Not all OER's are created equal, however, and there needs to be some standard method of evaluating these resources. While there isn't a specific "standard", per se, there are a number of useful guides that allow the standardized evaluation of OER resources. The one I will be utilizing was created by achieve.org. This resource, available under a CC-BY license, can be used to evaluate eight major components of a resource. Each component is graded on a four point scale - Very Weak/None, Limited, Strong and Superior. I will be utilizing this rubric to evaluate the CK-12 resource, a compilation of mathematics, science and "extra" information. I'll be focusing primarily on the mathematical resources available as that appears to be the most developed part of the site.
Degree of Alignment to Standards - 2
I'm rating this as "strong" because the majority of standards (in America) are covered. I say vast majority because there are a few areas missing in each grade, and a few standards only have a very limited number of resources, but on the whole, it does appear to meet the vast majority of requirements.
Quality of Explanation of the Subject Matter - 2
Rated as strong simply because while it does a very good job of presenting information in a coherent and readable fashion, the site does tend to focus on the "how" and not the "why" or "what" of the mathematical contented covered. While this isn't true for all cases (some topics include excellent real-world links) the majority of resources focused on how to perform the mathematical calculations and simply stop there.
Utilize of Materials Designed to Support Teaching - 1
This is limited because the site tends to focus on individual "one hit" videos or written explanations. This site is clearly intended for students to utilize on their own without teacher support, or for teachers to utilize with additional planning and supplemental resources.
Quality of Assessments - 2
The assessments are all present and useful, and the interface is nice, but it tends to focus, much like the content, on the "how" and the wrote memorization rather than the application and connection. Students couldn't be guaranteed they understand more than the fact they have memorized a process.
Quality of Technological Interactivity - 1
The quizzes are simply right/wrong without any major interactive factors. There aren't any interactive activities with respect to learning or participating in the math.
Quality of Instructional and Practice Exercises - 2
This falls into the strong category simply because of the lack of variety. The questions are good and will certainly allow students to know if they have memorized a topic, but the exercises are limited in both number of scope, as I have discussed above.
Opportunities for Deeper Learning - N/A
This does not appear to be a site designed for deeper learning - it appears to be based on information transfer and practice rather than collaboration, abstract reasoning, critical thinking, etc.
Assurance of Accessibility Standards - N/A/No?
Difficult to assess, as some meet the criteria, but the majority do not. I suspect, however, that they didn't attempt to meet the criteria on this list and thus it wouldn't be fair to assess them on this area.
Other areas that weren't covered by the rubric that I wanted to comment on are the organization and ease of use. I really liked the layout of the site and found the topics nicely laid out and easy to navigate. I particularly liked that the site breaks down the different learning resources available into easy to access buttons.
Overall I think this is a respectable resource and one that could be utilized by students to reinforce learning or catch up on any missed work. I appreciate the depth of information available and the very nicely laid out website. This certainly wouldn't "replace" a teacher but is an excellent supplemental resource students could use to work at their own pace. I could see myself utilizing it in a classroom setting as an alternate location for students to look instead of their paper textbook as well as a good "intro" for each lesson by utilizing the videos available.