Learning Materials

The learning materials in the Faculty Development collection are for instructors in any discipline as well as instructional designers, faculty development officers, technology support providers, and anyone else interested in teaching with technology. Many have been peer-reviewed. These materials can be applied to face-to-face, fully online, or hybrid teaching environments. They are organized by content into the following subjects:

• Accessibility Current thought, practices, standards and solutions for guaranteeing accessibility when using technology.
  
• Assessment and Evaluation Assessing technology-based learning and teaching, and evaluating the effectiveness of technology-based instructional materials.
  
• Best Teaching Strategies Strategies for using technology to teach and learn.
  
• Instructional Design Materials and ideas that assist in planning and developing technology-enhanced learning outcomes, courses and curricula.
  
• Policies Institutional, state, and national policies, procedures, and laws pertinent to teaching and learning with technology.
  
• Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Research, theories, principles and methodologies for use in technology-based instruction.
  
• Selecting and Using Tools Criteria, standards. and instructional materials for technology tools and software for instruction.
  
• Support and Training Resources that provide guidance, training, documentation or suggestions for effective instruction with technology..

Types of Material

The Learning Materials in the MERLOT Faculty Development collection encompass a wide and growing variety of selected and peer-reviewed resources that are distinguished by their types. They are targeted for instructors in any discipline, instructional designers, faculty development officers and technology support providers or anyone else for that matter who has an interest in teaching with technology.  These resources can be applied to the classroom, fully online or blended models of teaching. They include, for example:

• reference materials Material similar to that found in the reference are of a library. This can include subject specific directories to other sites, texts, or general information.
• collections This can be a collection of web sites or a collection of subject specific applets for example.
• presentations This category includes lecture and presentation support materials such as presentation graphics (e.g.PowerPoint slide shows), lecture notes, or audio visual materials that are not intended to be used outside the presentation.
• survey tools Similar to tests but used more broadly for gathering information.
• tests This can be any assessment device intended to serve as a test or quiz.
• case studies Illustrates a concept or problem by using an example that can be explored in depth.
• simulations Users participate in an approximation of a real or imaginary experience where their actions affect the outcome of the activity.
• animations The dynamic and visual representation of concepts, models, processes, and/or phenomena that allow users to view, on their own, such processes in space or time.
• podcasting This is the method of distributing multimedia files, such as audio programs or music videos, over the Internet using either the RSS or Atom syndication formats, for playback on mobile devices and personal computers. (Wikipedia definition)

---and much, much more!

The MERLOT Peer Review Process

• See the Peer Review Standards of the Faculty Development Editorial Board.

• Learning materials that have received the highest ratings on Peer Review are listed first when you Search or Browse the Faculty Development Discipline modules.
  
• See the materials that have received the highest ratings on Peer Reviews for the Faculty Development Discipline at the MERLOT site. The materials are listed in order, with the highest rated ones first.

How to Contribute to MERLOT

How to contribute learning materials

MERLOT materials are added by people who have joined MERLOT (MERLOT members). Anyone may join MERLOT, and there is no cost or other obligation. MERLOT members are usually faculty, staff, students, or administrators at higher education institutions, but no affiliation with an educational institution is required. To join MERLOT, go to the Become a Member page.

Materials may be added by the people who created them, or by any member who finds a great resource to share with others. When a material is added by someone other than its author or creator, an email is sent to the person who owns it to let them know it has been listed in MERLOT. If you would like to contribute materials, just click on the Contribute a Material link on most MERLOT web pages or on the following link: Contribute A Material.

How to contribute Learning Assignments and Snapshots

Member assignments may be contributed by any MERLOT member for any material they have used. For more nformation about assignments, go to the MERLOT Repository page. Similarly, authors may provide snapshots of the same materials and resources. For detailed information and instructions on how to accomplish this see the Author Snapshots page.

How to contribute Member Comments

To Add a Member Comment to any Learning Material in the collection, you must be logged in as a member of the community, and you must be on the Detail View of the item to which you wish to add your comments.

If you have not logged in as a member, the Login page will appear, and you will be reminded that you need to login before being allowed to continue.

To get to the Detail View of an item, click on its Title. (You can find an item's title by looking for the item under its subject category under Browse Materials or by searching for it by title.) The Add a Member Comment option is the second-to-last link on the left-hand side of the screen on the Item Detail View. Clicking on this link takes you to the Add a Member Comment form.