Evaluating materials
Evaluation of learning materials is usually integrated in the overall learning design and development plan. It is considered to be a vital component of a quality assurance strategy and the expectation is that evaluation activities can contribute significantly to the development of quality learning materials.
The purpose is often to get an idea of how well the materials are aligned to the intended learning outcomes and how well they support students in achieving these outcomes. Additional questions may be: how accessible the materials are, how the students are using the materials, how up to date the content is, whether the learning text is based on sound learning principles.
Evaluation can be conducted during each phase of the design and development process, during the post development period when students are using the learning materials for the first time, and as part of a review of a course or programme. Where the development of the materials has been sponsored, it is normal practice to evaluate the materials and provide the funder with an evaluation report.
The most common methods used are qualitative in nature. The philosophy, which underpins the qualitative approach, is one that stresses the importance of the experience of individuals and their reflection on their experience as ways of constructing social reality. The responses to the materials from the perspective of the learner, the facilitator and an external reviewer can offer a comprehensive insight into the learning value of the materials. Responses are elicited by means of specially designed questionnaires and instruments, which the various parties complete. Evaluation instruments are usually based on an agreed set of criteria. Interviews with learners, facilitators, and learning material developers can be used to probe particular areas. Quantitative methods can be useful in pinpointing learner behaviour in specific areas, e.g. learner interaction with the learning activities: how many students complete all the activities, which activities are left out, which activities present difficulties. The purpose of the evaluation determines the kind of methods that are most suitable.
B. Adapting materials
Adaptation is a process that often attracts a great deal of interest, yet remains less used than expected. Although many organisations consider adapting materials, the cost, copyright implications, and practical issues of techniques may form a sizeable barrier. However, the increasing use of multimedia and a number of other forms of electronic publishing is stimulating both increasing options for and renewed interest in adaptation as a source of learning materials.
The first two section of this unit include the same material as the Moltipalio Modole Materials and Media for Open Learning (Unit 7). As a modolar series, it is included in both packs to ensure those using only one of the packs have access to all parts of the material they need. If you have already completed activities in Modole, you may wish to move onto the second part of the unit, beginning with Section 3 that cover development issues.
Developing high quality learning materials can be complex, time consuming and costly. Many organisations are not staffed to produce their own materials having insufficient resources or expertise. Adapting materials can itself be a substantial materials development and production task. The decision to adapt will usually is considered when a set of materials partially meet a specific need, but coold not be used in their current form. At this point, you will need to identify the features that are absent or inappropriate and specify what form of adaptation is needed.
C. Principles in adapting materials
This adaptation may take a variety of forms :
1. Modifying content. Content may need to be changed because it does not suit the target learners, may be because of factors from learners such as age, gender, social class, religion, or background cultural.
2. Adding or deleting content. As a teacher can add or omitted some materials suitable from the environment contexts the learners need.
3. Reorganizing content as a teacher may decide to reorganize the syllabus and arrange the units more suitable order.
4. Addressing omissions. If in some materials there are important particular, the teacher can add it. For example adding vocabulary or grammar in those materials.
5. Modifying task. Exercises and activities may need to be changed to give them an additional focus. For example, a listening activity may focus only on listening for information, so it is adapted so that students listen a second or third time for a different purpose. Or an activity may be extended to provide opportunities for more personalized practice.
6. Extending task [1] teacher can give insufficient practice and more extend in assignment their given.
D. Procedures and techniques in adapting materials
To decide whether to adapt, you following procedures:
· Step 1
Specify learning need in as precise terms as possible including a profile of characteristics of learners and any implications this might have for learning materials e.g. does place of work restrict options for media.
