I have created a resource about the beautiful island of Cyprus (where I am currently living) using Xerte an Open Learning Resource. Here is my reflection upon the creation of my resource:
- Why did you choose the particular topic?
I thought that as we are adults and we all come from different places in the world to create something about the place I am coming from and in consequence to attract my colleagues attention in order to learn some more information about Cyprus. At least general info.
- Why did you include particular elements?
I have included pictures, text and videos from you tube, one table etc. I have included a table just because it was required to do so and an image too. But mainly because through the images, video and text I could deliver the message more effectively and even achieve my learning outcomes I had set from the beginning.
- What guidelines did you refer to when creating the resource?
I did not use any specific guideline but I was taking something from each one provided to us from the course and I was researching through the internet too while I was creating my resource but to be honest as I have read too many guidelines before starting to create my resource every tiny detail was in my head. Every step I was making I had to check it and re-check it! So, I think that I took something from each guideline. Maybe not too professional but my time was precious to start finding the guidelines and reference them here now. The point is that most of the guidelines provided to us from the course were useful in the creation of this resource but at the same time a little bit technical and tricky!!
- What areas were particularly difficult and why do you think this to be the case?
Having to decide what resource to create till the last moment that you finally create it and develop it is difficult! I am not exaggerating because having to attend to a tutorial to check for Xerte and missing it out then I had to go back and look on some links to learn a little more about it and not just what I have read about it in the internet, was time consuming and it took me a very long time. I did not want to create something in word, or powerpoint or whatever. I wanted to experience and try something new, that Xerte offered me and I wanted to give it a try!!! There were all new to me and I had to make mistakes go back and forth many times, check again and re-check so that I could make it accessible at least to the point that I had the ability and the knowledge to make it. I had to insert a table that was a compulsory item and I just did not know how to do it. As an image or not I had to include it. Finally after a long time of thinking and trial and error I made it as a drawing and I inserted it! Provision of transcript, alt text, narrating and deciding what is proper and what is not to include in the resource was another question and how navigation could be obtained to be simple and clear to the user. Also, the structure of the resource was another issue but while I was in the process I was thinking and moving forwards. I am a novice teacher with no online resources in my career and it was the first time to do this maybe this is one of the reasons plus that we had to think not only the technological aspects but also the pedagogical,why this and why that...
- Do you think the act of making an accessible resource affected the way that the learning outcomes were addressed?
Not at all!!!! Everything was working normally but maybe this is due to the fact that Xerte has a user friendly interface and it is created to provided more accessible resources to the students that helped me a lot.
- How many of the decisions you made about the resource were influenced by technical considerations?
I suppose that just like the pedagogical decisions the same applies for technological decisions, meaning that they are on the same balance. I had to make a resource that is accessible in a way. I wanted to try at least and have good technological base and characteristics in order to work for all the students.
- How many of your decisions were influenced by pedagogical or other considerations?
My reply is the same as the previous one. Whatever I was doing I was asking myself why to do it like that and not like that what I will gain and what I will achieve. They are both important in the creation of an online resource!