Critically Evaluating the Resources Used in the Classroom

Critically Evaluating the Resources Used in the Classroom

As the Science Department Chair at my former school, I spent hours paging through books and scavenging through resources during our textbook adoption year.  It was important to me that all of our teachers have the best resources for their instruction.  As I began training teachers how the iPad could be a valuable tool for the classroom, I realized the novelty of the tool and the fun things it could do were standing in the way of them being a quality instructional resource.  Many went into finding apps trusting with good faith that it must be a quality resource for learning because it has made it to the app store.  Others were afraid to invest any of the school provided money in purchasing apps because they figured the free ones were just as good.  This is when I decided I needed to take them back to my roots of textbook adoption research.  We needed a rubric.  It is so important that we only use the highest quality resources to support our instruction and that we understand how they will work in the classroom so that our lessons are successful learning experiences.  Here is the App Rubric I developed for teachers to use when they are seeking quality resources to support learning.

App Rubric

To Download or not to Download that is the Question

There are thousands of apps out there and the majority of them are not great.  You will save yourself a lot of time if you use this checklist before you download an app.  

• App targets a content need
• Designer of the app has developed several apps and is recognized in the field of education
• There are several positive reviews of this app from a variety of people.
• There are 4 or more pictures of the app features that appear to be interactive and user-friendly
• The benefits of this app appear to be worth the price

Skill Development App

These apps are to help students practice a particular content skill that either they are learning in class or need to have reinforced.  They provide instant positive learning feedback to students with the goal of improving their knowledge. These are apps that you will want to recommend to parents to purchase at home as well.  

• App Content
  • Skill(s) reinforced are strongly connected to the targeted skill or concept
  • Targeted skills are practiced in an authentic format/problem-based learning environment
  • Provides leveling of the skill within the app to allow for differentiation between students
  • App allows for personalization of content to meet classroom or students’ learning needs
  • The app does not require several purchases internally to access content
• App Feedback
  • Allows for students to enter their name for child-specific feedback
  • Feedback is age appropriate, so students can understand progress
  • Feedback is immediate and specific with the goal of improving understanding
  • Student performance data is available for student and teacher to document benchmarks
• Student Engagement
  • Provides instructions on navigation of the app or is intuitive and easy to use independently
  • Student is interacting with the content of the app and not passively watching or listening

Creation or Media Development App

These apps allow students to produce examples of their content knowledge.  Students are required to pull information and media into a final product that they are proud to share with the world. (ex. iMovie, GarageBand, StoryBuddy, etc.)

• Ease of use in the classroom
  • The app does not require an account to work
  • The user interface is easily navigated and does not have too many unneeded bells and whistles that could be distracting
  • Students can easily pull in the media they need to create a high-quality product
• Sharing the Work
  • Project can be sent to or accessed on other devices to continue development
  • Sharing the final product is easy through e-mail, Google Drive, DropBox, YouTube, etc.
  • Product sharing system encourages real-world feedback on students’ work
  • Product is not limited to iDevices with a special app (stuck on the iDevice, so the teacher has to go to each individual iDevice for evaluation or feedback)

Information App

These apps provide access to information in new and dynamic ways.  Students can interact with simulations, images, videos, audio, or text to help them understand new content better than other information devices.  Examples of information apps would be interactive storybooks, dictionaries, and encyclopedias; flash cards; video collections; etc.

• App Content
  • Make sure that the content is at an appropriate level for your students
  • Check for the need for an account
  • Determine if the app requires an internet connection for sharing the information
  • The user interface should be easy to navigate
  • Does it build in connections to other content (define words, link to pictures, access other resources, etc.)