D.3.3 Quality Guidelines for LRE Associate Partnerseqnet.dge.mec.pt/files/2012/11/eqnetqualitynetworkguidelines.pdf · D3.3 Quality network for a European Learning Resource Exchange

D.3.3 Quality Guidelines for LRE Associate Partners

D3.3 Quality network for a European Learning Resource Exchange

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Project information

Project acronym: eQNet

Project title: Quality network for a European Learning Resource Exchange

Project number: 502857-LLP-1-2009-1-BE-COMENIUS-CNW

Sub-programme or KA: Comenius Multilateral Network

Project website: http://eqnet.eun.org

Reporting period: From October 2009 To September 2012

Report version: 1.0

Date of preparation: 30 November 2010

Beneficiary organisation: EUN Partnership AISBL (European Schoolnet)

Project coordinator: Riina Vuorikari

Project coordinator organisation: EUN Partnership AISBL (European Schoolnet)

Project coordinator telephone number: +32 2 790 7537

Project coordinator email address: riina.vuorikari @ eun.org

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.


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Executive Summary

This report enables both public and private sector LRE Associate Partners to identify resources that travel well from their own collections using examples collected from the eQNet teachers’ network (WP3).


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Table of Contents

1 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 5

2 Teachers’ conceiving understating of Travel Well .............................................. 6

2.1 Seven travel well descriptors by teachers ...................................................... 6

3 Illustrative examples of travel well resources applying teachers’ criteria ............ 8

3.1 Universal ........................................................................................................ 8

3.1.1 Photosynthesis ...................................................................................... 8

3.1.2 Resistance in a Wire .............................................................................. 9

3.2 Intuitive ........................................................................................................ 10

3.2.1 Puzzle Blocks ...................................................................................... 10

3.2.2 Fraction of a Shaded Object ................................................................ 11

3.3 Interactivity ................................................................................................... 12

3.3.1 Toyland – Pinocchio ............................................................................ 12

3.3.2 Measure Current .................................................................................. 13

3.4 Language Independence ............................................................................. 14

3.4.1 Hydroelectric power ............................................................................. 15

3.5 Methodological Support Not Needed ........................................................... 16

3.5.1 Labyrinth - game .................................................................................. 16

3.6 Possibility of Immediate Feedback ............................................................... 17

3.6.1 Java applets for physics ...................................................................... 17

3.6.2 European Union ................................................................................... 18

3.7 Clear License Status .................................................................................... 19

3.7.1 Coordinate Methods ............................................................................ 19

3.7.2 Calcute: The Freeware Calculator ....................................................... 20

Annex: How the descriptors and examples were collected and validated ................ 21


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1 Introduction

This report builds on the D2.1.1 Travel Well Quality Criteria v1, where an overview of previous work in the field of quality criteria for digital educational content is provided. Such quality criteria are widely applied to enable learning object repository (LOR) owners and content developers/publishers in both the public and private sector to identify reusable learning resources of high quality. Also, as identified in D2.2.1, many of the eQNet partners and LRE Associate Partners apply local quality criteria to select and maintain the quality of learning resources in their national repositories. In addition to such local quality criteria, complimentary criteria are proposed in this document to help repository owners and content developers/publishers, such as LRE Associate Partners in both the public and private sector, to identify learning resources that have the potential for cross-border use. The premise for this work is that each organisation already applies quality criteria that fit to their own purposes (e.g. complies with local and national curriculum requirements). Therefore, it is important to note that the following ‘travel well’ criteria are not supposed to replace the use of the local quality criteria, but to compliment them, and to provide guidance on how to identify resources that have the potential for cross-border use. Whereas D2.1.1 Travel Well Quality Criteria v1 focuses on the theoretical work on quality models for learning resources, this document focuses on practitioners, i.e. on teachers, and what types of definitions they value as important for ‘travel well’ learning resources. At a later stage of the project, it is intended that the work conducted by the teachers’ network which is presented in this document, will be combined with the more theoretical model proposed in D2.1.1 Travel Well Quality Criteria v1. In other words, the project continues to revise and improve the scalable criteria for the assessment of resources in order to make it easier for LRE’s stakeholders (teachers, LRE Associate Partners, eQNet members) to identify those learning resources with maximum potential to be reused at European level (= travel well). This work will result in a final version of the ‘travel well’ quality criteria that, during the eQNet project, will also be validated by the actions of the teachers’ network.


