December 1, 2008 (Vol. 28, No. 21)
URL:
http://www.merlot.org/merlot/index.htm
Rating:
Strong Points: Good theoretical coverage
Weak Points: Needs more content in some areas
Summary:
As seen in recent columns, there has been a bit of a surge in sites for teaching. MERLOT is another of these and its focus—multimedia for learning and online teaching—is a hot topic. The site will undoubtedly be popular with students and faculty alike. Though some specific offerings (biology, for example) are sparse, the Conceptual Models section was packed with useful material, and the section on Interactive Lectures was quite informative, with a lot of food for thought. The Teaching With Data section too was well thought out. Some of the content on the site is only available to members, but registration is free, so that’s not a problem. MERLOT largely succeeds at what it tries to do and is worth attention from online teachers or anyone thinking of designing such a course.
