How to choose a resource

Thinking of buying a multimedia resource with your eLCs? Use these tips from DfES' independent evaluators, Schoolzone and Teem. (Click here for more about evaluations.) This expert advice will help you make sure you select and buy the resources that are right for you, your pupils and your school...

When looking to buy multimedia resources, some time spent planning beforehand can save time and money later. Here are some key points to consider before you buy:

What are your school's/department's/course's requirements and needs?

• Think about your school's overall ICT strategy – how will teaching and learning resources help to deliver this?
• Carry out an audit to identify how the planned purchases will fit in with this.
• Work with colleagues to prioritise areas where new resources are most in need and/or could make the most impact in enhancing pupil learning.
• List the age groups and subjects most in need of additional multimedia resources. Consider the learning styles and needs of the full spectrum of pupils across the school.

What resources does your school already have?

• Start by listing and assessing the resources your school already has – you may be pleasantly surprised!
• If you work in partnership with other schools, you may want to consider their resources too. (You may also need to review any associated licensing and copyright issues).
• Ask teachers for their opinions of products they've used. 
• Consider whether existing resources are being used to their full potential.

How can you reach an informed decision about what to buy?

• Ask other teachers for their advice or opinions. Network meetings, INSET, evaluations and education shows all offer great opportunities to get other people's feedback about resources and suppliers.
• Consider also the ICT Advisor at your local LEA – most provide dedicated ICT support centres as part of the ICT Support Network. They can give advice on your school's overall ICT strategy, as well as help with purchasing of specific multimedia resources.
• To get a real feel for how a resource works, see if you can get hold of a demo version or a free trial. Most suppliers will be happy to arrange a demonstration, and provide the software on a "try before you buy" basis.
• You may also be able to borrow resources from your School Library Service.
• Shop around on Curriculum Online. Where products have been given evaluations and teacher reviews on the site, read these to help inform your decision. 

What are the hardware and planning issues? 

• Check your hardware is compatible with the resource - for both stand-alone machines and the network. If the program is rich in multimedia the specifications will be high.
• Check that all teachers who'll be using the resource have reliable and regular access to necessary equipment, eg a whiteboard for whiteboard software. If not, consider what time and resources would be required to set up alternative equipment.
• Check whether the resource requires a licence, which states how many people may use a piece of software. Do you need a 30-user or school-site licence, for instance? Do you need to register all the pupils as individual users before you use the resource? The bigger the licence, of course, the more eLCs the resource will cost.
• If you're unsure, check with your ICT co-ordinator, who may also be able to negotiate a better deal (if other resources are being ordered from the same supplier, for instance). Or check direct with the supplier, who will want to know: the number of machines that will run the software; the operating system in your ICT suite or classroom (wherever the resource is to be used); and any other issues regarding compatibility with your school's existing ICT. 

How closely does this resource match the curriculum?

• Check that there is enough relevance to justify the expense.
• Check that all the links to the curriculum are already identified by the publisher – always a great help.
• Check what the product actually covers, and in how much depth. Products that cover a wide range of topics may well have less detail (or fewer lessons) for each one.
• Consider whether you're looking to plug a particular gap, or need an overall resource.
• Look at whether the resource can be used to teach all aspects of a topic, as a whole lesson or a lesson segment. Does the resource enable teachers to introduce, consolidate or revise the topics with the pupils?

What support is available for the resource?

• Check whether there's a helpline and whether support is free.
• Are there built-in tutorials, or does the manufacturer offer training? Is this included in the price, or is there an extra charge?
• Check if there is on-screen help or a printed manual to support installation and use of the product.
• What is the lifespan of the product? Does the publisher offer updates? How often? Are they free?
• If it's a CD:ROM, will you receive updates free of charge?

How will you teach with this resource?

• Consider how much preparation time the resource will involve for teachers.
• Check whether it's suitable for whole-class teaching. Is it designed so that pupils can work with it on their own, with features like voice-over on the text to help them understand and complete the activities? Will pupils need teacher support to get the best from it?
• Will the resource be compatible with other programs? Can you use this material in other applications and/or combine it with outside material?
• Does the resource provide support materials for teachers? For pupils? Are there worksheets, teachers' notes, lesson plans, differentiation activities?
• Identify whether the resource will provide an assessment or target-setting opportunity. Pupils often respond better to tests and quizzes on the computer than on paper and appreciate the opportunity to have another go and improve their score.
• Can the resource track pupils' progress? In how much detail?