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2 Teachers’ conceiving understating of Travel Well

The following seven (7) descriptors for ‘travel well’ learning resources emerge from the eQNet teachers’ network and their practical work to identify “travel well” learning resources during Year 1 of the eQNet project. Each partner, with the help of their teachers, was responsible for identifying ninety (90) travel well resources. The first half of these resources were to be identified using the national repository and the second half using the LRE Portal. The results are now accessible through the link: http://eqnet.eun.org/web/guest/travel-well-learning-resources In Year 1, the eQNet teachers were instructed to identify high quality learning resources that they thought had value for teachers in other countries. The details of the instructions can be found in deliverable D3.1 Network Operations Manual. It was intentional that no predefined criteria were given to teachers, as at this early stage of the project (Year 1); project partners were interested in discovering what kinds of descriptors teachers thought were important for the ‘travel well’ concept. Previous work on the topic of ‘travel well’ is rather theoretical and not validated by practitioners such as teachers. Therefore, the following seven descriptors for ‘travel well’ criteria with their illustrated examples are valuable in terms of helping us to gauge how this concept is understood from a teacher’s perspective. It is important, however, to remember that this is only an intermediate step in the project and that version 2 of the Travel Well Quality Criteria will provide the LRE Associate partners and other repository owners with a more comprehensive understanding on how to proceed with the selection of ‘travel well’ resources.

2.1 Seven travel well descriptors by teachers

1. Universal/common topic/subject/theme

Resources address curriculum topics that could be considered trans-national (e.g. teaching 'geometric shapes' or 'the parts of the cell' are usually covered in every national curriculum but teaching the folklore of a very specific region is not).

2. Intuitive operation (easy to use)

Resources are easy to use for teachers and students without having to read or translate complex instructions.

3. Interactivity, strong visual element

Interactive, customisable learning activities, such as online exercises and tests. The resource invites or requires a significant degree of user input or engagement, other than just reading something on a page and responding to it.


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4. Knowledge of used language is not needed (language independence)

Resources have very little text requiring translation or there are different language versions of the resource. Such resources may have a strong visual element and may make extensive use of icons, images, maps, videos, animations etc. or a resource where it is possible to insert key words in another language.

5. Methodological support is not needed

Teachers can easily recognize how this resource meets their curriculum requirements or how to use this resource in a teaching scenario without further instructions from the content provider.

6. Possibility of immediate feedback The resource indicates when learners are successfully or unsuccessfully accomplishing a task or answering questions correctly in a drill/practice scenario.

7. Clear license status

The user can easily find information on the rights to use and remix this resource. License information is understandable for a typical user.


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3 Illustrative examples of travel well resources applying teachers’ criteria

3.1 Universal

Resources address curriculum topics that could be considered trans-national (e.g. teaching 'geometric shapes' or 'the parts of the cell' are usually covered in every national curriculum but teaching the folklore of a very specific region is not).

3.1.1 Photosynthesis

1. URL: http://celebrate.ls.no/Norsk/Animasjoner/NMfag/fotosyntesen.swf 2. Brief Description: Learn about photosynthesis. Discover all the elements in the process in this animation. 3. Picture


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3.1.2 Resistance in a Wire

1. URL: http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/resistance-in-a-wire 2. Brief description: Learn about the physics of resistance in a wire. Change its resistivity, length, and area to see how they affect the wire's resistance. The sizes of the symbols in the equation change along with the diagram of a wire. 3. Picture


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3.2 Intuitive

Resources are easy to use for teachers and students without having to read or translate complex instructions. 3.2.1 Puzzle Blocks

1. URL: http://www.cercifaf.org.pt/mosaico.edu/ca/swf/blocos.swf

2. Brief description: An interactive game that lets you explore the domain space

by usage of geometric figures. Pupils put together an image consisting of

different shapes. Spatial orientation and knowledge of geometric shapes are

the contents of this resource.

3. Picture


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3.2.2 Fraction of a Shaded Object

1. URL: http://test.scoilnet.ie/Res/larosu1150051420pm_2.htm 2. Brief description: Visual exercises requiring pupils to work out what fraction of the drawings are coloured/shaded.

3. Picture


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3.3 Interactivity

Interactive, customizable learning environments (like online exercises and tests). The resource invites or requires a significant degree of user input or engagement, other than just reading something on a page and responding to it.

3.3.1 Toyland – Pinocchio

1. URL: http://forum.indire.it/repository/working/export/2954/pinocchio/home.swf

2. Brief description: This resource deals with English language education. It is

based on a well known story about Pinocchio and pupils learn new English

vocabulary by reading different stories about Pinocchio.

