Finding Resources
There is so much information available on the WWW that it can be difficult to search for and evaluate resources for online learning. The following guidelines may help you:
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Search for 'small' resources - you may be searching for large resources which fulfil several objectives, rather than integrating a number of smaller resources. Try to search for small resources, each fulfilling one learning objective.
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Search in places where copyright is not a problem - You are likely to feel under more scrutiny with regard to copyright of materials distributed to students online, compared with the distribution of paper based resources. For guidance in the relevant legislation and local sources of advice, contact JISC Legal http://www.jisclegal.ac.uk/publications/copyrightcoppenheim.htm
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Look in places where the resources are maintained - You may have concerns over the durability of some online resources. If a resource is contained within a repository or digital library, rather than an informal website, it is likely to be more robust.
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Seek out resources from reputable sources - You may be sceptical of the quality assurance of materials. Many tutors share these concerns, which are part of a more general issue affecting the design and management of future repositories. Although some repositories do have quality assurance measures in place, many do not. One project which has implemented a peer review process within communities of practice is MERLOT, 'Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching' http://taste.merlot.org/catalog/peer_review/process.htm. In MERLOT, peer review comments are generated within web-based worksites and attached to each resource (Schell and Burns, 2002). Key factors in evaluating the usefulness of a resource include: accessibility, relevance, writing style and language, durability, quality assurance, copyright and ease of customisation (Littlejohn, Campbell, Tizard and Smith, 2001).
You are likely to start off by sourcing these 'formal' materials, but you may also want to share your own 'informal' learning materials across a number of courses that you teach to save time spent on material development (Mason, 2003).
