CREATING A LIBRARY OF ONLINE RESOURCES FOR YOUR E-COURSE DEVELOPING AN INTERNET-BASED CURRICULUM
CREATING A LIBRARYOF ONLINE RESOURCES FOR YOUR E-COURSE
DEVELOPING AN INTERNET-BASED CURRICULUM
PRESENTED BY:
Mark A. VanHeckeScience Educator and Training ProfessionalEast China, [email protected]
THE ONLINE LIBRARY
After you have identified the essential questions and key concepts of your e-course, you are ready to create an online catalog or library of Internet-based resources.
THE ONLINE LIBRARY
An Online library or catalog of Internet-based resources for your course will provide a platform from which you can design activities that you can further develop content.
THE ONLINE LIBRARY
An Online library or catalog of Internet-based resources also provides your students with the means to select resources that best comport with their own learning styles.
CREATING AN INTERNET-BASED RESOURCE LIBRARY
DEVELOPING AN INTERNET-BASED CURRICULUM
THE ONLINE LIBRARY
Using a word processor, create a template similar to the one shown below.• Include the Course
Title
• Briefly describe the course
• Include the disclaimer ‘All links active as of month/day/year*
*You have no control over whether or not someone removes a website or alters its content during a course. This disclaimer lets you off the hook by saying the link was active on the date the catalog/library was published.
THE ONLINE LIBRARY
Next, create subtitles that identify each of your key course/unit concepts
• Leave a space or two between each subtitle to insert the links and descriptions
• For most content areas, I begin with a general resource links subtitle
• For some subject areas, I’ll include a subtitle for process skill resource links
THE ONLINE LIBRARY
Searching for content-deep and appropriate Internet resources for your e-course will take time.
THE ONLINE LIBRARY
The resources you select must provide your students with a through treatment of content that will help them achieve the course objectives.
THE ONLINE LIBRARY
Resources should also be engaging and interactive wherever possible.
THE ONLINE LIBRARY
Resources must be age appropriate and address different learning styles.
For this reason, it’s a good idea to include a mix of different Internet resource formats including informational websites, YouTube videos, SlideShare presentations, course lecture notes, primary source documents, animations, interactive games, etc. in your resource library/catalog
Try to address all academic ability levels-and indicate the appropriateness of the resource in its annotation
THE ONLINE LIBRARY
Selected Internet resources must also be from credible sources
Silent Springby Rachel Carson
THE ONLINE LIBRARY
Skim and read in depth if necessary the content of the website to determine if it meets your needs
Look for ways in which you can exploit the resource and use it to help students develop course content
THE ONLINE LIBRARY
If you want to include a resource in your catalog, copy its URL
Then, paste it under the subtitle you assign it to.
THE ONLINE LIBRARY
Below the pasted URL, add a brief description of the website and what students should look for when they visit it.
By taking the time to read and annotate the website in your resource library/catalog, you demonstrate that you have read and approved the website and its contents for student use
THE ONLINE LIBRARY
Repeat these steps for each Internet resource that you wish to include. Click HERE for an example* of one of mine.
*This is a complete version of a catalog of oceanography resource links I created for Science Olympiad
POST COURSE EVALUATION
DEVELOPING AN INTERNET-BASED CURRICULUM
THE ONLINE LIBRARY
In your post-course evaluation, review the library/catalog listings• Remove those that did not
address the course goals or that were difficult for students to understand
• Add new listings that you feel would better serve the needs of students
• Add listings that support ‘excursion’ activities for students who wish to go beyond course requirements• Add listings that support ‘remedial’ activities for those students having difficulty with the content