Exemplar Sites

Rubrics
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Contents Page

Introduction 3
Instructional Design & Delivery 4
Online Organization & Design 5
Learner Support and Resources 6
Learner Participation 7
Assessment & Evaluation of Student Learning 8














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Introduction to Exemplar Sites

This guide is designed for educators who are creating teaching and learning sites using the Frog VLE. It
uses a series of rubrics to define the quality standards required to create an exemplar teaching and
learning site.
By using this guide teachers can get a clearer picture of the strengths and weaknesses of their sites. By
comparing their site against each of the 5 categories of criteria below, teachers can identify areas of
their site that are weakest and require more work to be rated as excellent.
The 5 categories of criteria are:
1. Instructional Design & Delivery
2. Online Organization & Design
3. Learner Support and Resources
4. Learner Participation
5. Assessment & Evaluation of Student Learning
Within these 5 categories are the quality ratings. There are 3 quality ratings for each category. These
are:
1. Fair
2. Average
3. Excellent
Site content rated as Fair meets only the minimum quality criteria and should be viewed as a work in
progress. Average denotes content that is generally fit for purpose but with a little more work could be
excellent. Content rated as Excellent is the highest achievement attainable and should be considered
best practice. A site that contains only Excellent rated content is termed an exemplar site.
Finally, once created, exemplar sites can be shared to other schools in Malaysia by uploading the site
to the MOE Repository. Once published, teachers from other schools can download the site from the
FrogStore and use it in their lessons.
By following this guide and creating exemplar sites we will raise the standard of teaching and learning
resources available to teachers in Malaysia.
So the next time you create a site, dont just create a good site - create an exemplar site!





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1. Instructional Design & Delivery

Instructional Design & Delivery is the art and science of creating an instructional environment and materials that will
allow the learner to accomplish specific tasks.
When designing a teaching and learning site it is vital that you structure the site so that students know exactly what
they are being asked to do. Always include the lesson objectives on the first page so that students can refer back to
them. It is also important to include activities that allow students to analyse information in different ways. Use the
Learning Styles Report to understand which learning styles match your students preferred learning styles.

Instructional Design & Delivery
Criteria Fair Average Excellent
Learning Objectives

Learning objectives are
incomplete.

Learning activities are absent
or unclear.

Learning objectives are
stated vaguely.

Learning activities are
implied.

Learning objectives are
stated clearly.

Learning activities are
clearly integrated with
the objectives.
Best practice: Learning Objectives should be pasted directly into the first page in your site. This makes
them always accessible to the student regardless of their place in the site.
Inclusion of Learning
Styles
Limited visual, textual,
kinaesthetic and/or auditory
activities to enhance student
learning.

Adequate visual, kinaesthetic
and/or auditory activities to
enhance student learning.

Multiple visual,
kinaesthetic and/or
auditory activities to
enhance student
learning.
Best practice: Use the Media widget to deliver videos and audio files. Embed a website widget for
presentations. Forms, Polls, Quizzes and activities can be used for Kinaesthetic learners.
Critical Thinking and
Problem Solving
Activities

Limited activities to help
students develop critical
thinking and/ or problem-
solving skills.
Adequate activities to help
students develop critical
thinking and/or problem-
solving skills.
Multiple activities to
help students develop
critical thinking and
problem-solving skills.
Best practice: Use the Text Activity, File Drop, Forums and Wall widgets. Embed external sites: Padlet,
Google Docs, iThink (Mind Maps) etc.



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2. Online Organization & Design

Online organisation and design concerns how the information in the site is presented. It should be taken for granted
that the site is complete and ready for use. All sections should be clearly marked by section headers and the information
flow logical. Numbered tabs and sub tabs are the key to structuring the site into manageable chunks.

Although aesthetic style is subjective the site should still adhere to common design standards. Most importantly the
site should be clear and legible. Fonts should be of the same style and the formatting consistent throughout. If colour
is used it should be used sparingly and with purpose. Avoid using coloured fonts, as they are very hard to read.
When using digital media ensure the image/video/audio quality is fit for the purpose intended.

Online Organization & Design
Criteria Fair Average Excellent
Organization

Much of the Site is under
construction.

Components and structure of
the Site are incomplete.
Site is organized and
navigable.

Several components and
structure of the Site are
complete.
Site is well-organized
and easy to navigate.

All components and
structure of the Site are
complete.
Best practice: Always present a finished site. Use Tabs to separate content and sub tabs for related
content.
Content
Content is not chunked into
manageable segments.

Content is not presented in
sequence.

Content is partially
chunked into manageable
segments.

Content is not presented in
a logical sequence.
Content is chunked into
manageable segments.

Content is presented in
a logical sequence.
Best practice: Use numbered tabs for pages and sub tabs for related content. Use the Text widget for
section headers.
Aesthetic Design

Aesthetic design does not
communicate information
clearly.

Presentation of information
in some parts of the Site can
still be improved.

