Merlot Peer Evaluation
by Tami Basso

Creating an Active Digital Footprint
http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id+60447


QUALITY OF CONTENT

Does it Present Valid Concepts, Models and Skills?

Valid Concepts
The lesson Creating an Active Digital Footprint is a StAIR design using a Power Point Kiosk presentation. Valid concepts are presented in the lesson. Students are presented information about the topic of how to leave a positive digital footprint. The concept of leaving a digital footprint is defined. The topic of social media is addressed. The definition and examples of active footprints are provided. As a teacher of technology I would use this with my students as a quick quiz to see how familiar they are with this topic.

Models
In the Social Media Area a list of social media sites are provided. The sites include a button defining what happens in at the social media site. The use of the social media tools can help promote a positive image of a person.

Skills
Students are asked questions concerning their knowledge of what a positive digital footprint is and why it is important to leave a digital footprint.  The students are quizzed over their knowledge of social media and given ways to positively promote themselves through social media. Students are asked questions and expected to click the correct answer. If an incorrect answer is selected the student will be told why the answer was incorrect and will return to the original question. When answers are correct there is positive feedback provided.

Does the Software Present Educationally Significant Concepts, Models, and Skills for the Discipline?

Educational Significance Content
The content is simple. The content supplies important information for students to know.

Core Curriculum
The interactive tutorial meets the NETS Standards 5:  Digital Citizenship: Students exhibit a positive attitude towards using technology that supports collaboration, learning and productivity. Students exhibit leadership for digital citizenship.

Content is Difficult to Teach & Learn
The content isn’t difficult to teach or learn. The difficult part is for students to think before the post information. Students need to train themselves to post only positive information on the Internet. The content isn’t difficult to teach. The content is very straight forward and common sense.

Content is a prerequisite for understanding more advanced material in the discipline.
This content is very important for students to understand. If students don’t have a positive digital footprint it can impact their entire life. Student’s chances to be hired, to get into colleges, and peer  interactions can be impacted by the digital footprint a student leaves behind.

POTENTIAL EFFECTIVENESS AS A TEACHING-LEARNING TOOL

Potential effectiveness
The activity is likely to improve learning. If students aren’t familiar with the concepts of digital footprints and social media it is a nice introduction. If students have just finished studying the topic it can be used as a review.

Purpose of the learning tool/Contextualize
The StAIR design can be used as an introduction to the activity or as a review. The teacher can use this to evaluate the knowledge students have of the topic at the end of the unit or before the unit starts.

Pedagogical Context Defined

The information can be used as an introduction to familiarize the students with the topic.

a.  Students need to be able to define what a positive digital footprint looks like.


b.  The activity provides statistical information about what you text does matter.
     Colleges and employers check applications activities at social media sites.
     Courts can use social media content as evidence.

c.  Practice using the curriculum/analysis of the outcomes from solving the problems

d.  The students are given scenarios they can select from to see how those students can
     develop a positive and active digital footprint.

2. The learning objective is to teach students how to create a positive digital footprint
    while interacting with social media.

     The NETS standard 5, Digital Citizenship: Students exhibit a positive attitude towards
     using technology that supports collaboration, learning and productivity. Students
     exhibit leadership for digital citizenship.

     The activity meets the objectives of the lesson.

3. Students will learn how to create an active and positive digital footprint. It will help
    them as they use the Internet.

Effectiveness as a Teaching-Learning Tool

1.  Students enjoy participating in interactive activities on the computer. It gives them the
     feeling they are playing a game. They are learning on their own and they don’t have
     to listen to an adult speaking.

2.  The use of technology fits in perfectly with the subject matter because the subject
      matter is using technology.

3.  The software can be used as an introduction, as a check of what the students know on
      the topic, this can be use in the middle of a digital technology  safety lesson before
      moving to the next unit, this could also be used at the end of the unit to check how
      well they learned the information.

4.  The teaching and learning goals are very easily identified.

5.  Good learning assignments using technology are time consuming to create if you’re
      making an interactive activity.

EASE OF USE
This software is very easy for teachers and students to use even if it is their first time using this software.

1.  The buttons are in consistent spots. The buttons are easily found. The user can click
      on a button to answer a question or on an arrow that works like a button to move
      to the next slide.

2.  No the reader doesn’t get trapped in the materials. All the buttons works and lead you
     so the correct spot.

3.  You can’t get lost in the material. You either answer the question by clicking on the
      correct answer and you’re congratulated. If you click the wrong answer it tells you it
      is incorrect and give you the opportunity to keep answering until you get the correct
      answer.  The arrow takes you to the next slide.

4.  The program provides information about if you answer is correct or not. The feedback
     is positive and helpful.

5.  There really isn’t a lot of flexibility in the use of the program. It is straight forward
      and you mainly move ahead to the next unit.

6.  The program doesn’t require documentation or technical support. Anybody that
     can click on a forward button or click on a button to answer a question can use
     this software.

7.  Students are very familiar with the format that the material is presented because it
     is in the format of a Power Point. Most students are experienced at producing
     Power Points so they can move around in a Power Point very easily.

8.  The material is colorful and interactive. Students will find the responses by the
      computer amusing. The applause and the sound effects for right and wrong answers.