Evaluating Web Sites

So, you want to use the web with your students. These days, it seems as though the web is probably the best or worst place for students to be. Depending on which web sites you choose for your lessons, it can either be a disaster or tremendous pedagogical step forward for teaching and learning.

The web is unlike any medium before it; maybe that is why many teachers fear it. With most major forms of media (T.V., radio, books, and magazines), the content is reviewed by many eyes. In the future, the skill of using and evaluating Internet sources is going to be as useful as being able to read and write as we know it today.

So where do we begin? Before using any web site with students, you should make sure to thoroughly review it. In this tutorial, we will offer five essential considerations for you ponder before you use a web site with your students.

Who Created the Site?

A web site can be published by anyone. This spans from content experts to a person that has no idea what they are talking about. It is usually easy to identify the latter since such sites usually dodge the tough topics, have a flagrant agenda or ideology that is evident, and have too much advertising that takes away from any substantive content.

Do not assume that every site has reliable and valid content. Compare it to what you know about the subject. If you don’t know much about the subject, compare the content of a few sites on the same topic. This is a skill that you should share with students, as it will be a vital work-related skill in the future.

People who create websites have definite agendas. If you haven’t heard of the site before, look for sections such as “About Us”, “Company Information”, or “Profile.” These sections will give you the reason for the site and will sometimes tell you who is responsible for the development of the site. There are many reasons why sites are developed including for profit, promotion, and even passion for a given topic or issue. Sites created for educational purposes are the sites we are concerned with.

Is the Web Site Reliable?

One problem with the web is the volatility of websites. In some cases, you cannot be sure that the site you see today will be there next week, next month, or even next year. You should try to choose sites that have a history.

Reliability includes ready access by all users regardless of their Internet connection. Many sites are now specifically designed for Broadband (high-speed access) users. These sites, in some cases, will not work on low speed connections. Also, certain sites are made for specifically for certain web browsers and browser plug-ins. Thus, using a browser that does not support the capacity of some web sites will diminish the quality of your students’ visit. The best idea is to view the sites that you are considering using a computer with the same connection type as your students will be using.

Who is the Site Designed for?

Authors of sites are obviously targeting a specific audience. Most of the time, web developers are targeting the highly educated. In some cases the reading level of the content maybe too high for your students. You can check the level of the websites content by using the Flesch-Kincaid reading index. You should also thoroughly review all sections of the site. If it has a great deal of content, randomly review and check the reading level of the site in bits and pieces.

How is the Navigational Set Up Designed?

The navigational set up of some sites is so confusing that you’re not even sure where to go. One page that we just rejected to list in the TeAch-nology.com database had icons that stated “For Lesson Plans, Click Here!” However, when you clicked on that icon you got a listing of the author’s favorite subjects to teach. These types of navigation are frustrating. To avoid confusing your students, check the set-up. If it makes sense to you, students should be able to follow.

Is the Site Interactive to the Point that it Makes Students Think?

The beauty of the Internet is that it offers a level of interactivity that is equivalent to what students can receive in the classroom. Look for sites that make your students think. Most teachers will use sites that just offer facts. In some cases, this can’t be avoided because many times the content that you are looking to present is not offered by any site in an interactive manner. Interactivity is not a pre-requisite; but a site that is interactive is going to keep students’ attention.

Does It Contain Inappropriate Material?

Most sites police their own content well. But, humans run all sites and humans make mistakes. Almost every site on the Internet has external links to other web sites. This is where you have to be careful. Let’s say a site links to www.happy.com. If an adult site buys the name www.happy.com and changes the content, then there’s a problem. In most cases, you have to trust that the site will not post any inappropriate links. So, make sure to view all of the content on a site to ensure that it is suitable for your students. Do not take another person’s word or opinion about a site since we all have varying degrees of judgment. Trust is a difficult thing on the Internet.

The Bottom Line

As you see there is a great deal to consider when choosing a web site. It seems like too much, but if you consider these simple ideas when choosing your sites, you will find that your experience with students and the web will be much more rewarding.

Author Bio: John Erskin is currently residing in South Korea where he has been teaching English as a second language for the past 12 years. He also maintains several websites including John’s ESL Community, which he uses to help his students learn English, and Get Free Reports where you will find many more articles of interest.

Category: Education
Keywords: online education, learning online, teaching online, use the Internet to learn, reading online