Aesthetic design
presents and
communicates
information clearly
throughout the Site.
Best practice: Ensure that your site is clear and easy to read. Font size and type should be consistent
throughout. Graphics and videos should be of high quality. When embedding websites always make sure
they are displayed the correct size on the page. Use icons for sites and external links.
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3. Learner Support and Resources

Learner support and resources concerns how students are supported during their learning. If students are
completing activities away from the classroom then you must provide adequate support.

Providing links to online resources is an efficient way for students to get the information they need to complete
an activity. This can be through the use of hyperlinks or the external link widget. If online tools (such as Padlet)
haves been used, include a link to the tools help section in case the student does not understand how to use it.

Finally, clear written instructions are vital if a student is to accomplish the task without clarification. Always
provide clear and precise instructions with an activity. Try asking another teacher if the instructions are clear
before issuing the assignment.


Learner Support & Resources
Criteria Fair Average Excellent
Online Learning
Resources

Limited information for
online learner support in
terms of online resources
and references.
Adequate information for
online learner support in
terms of online resources
and references.
Extensive
information in terms
of online resources
and references.

Best practice: Use the External Link widget to provide access to online resources. Use the Text
widget to turn words into hyperlinks.
Learning Tools Limited help and support
for web tools used within
the Site.
Adequate help and support
for web tools used within the
Site.
Extensive help and
support for web tools
used within the Site.
Best practice: Use the Text widget to turn words into links to on-line help pages.
Instructions Minimal or vague
instructions are provided.

A lot of clarification is needed
from the teachers.

Instructions are not provided
for some learning activities.

Some clarifications are
needed from the teachers.
Clear instructions are
provided for all
learning activities.

No clarification is
needed from the
teachers.
Best practice: Use the Text widget to place your instructions above an activity.
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4. Learner Participation

Learning participation dictates how the student interacts with the site. Site content should not be presented as
passive but wherever possible include tools for student involvement. Research shows that students are engaged
and motivated by activities that require active participation. Participation falls into two categories
participation with content and communication with others.
Participation with content happens when the student is asked to actively engage with content within the site. A
great example of this is the forum widget. Forums can be used to initiate a group discussion outside of the
classroom, freeing up valuable teaching time. They can be used for fun, as part of the lesson or even as a
homework task. Forms, Polls and Quizzes can all be included in your site to encourage student participation.
Student to student communication involves content that allows students to communicate with each other. For
example, when including videos in your site try adding a message wall to allow others to comment on what they
have seen. For group work, Google Docs allows collaborative working as docs can be shared and edited by
multiple students simultaneously.
For student to teacher communication Google docs allows teachers to add comments to a students work. When
used as part of an assignment the comment tool is a great formative feedback tool, allowing students to close
the gap between current and desired performance. Inside Frog, Assignments include both a direct messaging
system and feedback and assessment tools.

Learner Participation
Criteria Fair Average Excellent
Opportunity for
Participation

Limited opportunity for
students to participate within
the Site.

Example, Site is used mainly as a
content repository.
Adequate opportunities for
students to participate
within the Site.

Multiple opportunities
for students to
participate within the
Site.
Best practice: Include interactive widgets such as Forums, Quizzes, Polls, Forms and Walls to improve
student participation.
Interaction and
Communication

Limited opportunity for
student-to-student and
student-to-teacher
interaction.
Adequate opportunities for
student-to-student and
student-to-teacher
interaction.
Multiple opportunities
for student-to-student
and student-to-teacher
interaction.
Best practice: Use the Forum and Wall widgets to stimulate discussions in your site.

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5. Assessment & Evaluation of Student Learning

Assessment & Evaluation of Student Learning contains two elements. The first concerns the alignment of the
objectives with the assignment activity. It goes without saying that the activity should be relevant and aligned
with the assessment criteria.
The second criterion regards feedback. Does the site include mechanisms for teachers to give constructive
feedback to students? Try including the Text Activity, File Drop, Quiz and SCORM widgets as these can be
marked and feedback given. The Assignments app has a messaging system that allows both student to teacher
and teacher to student feedback. Other options for feedback include Google Docs and Email.







Assessment & Evaluation of Student Learning
Criteria Fair Average Excellent
Learning Objectives
and Assessment
Alignment

Learning objectives,
instructional and
assessment activities are
not aligned.

Learning objectives,
instructional and
assessment activities are
adequately aligned.

Learning objectives,
instructional and
assessment
activities are closely
aligned.

Best practice: Always ensure that that the activities match the learning objectives.
Student Performance
Feedback

Limited opportunities for
students to receive
feedback about their own
performance.

Adequate opportunities
for students to receive
feedback about their
own performance.

Multiple
opportunities for
students to receive
feedback about
their own
performance.

Best practice: Use the activity widgets such as Text Activity, File Drop, SCORM and Quiz and assign the
site. This allows the teacher to mark work submitted and give constructive feedback.
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