What are the costs involved?

• Will you run the product on the school network? Check whether you need to buy a multi-user licence.
• Is the cost a one-off outlay or a recurrent charge such as annual subscription?
• Check whether there's a helpline and whether support is free.
• Check if there is on-screen help or a printed manual to support installation and use of the product.
• What is the lifespan of the product? Does the publisher offer updates? How often? Are they free?
• Are there built-in tutorials, or does the manufacturer offer training? Is this included in the price, or is there an extra charge?
• Factor in time for staff training and, if necessary, the cost of an external trainer.
• Will the product save a teacher's most precious resource - time? This is another "cost" that needs to be factored in.

What is the scope for differentiation of the resource?

• Identify features that will appeal to and support lower-ability pupils.
• What does the resource offer pupils with special educational needs, and gifted and talented pupils? Is there material specifically designated for these pupils?
• Is the content and presentation appropriate for the required age group and ability range? Does it lend itself to mixed ability teaching?
• Is there scope to change the settings in order to differentiate the material? 
• Consider aspects such as the amount of text, the reading age and level of language, and style of illustration.

What will pupils make of the resource?

• Is the resource really just "chalk and talk" by other means – or does it offer a truly interactive, stimulating teaching and learning experience?
• Are pupils likely to find the design appealing and the navigation intuitive?
• Will the resource motivate learning? Do any games and activities effectively reinforce pupils' learning and encourage them to return to the resource?

More about evaluations

What are they? Evaluations are independent, impartial assessments which appear alongside many of the products available on Curriculum Online. Products are reviewed against set criteria such as relevance to the Curriculum, ease of use in the classroom and quality of content. These criteria have been established by the DfES to ensure consistency and conformity across all evaluations.

What are they for? They're there to help teachers make informed decisions on the most appropriate products for their needs. They also provide ideas and advice on how these materials might be used most effectively in teaching.

Who pays for them? Evaluations are an optional service provided to all Content Providers. The Evaluators charge suppliers for their work; they receive no funding from DfES to carry out product evaluations.

Who does the Evaluations? Evaluations of digital learning materials are conducted by two independent evaluators, Teem and Schoolzone.

Where can I see them? Whenever you click on an individual multimedia resource in a list of search results, you'll go through to the Resource information page for that product. Look alongside the logo to see whether the resource has been given evaluations and/or teacher reviews, which are first-hand accounts of using the resource from individual teachers.

How Teem evaluates
How Schoolzone evaluates

How Teem evaluates

TEEM is the UK's longest established independent evaluation service for teachers. Products are evaluated by two teacher-evaluators; all of whom have been selected by TEEM and given extensive face-to-face training. TEEM also produces an annual TEEM Guide to ICT, a 96 page publication that is distributed at BETT and the Education Show, where TEEM is also responsible for hosting the Curriculum Software Information Point. Trusted by teachers and respected by the industry, TEEM continues to set the pace for evaluation.

To find out more, click here.

How Schoolzone evaluates

Schoolzone talks to teachers. The service was created in 1996 and has since led the way in encouraging teachers to share their professional experience and good classroom practice with colleagues. Our website receives over 350,000 unique users a month and over 80,000 have registered to receive our regular email updates.

We have already reviewed over 40,000 web-based materials and aim to carry out in-depth evaluations of over 2000 further digital learning materials in the next three years. Schoolzone's team of 300 teacher-evaluators are fully trained to DfES and Becta standards.

Our evaluations are based on classroom use over a period of at least a whole term. The detailed DfES evaluation format covers all aspects of the title, both pedagogical and technical, and the emphasis is on sharing and embedding good practice, so that both teachers and learners make best use of the resource.

The whole process takes a maximum of 13 weeks and publishers are invited to approve content before publication to Curriculum Online and the Schoolzone site. On completion a summary of the evaluation is emailed to our 80,000 registered users with a link through to the full evaluation. We also list the latest evaluations in our hardcopy newsletters sent to ICT coordinators in every UK school every month.

Find out more here.