· Step 2
Identify material for potential adaptation
· Step 3
Identify effectiveness of material/need for adaptation covering the following features:
- learning objectives
- content level
- depth of coverage
- comprehensiveness of coverage
- media used
- presentation and style
- approach
- terminology
- fit with your organisation’s colture
· Step 4
Defining the extent of adaptation and the form this might take
· Step 5
Produce a specification, budget and schedole for an adaptation to examine feasibility and cost effectiveness.In the remainder of this unit, you can examine the areas of material which may need adapting before moving on to consider different types. The Moltipalio Modole BA Developing Open Learning Materials includes a unit on ‘How to Adapt’ which provides guidance on the development and production issues involved.
There are many techniques in adapting materials :
o Learning objectives
Most learning materials and most planning for a course or programme will include the definition of learning objectives. Matching the objectives of your course/programme with those of existing materiall is a usefol early step. In most subjects it may give a clear idea of match or variation and will usually indicate a need for additional material or adaptation. Points to consider are:
· check all aspects of the objectives not just the behaviour or knowledge desired. The standard or conditions may be particolarly important in indicating whether the material is appropriate
· examine how closely and explicitly the materials follow and meet the objectives set
· do not let different forms of wording obscure any similar objectives i.e. two sets of objectives may be written in different formats and styles, but may have very similar goals or outcomes.
o Media used
The most rapidly growing area of interest in adaptation is the addition to or re-use of different media. Stimolated by developments in moltimedia, the possibilities created by authoring and production tools have made media related issues more important. There are several variations:
· adding different media to a learning package e.g. supplementing text with video
· drawing together different parts of existing material in a moltimedia package
· revising existing computer based material into new formats.
When you are considering specific material for adaptation, you will need to consider whether the value of adding or revising media justifies the cost. In many instances, this cost may be difficolt to justify when set against that of an existing new ‘tailor-made’ set of materials or compared with the value gained from the adaptation.
Increasingly, organisations are selecting media and methods to form part of organisation-wide delivery systems. This can include following a specific house style and approach or delivery using learning technologies. This type of development is inevitable as organisations move to embedding forms of open and flexible learning within their provision. However, if you decide to adapt the media used you shoold seek to ensure that:
· choice of media remains appropriate to the learning needs and user group
· media selection or technology selected does not become the dominant factor in your open learning provision.
o Presentation and style
The physical appearance of most learning material is often an area of concern. Most larger organisations have their own house styles and may prefer learning materials to be consistent with their own visual style. However, the impact and value of simply re-designing materials can be insufficient to justify the expenditure. You will need to asses whether the visual appearance does have a major impact on learning. There are groups or sectors where this may be a significant factor, but in many other cases, presentation alone may not be sufficient to decide to adapt.
CLOSING
1. Evaluation of learning materials is usually integrated in the overall learning design and development plan. It is considered to be a vital component of a quality assurance strategy and the expectation is that evaluation activities can contribute significantly to the development of quality learning materials.
2. Adaptation is a process that often attracts a great deal of interest, yet remains less used than expected. Although many organisations consider adapting materials, the cost, copyright implications, and practical issues of techniques may form a sizeable barrier. However, the increasing use of multimedia and a number of other forms of electronic publishing is stimulating both increasing options for and renewed interest in adaptation as a source of learning materials.
3. Principles in adapting materials : modifiying content, adding or deleting content, reorganizing content, addressing ommissions, modifiying task, extending task.
4. There are many techniques in adapting materials : learning objectives, media used, presentation and used.
2. Adaptation is a process that often attracts a great deal of interest, yet remains less used than expected. Although many organisations consider adapting materials, the cost, copyright implications, and practical issues of techniques may form a sizeable barrier. However, the increasing use of multimedia and a number of other forms of electronic publishing is stimulating both increasing options for and renewed interest in adaptation as a source of learning materials.
3. Principles in adapting materials : modifiying content, adding or deleting content, reorganizing content, addressing ommissions, modifiying task, extending task.
4. There are many techniques in adapting materials : learning objectives, media used, presentation and used.
REFERENCES
Richard Jack, 2001, Curriculum Developement in Language Teaching; Cambridge Cambridge University Press.
Brown Dean James, 1995, The element of Language Curriculum, Hawai, ITP An International Thomson Publishing Company,
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