8 Selecting Appropriate EE Materials Four-Step Evaluation Strategy Now that you have examined a number of EE resources, it is time to decide which of these materials meet the
goals and objectives of your educational programs. Tourtillot and Britt (1994) have outlined a four-step
method referred to as an “armchair review,” or indirect review, because individuals chose materials that they
believe would meet their needs before actually using them with the intended audience. An individual won’t know for sure how effective the materials will be until they are actually used on a group of learners. Tourtillot and Britt’s Four-Step Evaluation Strategy 1. Do a Quick Review • If you are attempting to make decisions about a large number of EE materials accurately and quickly, it will be helpful to reduce the list to a manageable size with an initial quick review. a. Categorize the materials into useful categories, such as content, age levels, learning
settings(s), time requirements, etc. The categories you choose may differ depending on the material type. b. Reduce the number of materials by eliminating the categories that do not fit your
needs. For example, if you are planning an outdoor program, you may want to
eliminate the materials that are designed for indoor or classroom use. Try not to
eliminate materials just because they are unfamiliar, or because they do not fit your
particular viewpoint. 2. Use an Evaluation Tool • Once you have made an initial cut, you can use an evaluation tool, or a set of criteria, to
determine the appropriateness of the EE materials. There are several evaluation criteria
available to instructors in Pennsylvania and across the nation. a. Objectives and Academic Standards Instructors and program planners usually have lists of learning objectives for their
learners. Learning objectives are measurable learning outcomes for learners that
instructors hope to accomplish as a result of their teaching. Objectives help
instructors organize learning activities in a systematic way, so that they can devise
appropraite teaching strategies. Objectives are excellent tools for evaluating resource
materials because they help instructors define what they are trying to accomplish,
and thus help them focus on materials best suited for meeting their targeted goals
(Monroe & Cappaert, 1994). When objectives are aligned with an evaluation for measuring learner achievement,
they are called standards. Academic Standards specify what learners are expected to
know and be able to do. They provide targets for students, teachers, and parents and
allow for evaluation of student performance and improvement. States develop or
adopt academic standards that will be used to measure student achievement
(Monroe & Cappaert, 1994). The PDE has compulsory academic standards for environment and ecology, science
and technology, mathematics, and language arts for all public schools in the state. It is
mandated by law that students be taught the material contained in the standards.
The standards are evaluated by tests called “The Pennsylvania State System Assessment,”which are given at specific grade levels during a child’s attendance in public schools. PDF versions of PA academic standards are available at: www.pde.state.pa.us/k12/lib/k12/envec.pdfor contact: Next Page Module II Home