CREATING A LIBRARYOF ONLINE RESOURCES FOR YOUR E-COURSE

DEVELOPING AN INTERNET-BASED CURRICULUM

PRESENTED BY:

Mark A. VanHeckeScience Educator and Training ProfessionalEast China, Michiganmvanhecke@comcast.netwww.vanheckescience.com

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