Evaluating MERLOT Resource

Original image acquired from: Flikr with appropriate sharing rights. Question mark added.

No, not the wine. Although, there is much to indulge on in MERLOT, it is in digital, not liquid form. MERLOT offers a single interface that houses a repository from its collectively open community of resources from contributing educators. The site offers educational resources submitted by its registered users, for both educators and students to access and gain knowledge about the subject.

While searching for resources that I may learn from for my StAIR project, I came across a submission of the very popular Common Craft video series, focusing on Google Docs.  Here is a link to the MERLOT posting: Google Docs in Plain English.

The presentation of the video by Common Craft follows their signature style of presenting concepts and theory by use of paper cut-outs to create animated videos. This specific video presented the concept of Google Docs and how it works. The presentation and content of the tutorial were valid in their own right. It followed a well crafted flow of information and modeled the use of the subject technology in an efficient manner. The video had a level of educational value in various ways. The verbal explanations were clear and focused, and the accompanying animations depicted in sync with the narration. This video would be a great resource at the explanation level of a lesson. From a student standpoint, I would expect the content in the video to be quite engaging and introduce the use of Google Docs at a level in which students should be able to synthesize or at least explain what the processes are for Google Docs. While it being a multimedia video, it could be used in various settings, for example in an online classroom, or as part of a teacher's presentation at the beginning of a lesson pertaining to Google Apps, by default being a benefit to be able to be readily incorporated into the curriculum. The videos clear objectives can be appreciated as it visualizes them as it introduces them verbally, allowing for learners to grasp onto the goals and consume the content. From this video a lesson could incorporate assignments in which they use this video as an accessible resource while they review the use of Google Apps in accessing and creating their own online documents.

This resource is linked to the YouTube version of the video, not Common Craft's official website. This can be both a benefit and an issue. While the familiarity of YouTube is something that can add to the ease of use of the software to access the content, it can also cause some issues. If the web filtering policies for the school district are set to filter traffic away from YouTube, teachers and students might not be able to reach this resource. If access to YouTube is allowed, teachers might have to ensure that the focus is maintained on the desired content and not non-related content that is hosted by YouTube, which could lead to learners getting lost or distracted from the initial content. While there is no feedback or extensive documentation, it presents information in a familiar and engaging way that is flexible through its online nature.