Peer Review

Bridge - Ocean Sciences Education Teacher Resource Center

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Reviewed:: Jun 11, 2003 by Biology

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Ratings

Overall Rating:

Content Quality:

Effectiveness:

Ease of Use:

Overview:: The Bridge is an exceptional compilation of links and general information relating to all aspects of ocean sciences?organized by the following topics: biology, chemistry, physics, geology, and atmospheric sciences. It provides teachers with all sorts of tools for enriching the learning experience in ocean sciences and related topics. Each topic is further subdivided, making it easy to locate information. In addition, the site provides links to data collected by a wide variety of sources on many ocean related topics. The Resource Pavilion category provides links to a wide range of sites ranging from virtual expeditions literature on the web, professional development , as well as national and regional level projects and resources. The site also contains links to lesson plans, really neat learning projects, animations, and video clips designed for all levels K?12 with a special section devoted to elementary grades. Communications are also provided to allow users to learn about current topics and network with each other as they explore this resource center. If you are looking for resources related to ocean sciences, this is the site with which to start.
Type of Material:: Collection/Database - links to Interactive Lessons, Animations, and Simulations.
Recommended Uses:: This Website is essentially a repository of links to the best sites and learning materials available for teaching ocean sciences. It can be used as a fine-tuned browser for getting the best materials available on the Internet.
Technical Requirements:: Basic site requires only current internet browser. Some links may require Shockwave, Flash, QuickTime, PowerPoint, and other multimedia / software for use with a personal computer.
Identify Major Learning Goals:: Users will learn about Ocean Sciences and how to use materials linked to this main Website to enhance teaching in secondary education.
Target Student Population:: Elementary school through college graduates. Science teachers and college students learning about science education will use this Website to help educate about ocean sciences. The general public will also use the information presented as reference material and to gain appreciation for ocean sciences.
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:: Some knowledge of basic science and some teaching experience would help before using this Website, although no skills are needed to learn about most of the material offered.

Content Quality

Rating:

Strengths:

The quality of what is presented directly on the site is uniformly high and continuously explanded.
Links provided to a wide range of types of material?from online data to online journals and literature as resources for teachers.
Provides a section for teacher review of online materials that are provided through the site?an excellent quality control step.
Content is integrated very well to enhance the learning experience.

Concerns:

Since much of the information consists of links to sites that are not controlled by the Bridge site, quality of the materials may vary.
Information presented is excellent for secondary education but would benefit if expanded to include teaching tools for higher education.

Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool

Rating:

Strengths:

The potential applications are overwhelming; lesson plan section will help to focus on specific topics.
Links to individual module include learning objectives.
Promotes conceptual understanding with many activities featuring interactive problem solving.
Links to online data offer opportunities for students to use actual research data.
Current information highlighted on opening page of site?attract attention to new or highlight materials that may be of use.
Provides a forum for educators to locate useful materials and exchange information about how to use it.
Provides easy access to journals and literature that many schools may not have.
Virtual Expeditions provide excellent opportunities for students to follow ongoing research.
Assignments can be easily added by teachers.
Information on summer programs for teachers and students opens important doors for both professional development and enrichment experiences.

Concerns:

Perhaps some more challenging modules and assignments could be made for college students.

Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty

Rating:

Strengths:

Navigation is exceptionally well organized and always visible to user?this is a key to making the site useful.
Most links are good, although portions of some links are not active.
Organized by discipline with subdivisions within each discipline; makes materials on various topics easy to find.
All links tried functioned and materials loaded quickly in most cases.

Concerns:

There is quite a bit of information presented and sometimes it's hard to navigate back to the Home page.
A few links were contained missing pictures and were hard to navigate.

Other Issues and Comments:: An excellent effort. This is an essential Website for finding information about ocean sciences, particularly if learning material for the classroom are needed. The inclusion of teacher participation and submission of materials make this a great resource for networking teaching strategies. This collection is definitely the place to find marine related resources--"one-stop shopping".
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