## 4 User Evaluation
### User Feedback  
Feedback is received via the \"VRO Feedback\" facility as well as from solicited and unsolicited responses from key users. Some examples below demonstrate ways in which VRO develops human capital, as described by [PERSON] (2001) that can be harnessed in support of natural resource management [37]. Feedback provided from users requiring soil data include a crop modeller working for a regional cropping group, who indicated that the website has been useful for \"_determining what types of soil users are likely to have given their location, and also generic physical and chemical properties for regional soils, which are used as inputs for simulation_\". Similar feedback has been received from other modellers who are after representative soil site information contexted to spatial mapping. Feedback from users of soil information has indicated the value of the website for natural resource management, particularly for identifying the nature and distribution of regional soils. A DPI project officer, for example, noted: \"_I found the VRO website extremely useful. It is a fantastic one-stop shop to find biophysical information quickly and easily in the one website. I have recently used the soils pages to compile an inventory of the most valuable soils in our project area. The historical information on the website has been extremely useful as well_\". A Landcare facilitator working for a regional Catchment Management Authority provided the following feedback: \"_I was able to use the VRO website to augment a presentation I provided at a recent field day. The soil maps held on this site are extremely useful, as are the descriptions of the regional soils and associated glossaries and explanatory notes. It is interesting to note that a number of landholders who attended the workshop were already aware of the existence of VRO and had previously accessed information from it_\". Feedback from users of the \"Sites of Geological and Geomorphological Significance\" content (as discussed in Section 3.2) highlights the value of making this information more widely accessible on the web. A planner for a metropolitan water authority has noted that: \"_as environmental managers, we seek to incorporate all available information to feed into our planning at all levels, and our interactions with the development industry. This site provides a very handy and powerful summary for accessing this otherwise hard to find information...I hope to see more pages such as this bring out useful spatial data that is otherwise buried in reports and the like_\". For this planner, discovering this information on the website has improved his knowledge of what is significant in his region and take this into account for planning. A cultural heritage consultant provided feedback that: \"_it's crucial to work out the relationship between the geology/geomorphology of an area, and where we are finding archaeological remains, which helps us to predict where artefacts are likely to be located in the future...it is difficult to get hold of [PERSON]'s maps, so the Victorian Resources Online website is very much appreciated!_\". This consultant has been able to utilise information found on the website to add to her own discipline knowledge, thus creating value-added knowledge. Feedback received from users of the recently published animations (as described in Section 3.5) indicates that they are proving to be useful to support education and extension. A university lecturer has indicated that \"_the C and N cycles are excellent_\" and that he \"_will be using them during lectures to refresh the memory of second and third year undergraduate students_\". Recent feedback from Departmental extension staff has included: \"_I am involved in giving talks on soil pH and nitrogen...agreat resource to have_\", and that the introduction of voice-overs \"_makes the animations now really friendly to use with farmers_\". Feedback from educators highlights the value of accessible soil data and information for teaching purposes.