Abstract:

This work contemplates a review of 5 evaluations concerning interactive Learning Objects (LO) to recognize and improve criteria in their production. Given the diversity of instruments to evaluate these educational resources, the present study was dedicated to analyze several evaluations of LO in general to identify which criteria are being considered and which of the absentees could be added to the assessment.
We began searching for research studies from various countries implying the design of evaluations of LO. We selected 5 in which experts were involved in the design of a LO and also evaluated the LO qualify through specific principles to assure its improvement before it was used by students. Experts were considering mainly the product and not the process of the LO design and focused considerably on evaluating interactivity.

The analysis considered as reference, included the following assessment categories: pedagogical, didactic, and curricular, technical and aesthetic, and functional aspects [1]. These categories allowed analyzing the evaluations of LO through various points of view, forming an integral vision of how they should be valued.

Data show that most of the evaluations concentrate their evaluation criteria in the categories of pedagogical, didactic and curricular aspects, and less in the technical, aesthetic and functional aspects. It was also observed that within the technical-aesthetic and functional categories several and different aspects were considered among the 5 evaluations included.

Among the 5 evaluations analyzed 3 stand out in the analysis, one of them for evaluating a multimedia e-book, contributing specific criteria in didactic-curricular and technical-aesthetic aspects [2]. Another one for being based on quality standards and adaptation criteria to evaluate LO, emphasizing technical-aesthetic and functional aspects [3]. And finally the third one for being a heuristic evaluation, that shows varied criteria but with a general approach, and that on the other hand proposes a detail process to carry out the evaluation [4].

Considering that the LO´s may have different characteristics due to the context directed or due to their technological nature, it is necessary to adjust criteria to effectively evaluate the educational resource.

Keywords:

learning objects, interactive learning objects, and evaluations.