The following Web 2.0 Selection Criteria was taken from the Tek Trek website and modified to suit our needs. Consider the following as a good STARTING point on building your own selection criteria.

Criteria 5: Learning

• Does the tool enhance learning?
• Does the tool enhance engagement?
• Does the tool allow you to be creative during the learning and instructional process?
• Does the tool provide opportunities for different types of interaction (visual, verbal, written)?
• Does the tool increase the perception of connectedness?
• Does the tool encourage collaboration?

Criteria 2: Access

• Is the tool accessible by Windows and Mac users?
• Is the tool / product of tool viewable in a variety of web browsers?
• Does the tool work well for those with wireless connections?
• Is the tool free?
• Will the tool be around for a while?

Criteria 3: Usability

• Do you have to create an account to use the tool?
• Is the tool easy to use?
• Does the tool have a robust and easy to use Help section?
• Does anything have to be downloaded and installed on the computer to use the tool?
• Does the tool integrate into your browser (plug-in, extension, widget etc.)?

Criteria 4: Privacy & Intellectual Property

• Does the tool allow you to restrict access of your work/your students’ work?
• Does the tool allow you to control access based on groups?
• Does the tool protect your personal data (e.g. email address given when account created)?
• Does the tool allow you / your students to retain sole IP rights to the content you create?
• Can you save a copy of the product to your desktop for archival purposes?

Criteria 5: Workload & Time Management

• Does the tool make it easy to track student work?
• Does the tool support private and public commenting (for individual and group feedback)?
• Does the tool provide for an RSS feed to track work via email or an RSS reader?
• Is it possible to embed the tool into the LMS you’re using?

The most significant difference between our list and the original Web 2.0 Selection Criteria posted on the Tek Trek website is that we have placed “Learning” at the top of the list and moved some of the”Fun” items from the original list to this position.