Evaluation and Selection of Learning Resources: A Guide

1 EvaluationandSelection ofLearning Resources: A Guide2008 Prince Edward IslandDepartment of EducationPO Box 2000 Charlottetown, Prince Edward IslandCanada, C1A 7N8 Tel. (902) 368-4600 Fax. (902) 368-4622 DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION: Evaluation AND Selection OF Learning RESOURCESA cknowledgmentsiThe Department of Education gratefully acknowledges the contributions of the following individuals towardthe development of this document: Evaluation Criteria CommitteeJudy Davies, Teacher Support Consultant, Eastern School DistrictSandra Richardson, School Library/Media Consultant, Department ofCommunity and Cultural AffairsKen Gaudet, Principal, Central Queens Elementary, Eastern School DistrictLois Adams, Vice-Principal/Classroom Teacher, West Kent ElementaryKaren Jollimore, Teacher-Librarian, LM Montgomery Elementary (School Library DepartmentHead, Eastern School District)

2 Helen MacKinnon, Principal, Greenfield ElementaryEllie Mae LeClair, Teacher-Librarian/Classroom Teacher, ME Callaghan IntermediateElizabeth Greenan, Teacher-Librarian, Parkside ElementaryMyra Thorkelson, Diversity Education Consultant, Student Services Division, Department ofEducationLucille Fontaine, Co-ordinator, French Programs, Department of EducationCarol Fitzpatrick, resource -Based Learning Consultant, English Programs Division, Departmentof Education (Committee Chair)School Library Standing CommitteeCarolyn Pendergast, Teacher-Librarian, Morell Regional (Senior High Standing Committee Member)Sue Geddes, Teacher-Librarian, Stonepark Intermediate (Intermediate Standing Committee Memberand PEITLA President)Gail Finniss, Teacher-Librarian, Greenfield Elementary (School Library Department Head, WesternSchool Board and Elementary Standing Committee Member)Karen Jollimore, Teacher-Librarian, LM Montgomery Elementary (School Library Department Head,Eastern School District)Larry Tweed, Systems Librarian, Provincial Library, MorellLana MacIsaac, Information Technology Facilitator, Department of EducationLucille Fontaine, Co-ordinator, French Programs, Department of EducationDr.

3 Ray Doiron, Faculty of Education, UPEI (School Library Certificate Program)Carolyn Ledwell, UPEI Education resource CentreCarol Fitpatrick, resource -Based Learning Consultant, English Programs, Department of Education(Committee Chair)PEI DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION: Evaluation AND Selection OF Learning RESOURCESPEI DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION: Evaluation AND Selection OF Learning 1 Statement of Principle .. 2 Objectives of Selection .. 2 Responsibility for Selection of Learning Resources .. 3 Procedures for Selection of Learning Resources .. 3 Selection OFLEARNINGRESOURCEGENERAL LEARNINGRESOURCES:CONSIDERATIONSC ontent/ 5 6 Social 6 Audience 8 Media 19 Instructional 20 Technical Design.

4 24 Social 27 DVD/Video-Specific Criteria .. 32 Digital Resources-Specific Criteria .. 33 Web Resources-Specific Criteria .. 35 Deconstruction of URL .. 37 PROCEDURES FORDEALING WITHCHALLENGEDMATERIALSS tatement of Principle .. 38 Informal 38 Formal Reconsideration at the School Board/District or School Level .. 39 Formal Reconsideration at the Department of Education Level .. 41 APPENDICESA ppendix APrint Evaluation 50 Appendix BDVD/Video Evaluation Forms .. 53 Appendix CDigital Resources Evaluation Forms .. 60 Appendix DWeb site Evaluation Forms .. 69 Appendix ERequest for Informal Reconsideration of a Learning resource Form .. 80 Appendix FRequest for Formal Reconsideration of a Learning resource Form.