3. Picture


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3.3.2 Measure Current

1. URL: http://celebrate.ls.no/english/animations/science/maalestrom_engelsk.swf 2. Brief description: Learn to measure current in this interactive animation. 3. Picture

Other examples: Example: http://dum.rvp.cz/materialy/stahnout.html?s=ymywljdg


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3.4 Language Independence

Resources have very little text requiring translation or there are different language versions of the resource. Such resources may have a strong visual element and may make extensive use of icons, images, maps, videos, animations etc. or a resource where it is possible to insert key words in another language. 3.4.1 Adding to bridge the ten

1. URL: http://www.klascement.net/eqnet/docs/3146/

2. Brief description: A simple maths’ worksheet that deals with adding and

subtracting.

3. Picture


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3.4.1 Hydroelectric power

1. URL: http://celebrate.ls.no/Neutral/Science/vannkraft.swf

2. Brief description: See how we get power from hydroelectric sources in this animation.

3. Picture


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3.5 Methodological Support Not Needed

Teachers can easily recognize how this resource meets their curriculum requirements or how to use this resource in a teaching scenario without further instructions by the content provider. 3.5.1 Labyrinth - game

1. URL: http://www.matemania.no/matemania_m/verksted_labyrint/index.html

2. Brief description: The resource deals with orientation and knowledge of space,

shape and colour. Pupils try to put together a coloured image consisting of

many small pieces.

3. Picture


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3.6 Possibility of Immediate Feedback

3.6.1 Java applets for physics

1. URL: http://www.klascement.net/eqnet/sites/3942/

2. Brief description: Collection of Java applets that allows teachers and students

to perform visually simulations of physics concepts, principles and laws. 3. Picture


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3.6.2 European Union

1. URL: http://myeurope.eun.org/shared/data/myeurope/2005/los/02/pat1/citizenship.htm

2. Brief description: Use this crossword to test knowledge of the European Union and citizenship.

3. Picture


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3.7 Clear License Status

The user can easily find information on the rights to use and remix this resource. License information is understandable for a typical user.

3.7.1 Coordinate Methods

1. URL: http://mkp.emokykla.lt/imo/lt/mo/250/

License URL: http://mkp.emokykla.lt/imo/lt/informacija/autorines-teises/

2. Picture


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3.7.2 Calcute: The Freeware Calculator

1. URL: http://calcute.com/ License URL: http://calcute.com/license.html 2. Picture


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Annex: How the descriptors and examples were collected and validated

The examples here are based on the results of a validation task conducted by the eQNet partners on the travel well resources that teachers had selected in Year 1 (the 3rd part of National Coordinators Validation, described in D3.1). The resources used as examples were uploaded by teachers to http://www.klascement.eu/alle/. The project partners were then asked to review the resources. They were free to use either

• Their own descriptors for the concept of ‘travel well’ which had been formed in the first year of the project through interaction with teachers

• Previously elaborated recommendations to LRE partners for ‘travel well’ resources (work described in D2.2.1)

• Elements from proposed criteria in Deliverable 2.2.1 Table 3: Overall quality evaluation criteria of learning objects.

Table 1 presents 17 descriptors that were presented for selection by individual partners. There was a significant range in frequencies of occurrence between the most and least commonly chosen criteria (see Table 1). Universal/common topic/subject theme and Intuitive operation (easy to use) both occurred 43 times. Meanwhile the last two of the seven (Possibility of immediate feedback and Clear license status) occurred 11 and 9 times respectively. The other 10 criteria ranged in occurrence from 7 times to just one occurrence. Future work in the project on ‘travel well’ criteria v2 will compare this emerging list of terms with the models presented in D2.2.1.

Table 1. List of the most frequently used TW criteria that were selected in validation form by individual partners during the 3rd part of National Coordinators Validation Task

Travel well descriptors by teachers Total number of

occurrences Rank

Universal / common topic / subject / theme 43 1-2

Intuitive operation (easy to use) 43 1-2

Interactivity, strong visual element 34 3

Knowledge of used language is not needed (language independence) 29 4

Methodological support is not needed 26 5

Possibility of immediate feedback 13 6

Design and usability - user-friendly interface 11 7

Clear license status 9 8

Design and usability - navigation 7 9-10

Design and usability - information structure 7 9-10

Reusability - internationalisation / localisation level 6 11-12

Working stability 6 11-12

Reusability - accessibility 5 13

Design and usability - aesthetics 3 14

Freeware / open (open source) format / open or semi-open license status (mainly Creative Commons - CC)

2 15-16

Information collected from the real usage 2 15-16

Design and usability - personalisation 1 17

Documents

D.3.3 Quality Guidelines for LRE Associate Partnerseqnet.dge.mec.pt/files/2012/11/eqnetqualitynetworkguidelines.pdf · D3.3 Quality network for a European Learning Resource Exchange