Slides used for presentation on Digital Learning Resources at Newcastle Discovery Centre as part of an ALES training day on 15 July 2019

1. Digital Learning Resources
ALES training day
10 July 2019
Martin Bazley
Digital Heritage Consultant

2. About learning
Learning involves active engagement
You can’t ‘deliver learning’ over the
Internet
Don’t prioritise what you want to
‘convey’ - think what people will do
with your digital learning resources

3. Elements of online learning resources*
Image(s) + caption(s)
Key question(s) / short activities
Background notes, activity sheets
Short videos
Zoomable images
Interactive
More complex functionality
IncreasingcostandcomplexityIncreasingcostandcomplexity
MostusefulforMostusefulfor
These are the first
things to provide, and
do not require high
levels of IT expertise or
investment
* mainly for schools and other formal learning situations

4. Developing learning resources: iterative review
Your content   Curriculum
(find a match)
Check
Does it look right for your audience’s specific needs?
If so TEST - and then amend
Learning activities   Learning outcomes
(find a match)

5. Website evaluation and testing
Need to think ahead a bit:
– what are you trying to find out?
– how do you intend to test it?
– why? what will do you do as a result?
The Why?Why? should drive this process

6. Evaluation is an iterative process
Testing /evaluation isn’t something you do
once
Make somethingMake something
=> test it=> test it
=> refine it=> refine it
=> test it again=> test it again …

7. User test early
Testing with one user early on in
the project…
…is better than testing with 50
near the end

8. Two usability testing techniques
“Get it” testing
- do they understand what it is offering, how
it works, etc?
Key task testing
- ask the user to do something, watch how
well they do
Ideally, do a bit of each, in that order.
Don’t tell them about the website before you
ask for their feedback.

9. What do teachers want?
https://vimeo.com/18888798
key ideas not lesson plans
https://vimeo.com/18867252
Oli Knight timesaver

10. Creating digital learning
resources…
… is not rocket science
But you do need to
think a while, then…
ask people, then…
think a bit more , then…
make something, then…
test/ask people, then….
REPEAT
There are some
straightforward things
you can do to help get
it right for your
audience.

11. For example…
… who is your audience?
Who are you developing it for?

12. W6 framework
Who, What, How, When, Where, Why
Useful for
•planning learning resources
•planning and implementing user testing
and evaluation
– which are essential tasks when
developing learning resources

13. W6 framework
• Who is the resource for?
• What will it offer them?
• How will they use it?
• When, where and why are they
likely to use it?

14. Who is it for?
If for ‘Schools’, is it for
(a)teachers/educators/mediators
(b)learners?
For example:
•KS3 History pupils, or
•Teachers of KS3 History?
Perhaps some parts will be used
by Ts, other parts by pupils.
Be very clear, first to yourself and
then to your audience, which bits
are for whom – this will really help.

15. What will it offer them?
• starter activity: teacher set the
scene
• background info
• images/videos to choose from
• game/immersive experience to
engage pupils/students; etc
• Also: what are the intended
learning outcomes?

16. How will they use it?
• in groups or individually?
• with or without teacher support?
• any equipment or materials
needed?
• what will they actually do, while
using each section?
Relate this to whether it is teacher-
led or student-led.

17. When will they use it?
• during lessons
• for homework
• in short bursts, or is longer-term
concentration required?

18. Why will they use it?
• what will attract them to use it?
• A common reason is ‘because I
have to’.
• Does the resource have anything
likely to motivate them?
• Answer to the above question may
be... they won’t use it.
There are plenty of other
resources out there.

19. Upcoming activity
Work in pairs
Review website
Discuss in plenary
Q&A

20. Martin Bazley
Feel free to phone or email for help
0780 3580 727
info@martinbazley.com