Who are Schoolzone?
We are an independent company established
by teachers for teachers with a nine year
track record of providing an excellent information
and evaluation service. Our proven dedication
to providing the best information to teachers
has won their respect and trust and we currently
have the largest on-line community of teachers
in UK. Click
here to read more about us.
If you have anything you'd like to discuss
in more detail, please call Judith Spalding or Elizabeth
Collie on 01242 262906. These FAQs may be
modified from time to time and do not form
part of a contract. Please call us if you'd
like to be sent a copy of a sample contract.
Q: Why do I need
an evaluations service?
A:
There are probably two main reasons:
- To provide potential users and purchasers
with an impartial view of your product
based on use in the classroom and focus
on the implications for teaching and learning.
- To help users make the most of the resource:
Schoolzone evaluations focus on the teaching
and learning aspects - they suggest ways
of using the resource in the classroom.
Our built in discussion forums allow other
users to add their own (moderated) suggestions
and share ideas.
Q: Why do I need
the Schoolzone service?
A:
Schoolzone talks direct to teachers
and schools. Our in-built marketing puts
the evaluation onto the desktops of 85,000+
registered users via our regular update
email, makes it available to our circa 600,000
unique visitors per month and the evaluations
are promoted in our hardcopy newsletters
to every UK school, circa 30,000 hardcopy
mailings per month to UK schools.
Our marketing reach is unique to Schoolzone,
putting your evaluations in front of the
UK's largest online teacher community.
Q: Just how independent
are the evaluations?
A:
Schoolzone does not produce its
own digital resources. We have no conflict
of interest and our evaluations are unbiased.
During training our evaluators are shown
how to keep evaluations objective and to
focus on the educational benefits.
Q: How soon do
we see the results?
A:
Final publication is a maximum
of 8 from receipt of the title by the evaluator.
It is vital that the evaluator uses the
title with a class and so we give them 6
weeks, to ensure that this fits in with
their curricular responsibilities. We keep
publishers informed at each step, notifying
them by email when the final evaluations
are submitted.
Q: Do publishers
get a chance to check the evaluations?
A:
Yes. It is essential that evaluations
are factually correct and we send you a
link to read each evaluation before it is
published on the Schoolzone and COL sites
and to make suggestions about changes. For
factual changes we will effect these immediately;
where there appears to be a difference of
opinion with the evaluator, we will pass
the suggestion back and ask for further
comment. If the differences cannot be resolved
publishers have the right to veto publication.
Q: Does an evaluation
certify my product in any way?
A:
A listing on COL implies that
the publisher (or other verifier) warrants
the educational appropriateness of the resource;
a Schoolzone evaluation gives users confidence
that an independent assessment of this resource
has been carried out in an educational context.
Schoolzone is well established in the educational
sector and has been actively reviewing educational
materials since 1997. On publication of
the evaluation a logo will be provided which
may be used in promotional materials.
Q: How can I use
the evaluations?
A:
Our evaluations are extremely
flexible. Although COL will link through
to a Schoolzone branded version, we can
also create a bespoke version to fit with
publishers' web sites look and feel, making
it integrate seamlessly with your own site
if you should so wish. Alternatively, you
may quote from the evaluation, quoting the
source. As evaluations are carried out under
contract to the DfES, the intellectual property
rights belong to them.
Q: What other
marketing opportunities are there?
A:
Schoolzone traditionally has
acted as a conduit between suppliers and
teachers. Publishers may take advantage
of this in several ways for more information
see
our advertising pages.
Q: Can I use Schoolzone
evaluators for anything else?
A:
There are many ways we can help
with research or consultancy services, for
more information see our research pages.
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