1. Does it match the curriculum?
Chose content which matches your own criteria, is accurate and authoritative. A product which has clear objectives is paramount and also learning activities and assessment goals (where appropriate) which are appropriate and engaging to students
2. Is it inclusive and accessible?
Legally schools must be able to offer learning to all pupils regardless of gender, ethnic and social background or physical, sensory and cognitive impairment. Overcoming this by selecting software which is clearly laid out, easy to access and, where possible, have learning resources offered can generally overcome these boundaries. However, in some cases additional information may be required for pupils to gain maximum benefit from the product you select
3. Does it engage learners and promote effective learning
A suitably picked product should be a mixture of challenging and motivating media, using a variety of different streams to engage with them on a chosen topic area. It is also ideal that staff can tailor resources to their own specific needs e.g. incorporating field trip imagery into the Geography syllabus
4. Is it easy to use?
This is paramount for both staff and pupils-a good digital resource should be full of concise information which is clearly set out and easy to navigate around. Some of the most successful packages have been based around products already familiar to learners. This easy to use site works best if backed up with the appropriate worksheets, visual and virtual resources
Within the following pages are products which go along way to supporting Becta's guidelines both in the classroom and also for remote access pupils.