5 86 TABLE OF CONTENTSGLOSSARIESG lossary of Terms .. 43 Internet Glossary .. 45 PEI DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION: Evaluation AND Selection OF Learning RESOURCES1 Selection OF Learning RESOURCESPEI DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION: Evaluation AND Selection OF Learning RESOURCESThe Philosophy of Education for Prince Edward Island, Department ofEducation, Prince Edward Island, February 1990, states, the purpose of thePrince Edward Island public education system is to provide for the develop-ment of children so that each may take a meaningful place in [a democratic]society. According to MINISTER S DIRECTIVE NO. MD 00-07 SchoolLibraries, In today s society, which is increasingly information-rich andknowledge-based, the school library program should equip students with skillsand an appreciation of life-long Learning .

6 It is the responsibility of personnelat the Department of Education and school boards/district, administrators,teacher-librarians, and teachers to provide an instructional program andlearning resources that promote the enjoyment of reading and enable learnersto become critical and creative thinkers as well as effective users of informa-tion in all formats and media. This is best achieved through resource -basedlearning and a collaboration among all members of the school purpose of this handbook is to expand upon the general criteria forselection of Learning resources as stated in the Guidelines for the Evaluationand Selection of Learning Resources document, as well as to expound uponspecific Selection criteria in the areas of content, instructional design, technicaldesign, and social overall goal must be to support the Learning outcomes of the consideration of curriculum fit must be applied rigorously to all mediumsof are guidelines that may be useful to Department and school board/district personnel.

7 Administrators, teacher-librarians, teachers, students, andmembers of the community. The forms that appear in the appendices aresamples to help in the Selection / Evaluation process and can be utilized,adapted, and/or modified to meet specific is our belief that school programs will be enhanced through a clear andconsistent approach, province-wide, around the Selection of learningresources and the procedures for dealing with challenged of Learning ResourceIntroduction2 Selection OF Learning RESOURCESPEI DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION: Evaluation AND Selection OF Learning RESOURCESThe purpose of this document is to provide guidelines for the Evaluation andselection of Learning resources for the public schools in Prince Edward For the purposes of this document, we use the following terms:(1) Learning Resources will refer to any person(s) or any material (whetheracquired or locally produced) with instructional content or function that is usedfor formal or informal teaching/ Learning purposes.

8 Learning resources mayinclude, but are not limited to, print and non-print materials; audio, visual,electronic, and digital hardware/software resources; and human resources.(2) resource -Based Learning will refer to the approach promoted acrossthe Council of Atlantic Ministers of Education and Training (CAMET) and/orAtlantic Provinces Education Foundation (APEF) core curricula and Frenchcurriculum documents that actively involves students, teachers, and teacher-librarians in the effective use of a wide range of print, non-print and humanresources. This approach fosters the development of individual students byaccommodating their varied interests, experiences, Learning styles, needs, andability levels.

9 (3) Selection Tools/Aids will refer to bibliographies that include anevaluative or critical annotation for each item, providing recommendations;bibliographic information for each item; purchasing information; access toentries by author, title, subject, format, and audience to aid in locatingrecommended materials; and analytical indices, appendices, or other specialfeatures useful in helping students and teachers locate portions of works thatmay be in the school s collection. Selection tools/aids exist in a variety of printand digital formats, , books, reviewing periodicals, and resource -based Learning approach supports, enriches, and helps toimplement the educational program of the school through the interaction ofprofessional personnel, students, and parents/guardians in the schoolcommunity.

10 It is the duty ofprofessional staff to provide students with a widerange of materials at varying levels of difficulty, with a diversity of appeal, andrepresentative of different points of ofPrincipleObjectives ofSelection3 Selection OF Learning RESOURCESPEI DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION: Evaluation AND Selection OF Learning is the responsibility of all professional staff at the Department, schoolboard/district, and school levels to select resources that will enrich and support the curriculum, takinginto consideration the diversity of interests and perspectives, and thevariety of abilities, Learning styles and maturity levels of the learnersserved; to select resources that will stimulate growth in factual knowledge, literary appreciation, aesthetic values, and knowledge of societalstandards; to select resources that positively and accurately reflect diverseperspectives on controversial issues, ensuring that learners have anopportunity to develop, under guidance, the practice of critical analysisand the ability to make informed judgments in their daily lives; to select resources representative of gender, appearance, sexualorientation, ability/disability, belief system, family structure, race andethnicity, and socio-economic status.