching-learning goals easy to identify?
Yes, the website is broken into sections. For example, the equivalent fraction section's goal is for students to understand and be able to identify equivalent fractions.
8. Can good learning assignments for using the software application be written easily?
The website does not really lend itself to creating good learning assignments. There is a "teacher's resources" page, but those lessons follow with the same linear concept displayed on the website.
Ease of Use:
1. Are the labels, buttons, menus, text, and general layout of the computer interface consistent and visually distinct?
Yes, the layout is consistent and easy to follow.
2. Does the user get trapped in the material?
No, the website is very easy to maneuver and understand.
3. Can the user get lost easily in the material?
No, there are buttons clearly labeled on the bottom of every page that will take you "to the top", "to more practice", or "to the Table of Contents".
4. Does the module provide feedback about the system status and the user's response?
The website provides feedback once the user has completed all the problems. The user can submit their answers and feedback is provided through a score and answers are provided so the user can check which problems were answered correctly.
5. Does the module provide appropriate flexibility in its use?
The website is not very flexible. It offers only information on fractions. However, the fraction website is only one of many the author has created. The homepage that contains many different lessons, offers more flexibility with teaching different concepts.
6. Does the learning material require a lot of documentation, technical support, and/or instruction for most students to successfully use the software?
The website is all that is needed to complete the different mini-lessons.
7. Does the material present information in ways that would be attractive to students?
The title of the website says, "pizza" but all the lessons and practice problems involve fractions in a bar form. Compared to the bright and vivid games the students may be used to playing, this sites lacks some of the attractiveness.
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