How do I find technology resources that will help me put together a unit on the effects of acid rain? How do I know which program will be most useful for my class? Teachers can readily find answers to these questions through the California Instructional Video Clearinghouse and the California Software Clearinghouse. Funded by the California Department of Education since 1986, these clearinghouses provide electronic access to information about high-quality, teacher-evaluated technology resources.
Criteria for Evaluation
- To assess curricular match, evaluators look at whether the program supports the instructional concepts, themes, and philosophy embodied in the California curriculum frameworks.
- For instructional design, they evaluate whether the material and pedagogy are appropriate for the stated grade level, whether the objectives are readily identifiable, and whether the program contains suitable instructional support materials.
- Evaluators consider whether content is accurate, current, thorough, relevant for the assigned grade levels, and usable across the curriculum.
- Evaluators measure interest to determine the material's capacity to promote critical thinking skills and to motivate, engage, and intellectually stimulate students.
- Finally, they look at technical quality—whether the program has features that help support and communicate its content.
To be recommended for use in California schools, technology programs must be rated Exemplary or Desirable on a six-point scale. Resources must also comply with the State Board of Education's Standards for Evaluation of Instructional Materials with Respect to Social Content. When examining each program, evaluators consider the balance between male and female roles; the representation and contributions of ethnic and cultural groups, older persons, disabled persons, entrepreneurs, and labor; the role of religion; and concerns about the environment. They also consider whether materials encourage thrift, fire prevention, and humane treatment; appropriately include the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution; omit brand names and corporate logos; and emphasize diet and exercise. Evaluators reject programs containing demeaning labels or role stereotyping. Literature, music, art, and stories and articles having a particular historical or cultural perspective are exempt from the social content criteria.
Evaluators also indicate whether a program contains sensitive content. They note instances of nudity, explicit sexual material, profanity, excessive violence, and glamorized portrayals of drugs and dangerous substances.
The Evaluation Process
Teams of educators evaluate materials at 12 sites throughout California. In some cases, individual teachers evaluate material with students at school media centers, and computer software is usually evaluated in a classroom to verify the program's effectiveness. School teams of at least three members evaluate computer-interactive videodiscs.
The clearinghouses also work with 17 regional Software Resource Centers to provide access to computer software and CD-ROM programs that have been rated as high quality. Educators visit these centers to review the products donated by publishers. California's seven regional instructional television agencies also assist in evaluating products for purchase and distribution to teachers.
At present, the staffs of the clearinghouses are exploring partnerships with educators in other states. These educators will be invited to assist in the evaluation of resources. In the fall of 1994, staff members of the clearinghouses will offer sessions to train technology leaders from other states to use this evaluation process. Districts or schools interested in evaluating technology-based resources can obtain copies of the clearinghouses' evaluation forms, but they should be aware that evaluators need careful training in the criteria in order to produce useful data.
Getting the Word Out
To disseminate evaluations, the California Instructional Video Clearinghouse semi-annually publishes the California Index of Instructional Video, and the California Software Clearinghouse publishes the Computer-Using Educators Newsletter. Annotations briefly describe each program and suggest curricular applications. Both publications are sent to all California school districts, media centers, and schools, and are also available for purchase.
In addition, educators both within and outside California can access these resources electronically through the California Technology in the Curriculum Database on California Online Resources in Education (CORE). Via modem, California educators can reach the database by calling any of the 19 California State University campuses. Educators outside California can access this information through Internet.
Users can search the database for a title, producer, type of technology, copyright, grade level, rating, subject, language, and key word. For computer programs, they can also find out the make of the computer and the instructional mode. Technology programs recommended for use with limited-English-Proficient students are also included in the database.
In addition to evaluating and disseminating information on current technology, the staffs at both clearinghouses work closely with producers and publishers of technology programs. Many of these publishers and producers helped develop the evaluation guidelines, and in turn now use them when developing new products. The clearinghouses encourage producers to send new materials to them as soon as they are released so that evaluations can occur in a timely manner.
The California Instructional Video and Computer Software Clearinghouses provide a consistent evaluation process for many kinds of educational technology. Whether through print or online, teachers now have access to information about high-quality programs that support learning.
