Evaluation of an online multimedia, teaching and learning resource: Allsorts primary school

As part of the EFFECTS award (Effective Framework for Embedding Communications and Information Technology using Targeted Support), the necessity of evaluating the use of Information and Communications Technology (IC (b) and the attitude and expertise of the staff. Currently, the successful completion of the module relies on the reflection and analysis of experiences gained by the trainees during teaching practices. As the trainees may encounter schools which are equipped to offer differing levels of support and guidance in this complex role, it is possible that some may be given more assistance than others which will, in turn, affect the assessment of those trainees. [FIGURE 1 OMITTED] To overcome this difficulty, a virtual primary school has been designed and developed (French, Cumpson, & Wood, 2001) which aims to reflect the status of many English primary schools in terms of ICT. Allsorts Primary School, as it has been named, offers an interactive, multimedia experience for the trainees and is accessible through the World Wide Web (WWW or Web). Video interviews and interactive models of classrooms allow the trainee to ask questions of teachers and explore the classrooms with a view to assessing the current status of ICT within the school. Having engaged with the virtual school, the trainees can discuss the factors which they feel are driving or restraining the development of ICT and relate this to their own experiences gained in schools. All trainees are therefore provided with an equal basis on which to complete their summative assignment of a school development plan which caters to the needs of Allsorts Primary School. The following evaluation focuses upon the ability of Allsorts to meet the main objectives originally outlined at the onset, (Inglis, Liking, & Joosten, 1999) namely that the school should: * reflect "real-world" experiences--for example, do the staff attitudes towards ICT reflect those of actual teachers currently working in primary schools; * enhance the learning process; and * be easy to use and accessible. Joliffe, Ritter, and Stevens (2001) identified this process of evaluation as "Level 1: Reaction" where the learners' feelings and opinions about a web based learning event are evaluated. Such an evaluation enables the designers to make appropriate alterations in response to the feedback gained from the respondents, who are in this case the trainees. …