Evaluating Resources:

Tony Bates created the ACTIONS model (1995):

 Access
 Cost
 Teaching and Learning
 Interactivity and ease-of-use
 Organizational Issues
 Novelty
 Speed
In 2003, Bates revised to SECTIONS model:
 Students
o Demographics
o Access
o Technological abilities
 Ease of use
o How easy is it to learn? For both students and teachers
o Reliability
o Tech support
 Cost
o Cost of equipment
o Cost of maintenance
o Cost of staff
o Cost to develop
o Cost to deliver
o Time
 Teaching and Learning
o Forms of teaching
o Content and skills
o Assessment strategies
 Interactivity/Interaction
o Learner-content interaction
o Learner-learner interaction
o Learner-teacher interaction
o Quality of interaction
 Organizational Issues
o Organizational support
 Networking
o Social media
o Collaboration – external and internal
 Security and Privacy
o Secure students and teacher’s data
o Compliance with institutional policies and ethical guidelines
Activity 3.1.  Evaluating Learning Resources

Using the guidelines discussed in the video, evaluate two digital resources.  In
your write-up, discuss the principles you applied in evaluating these resources.
Provide the link/url to the resources you evaluated.

The following are two digital resources I have evaluated:

1. EdPuzzle (https://edpuzzle.com/)

This tool was introduced during the discussion of Existing and Emerging technologies. It is easy
to use, teachers or students may sign-up using google account or any email address available,
and just following few steps, you have already created your account. It does not require
complex technological abilities and it is also free. It is also interactive tool because teacher can
easily input questions through text or audio before uploading relevant videos. Relevant videos
are available in the web. Lastly, the developers emphasize the security and privacy of the users’
information.

The downside of this tool is that it requires internet connection which some students are not
capable having it.

2. Venngage (https://infograph.venngage.com/)

This tool was also introduced on Module 1. It is easy to use; it only requires the users to have
familiarity with terms used in tools like this. To create an account, this tool only requires google
account or any email address available. It is free to use. This tool can be used by the teacher or
the learners to create a presentation enjoyable, because it applies the combination of image
and text, for the purpose of bringing out the creativity and critical thinking of the students and,
for the teacher, in achieving the attention of the learner and to ease understand the lesson. It is
also used to create a summary of the topic, such as, timeline and comparative analysis. With
regards to the security of this tool, it is with the compliance of applicable data protection and
privacy laws.

The downside of this tool is that to have wider features available, users must pay. And it is also a
web-based meaning it requires internet connection.