Wandering around the Internet this past week, looking at the resources available, gave me the same feeling. Every time I looked around the corner of another url, I found something amazing to examine. I got lost down the rabbit hole quite frequently but would resurface, somewhat freaked out by the realization of how much was available. The Big History Project for example, is a high quality production with an ambitious goal to help people understand the world over the past 3.5 billion years, explains how humans came to be and postulates what might be happening in the future.
E.O. Wilson's Life on Earth series was another amazing find. Accessible online and for download from iTunes, there are also accompaniment materials for this series: iTunes U course, links to apps, materials on the Web, and assignments that require mastery of presentation tools that place the student in the role of the teacher and... there is also a Project-Based Learning section for each Chapter of the series!!
Since this site provides the potential for a MOOC, I will follow Nadine Cahan’s approach and provide an evaluation of the CK-12 Resource Website based on the criteria provided by the MOOC Project.
Open
High – Participants are encouraged to use the open source tools as they see fit and to share any OER they develop.
Accessibility
High – It seems as if anyone with a computer and an email address can access the materials.
Use of multimedia
High – The information is presented using interactive media, including video, interactive animations, audio, as well as text with links to websites.
Degree of Communication
Low – No communication required unless organized by a teacher who sets up a class.
Learning Pathway
High – There are a variety of subject areas, spanning content difficulty levels from K-12 and maybe even beyond.
Quality Assurance
High – The foundation has some high powered partners http://www.ck12.org/about/partners/ and seemingly many of them!
Amount of Reflection
Low – Did see prompts through the learning sequences to direct reflection but not an innate part of the material.
Certification
None – Did not come across any certification capabilities.
Formal learning
Low – The material is to be used as desired.
Autonomy
High – Participants are learning how and when they want to.
Diversity
High – The topics covered can be accessed by anyone with a computer and an email address